Ivanhoe: A Modern Retelling

Synopsis:
A classic tale in modern prose.

In a divided England, with King Richard the Lionheart a captive in a foreign land, ancient hatreds between the Saxons and their Norman conquerors are set to explode. Into this cauldron of treason and turmoil rides a mysterious, disinherited knight. His quest: to fight for his name, his king, and the woman he is forbidden to love.

From the spectacular pageantry and brutal jousts of the tournament field to the desperate siege of a tyrant’s castle, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe finds himself allied with a band of legendary outlaws, caught in the schemes of the treacherous Prince John, and torn between his love for the noble Lady Rowena and his debt to Rebecca—a beautiful healer trapped by a forbidden passion and the deadly fanaticism of her persecutors. As a disguised King Richard secretly returns to England to fight for his own throne, the fate of the kingdom will be decided in a storm of steel, fire, and betrayal.

This is not a simplification. It is a literary re-interpretation of Sir Walter Scott’s masterpiece. The dense, formal prose of the 19th century has been painstakingly rendered into fluid, dynamic, modern English to unleash the wit, irony, and breathtaking narrative energy of the original for a new generation.

Includes Scholarly Endnotes: An essential companion to the story, these extensive notes provide fascinating, non-intrusive context on the history, culture, and language of the era, enriching the world and revealing hidden depths.