"Matty is our only jewel." "Where should I put her?" "In the potato hole." Desperately, Lady Suzanne, is going to try to hide her daughter, Matty, in the potato hole so Prince John's henchmen won't find her. Matty hides instead up in the tower mews where the hawks are kept and emerges after the battle to see her mother's necklace, the Star of Jerusalem, dripping with her mother's blood and dangling from the hand of Sir Guy of Gisborne.
Matty is a very self-reliant girl who will grow into womanhood as the story progresses. She finds her gift for training and bonding with the hawks her father has raised and eventually will take on the challenge of training a merlin, the true test of her abilities.
Meanwhile, Matty's childhood friends are becoming restless with the oppression of Prince John's henchmen and her dearest friend, Fynn, decides to fight back by robbing the rich. When word reaches their town that King Richard is being held for ransom and Prince John is determined to take the throne, Matty becomes Maid Marian and Fynn becomes Robin Hood. With his band of Merry Men, Robin Hood gives back to the poor and Marian gets a job in the castle to find where the treasures are stored. She is determined to get revenge on those who have done her and others such wrongs.
It's really different to see the whole tale unfold from the perspective of Maid Marian instead of Robin Hood. It's a blend of historical tale, action adventure, romance and spirituality. 304 pages
