内容简介
Agrand-scalehistoricalnovelfromthenationalbestsellingauthorofMistressShakespeare.BornintoafirstfamilyofIreland,withroyaltiesonbothsides,ElizabethFitzgerald-knownasGera-findsherworldoverturnedwhenHenryVIIIimprisonsherfather,theEarlofKildare,andbrutallydestroysherfamily.Tornfromthehomesheloves,herremainingfamilyscattered,GeradaresnotdenytherefugeofferedherinEngland'sglitteringroyalcourt.Thereshemustnavigateever-shiftingalliancesevenasshenurtureshersecretdesireforrevenge.FromCountyKildare'slushgreenfieldstoLondon'srough-and-tumblestreetsandtheroyalcourt'sluxuriouspageantry,TheIrishPrincessfollowsthejourneyofadaringwomanwhosewillcannotbetamed,andwhowon'tbesatisfieduntilsherestoresherfamilytoitsrightfulplaceinIreland.
作者简介
MaeveBinchyAsanauthor,Binchy'sgoalissimple:toletthestoryshinethrough.ShetoldOprahWinfrey,"Idonothaveaparticularliterarystyle,Iamnotexperimental...ItellastoryandIwanttoshareitwithmyreaders."Asaresult,withherIreland-setstoriesfeaturingstrongheroines,friendshipandromance,Binchyhasgainedquiteafollowingsinceshebecameabestsellingauthoratage43.BiographyIfstorytellingisanart,thenMaeveBinchyisunquestionablyoneoftoday'smasterartists.Afterall,Binchywasborn,educated,andlivesinIreland,alandwellknownforitsgreatstorytellers.FirmlygroundedintheIrishstorytellingtradition,Binchyhasearnedasizeablefollowingofenthusiasticfansforher11novelsand4collectionsofshortstories.Ihadaveryhappychildhood,whichisunsuitableifyou'regoingtobeanIrishwriter,"Maevejokes.PerhapsthathappychildhoodiswhyBinchydidnotpublishherfirstnoveluntilshewas43yearsold.Butthere'snodoubtthatonceshedidsheprovedherselftobeanimmenselytalented,multipleNewYorkTimes-bestsellingauthor.hername.Binchywasintroducedintothejoysofstorytellingatanearlyage.Hermother,Maureen,andfather,William,aprominentDublinbarrister,encouragedBinchyandherthreesiblingstobeavidreadersaswellastosharestoriesatdinnerand,asherbrotherWilliamadmits,nobodylovedtellingstoriesmorethanMaeve.GrowingupinthequietseasidetownofDalkey,locatedabout10milessouthofDublin,Binchyalsofoundherselfdreamingofescape."IloveDalkeynow,"shesays,"butwhenIwasyoung,Ithoughtitwassomewhatlikelivinginthedesert."Herdesiretoescapeledherfirsttothebigcity,totheUniversityCollegeinDublin,whereshestudiedhistoryandFrench.Aftergraduatingin1960,shetaughtLatin,French,andhistoryinaDublingradeschoolandwasabletoindulgeherloveoftravelingduringsummervacations.SheprovedsopopularateacherthatparentsofherstudentspooledtheirmoneytosendheronatriptoIsrael.HerfatherwassoimpressedbythelettersshewrotedescribingIsraelilifethathetypedthemupandsentthemtotheIrishIndependentnewspaper.That'showMaevereturnedhometofind,quitetohersurprise,thatshewasnowapublishedwriter.Usinghernewfoundinterestinjournalism,shegotajobonTheIrishTimesasthewomen'seditor,anunlikelyroleforher,shejokinglyacknowledges,givenherhopelesslackoffashionsense.Intheearly70s,sheshiftedtofeaturereporting,andmovedtoLondon.Themovewasmotivatedonlyinpartbyhercareer.Makingthekindofboldlife-alteringdecisionthatmanyofhercharactersareproneto,BinchydecidedtotakeachanceandmovetoLondontobewiththemanshe'dfalleninlovewithduringapreviousvisit—GordonSnell,aBBCbroadcaster,children'sbookauthor,andmysterynovelist.Therisk,asitoftendoesinhernovels,paidoffbigtime.MaevemarriedGordonin1977,andthetworemainhappilymarriedtothisday.In1980,theyboughtaone-bedroomcottagebackinBinchy'soldhometownofDalkey.Strugglingtomakemortgagepaymentsontheirnewhome,Binchy,whohadpublishedtwocollectionsofhernewspaperworkandoneofshortstories,decidedtotrytosellherfirstnovel,whichshe'dmanagedtowriteinbetweenhernewspaperassignments.WhenherpublishertoldherthatLightAPennyCandlewouldlikelybeabestseller,Maeveremembershersenseofshock."Ihadtositdown,"sherecalls."Ihadneverevenhadenoughmoneytopaythetelephonebill."MaeveandherhusbandstillliveinthatsameDalkeycottage,wheretheyshareanoffice,writingsidebyside."AllIeverwantedtodo,"shesays,"istowritestoriesthatpeoplewillenjoyandfeelathomewith."Shehasunquestionablysucceededwiththatgoal.LightAPennyCandlewasfollowedbysuchbestsellingworksasCircleofFriends,whichwasturnedintoamajormotionpicturestarringMinnieDriver,andTaraRoad,anOprahBookClubselection.Binchyisconsistentlynamedoneofthemostpopularwritersinreaders'pollsinEnglandandIreland,outsellingandratedhigherthanJamesJoyce.Ofthissuccess,Binchycommentswithhertypicalgoodhumor,"Ifyou'regoingonaplanejourney,you'remorelikelytotakeoneofmystoriesthanFinnegan'sWake."Inadditiontoherbooks,BinchyisalsoaplaywrightwhoseworkshavebeenstagedatThePeacockTheatreofDublin,andwastheauthorofahugelypopularmonthlycolumncalled"Maeve'sWeek,"whichappearedinTheIrishTimesfor32years.Akindofcombinedgossip,humor,andadvicecolumn,itachievedcultstatusinIrelandandabroad.AuthorbiographycourtesyofPenguinGroup(USA).GoodToKnowInourinterview,Binchysharedsomefunfactsaboutherselfwithus:"Iamabig,confident,happywomanwhohadalovingchildhood,apleasantcareer,andawonderfulmarriage.Ifeelverylucky.""Ihavebeenluckyenoughtotravelalot,meetgreatpeopleinmanylands.IhavelikedalmosteveryoneImetalongtheway.""Ihavealwaysbelievedthatlifeistooshortforrowsanddisagreements.EvenifIthinkI'mright,Iwouldprefertoapologizeandremainfriendsratherthanwinandbeanenemy.""IliveinIrelandnearthesea,onlyonemilefromwhereIgrewup--that'sgood,sinceI'veknownmanyofmyneighboursforbetween50-60years.GordonandIplaychesseveryday,andwearebothequallybad.WeplaychattyovertalkativebadBridgewithfriendseveryweek."Hometown:Dublin,Ireland,andLondon,EnglandDateofBirth:五月28,1940PlaceofBirth:Dalkey,asmallvillageoutsideDublin,IrelandEducation:HolyChildConventinKilliney;B.A.inhistory,UniversityCollege,Dublin,1960
