Smart Bitches Trashy Books | All of the romance, none of the bullshit.

Wow, sounds pretty obscure but also very interesting.  I am always amazed by the breadth of the smart bitches knowledge-wonder who will come up with the title?

This sounds a lot like the first part of Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. It’s a very long Norwegian novel from the 1920s that was more commonly split into thirds for English-language publication. If so, there’s a lot more about Kristin to read in the other two volumes.

Really? To me it doesn’t sound like Kristin Lavransdatter at all… But if you like historical romances, I strongly recommand it! It’s a beautiful book, and Sigrid Undset won the Nobel prize of literature for it.

This sounds like the beginning of A Journey for a Princess by Margaret Leighton. It is the story of Alfred the Great’s daughter, Elstrid. One of my all time favorites. There is talk about an alliance with the vikings, but King Alfred is reluctant. I don’t think he trusts the viking leader, so he commits Elstrid to a pilgrimage with her aunt. The book before this is Judith of France. It is wonderful also. Unfortunately, I don’t think either is in print. And the ubs price is kind of high. But check for yourself in case I’m wrong.

I continue to be amazed by the SBs . . . Sandy, The name Estrid is very familiar; I’ll have to see if I can find a copy of “A Journey for a Princess” . . . MplsGirl

There’s a picture of the book up at Amazon...featuring a girl with long blonde hair carrying a chalice.  I think this is the book...and I’m so amazed!  Sounds fascinating.

The character is Elstrid.  This was one of my favorite books when I was young.

Ooh, I’ve never read any of her other books, but I loved Margaret Leighton’s YA historical about Cleopatra (I think it was called Sister of the Moon) so I’ll have to hunt these down. Thanks!

I was named after Kristin Lavransdatter, so I’ve always had a great affection for those books.  :)

While I remember none of my other teachers from 5th Grade I do remember Mr. Garcia, my spanish teacher.  He ripped my copy of Anne Frank’s Diary in two ‘cause I was reading it in class.  Uber-traumatic.

I LOVE this book.  I also read it in grade school and spent years trying to find it.  I finally ended up spending $60 to buy it used online.  Worth every penny.

I dont recall this book, but I do remember Anne Frank and we were encouraged to read it....but what I do remember the most at that age was Judy Bloome.  And when I was 12 , I graduated to ‘Wifey’ , which I stole from my mothers closet.

I loved that book when I was in my early teens. I’d forgotten all about it until I read the description on here. I’m so glad somebody knew what it was since I couldn’t remember the title or author & I was going crazy trying to remember it.

Now I’m just sad our library doesn’t have it; I’d love to read it again, but I’m not sure I want to pay those used book prices, wow!

SBs rock! I’m positive this it the book. And my library has a copy! Yay!

I love YA lit (in addition to romances). Thanks for all of your help!

verification word: best62.

And you all are the best for solving this little mystery for me.

i remember a book i read-circa 1963/64- titled THE BORDER LORD---all that i recall is a dark background on the cover...a lovely blonde gal embraced by a....what??? this book was set in SCOTLAND… i got it ..prabably at he Goodwill in Akron Ohio when i was 12/13...before i discovered DOSTOYEVSKY>>>>does anyone remember the BORDER LORD?????

This is the Jan Westcott one, I assume.

I grew up reading all kind of historical novels, many of them very romantic, and that’s not counting Heyer, my main read as a teenager. The idea that historical romance started somewhere in the ‘70s has always struck me as strange.

But that was about when Red Adam’s Lady was written, I think. Grace Ingram. What I consider the first modern style historical romance.

You might be remembering “The Rose of Raby” by Evelyn Payne-Ellis.  It’s a really old book, a novelization of the life of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.  She was known as the rose of Raby (Raby being the name of one of her father’s many castles).  The book starts out with a really long, detailed description of her beautiful, long-blonde-hair, young-teen self and her nervousness about the upcoming betrothal ceremony to Richard, Duke of York.  Due to the political climate, after the betrothal they don’t see each other for years, and there are times when she despairs of ever marrying him.  But eventually they get together.  Two of their sons became kings of England (Edward IV and Richard III) during the Wars of the Roses.  I suggest reading Chapter 5 of Josephine Tey’s “The Daughter of Time”, she quotes lengthy passages from “The Rose of Raby”, although not anything from the betrothal scenes.  But you may decide, as I did, that it’s probably the book you remember reading as a kid.  I’ve been unable to locate “The Rose of Raby” anywhere in print, so the discussion of it in Tey’s book is better than nothing.