The Perfect Wife

Avelyn is the pride of her parents--lovely, intelligent, sweet tempered, skilled in all pursuits expected of a great lady, and nicely rounded. Unfortunately, her nasty cousins have taunted her so unceasingly for so many years that she feels ugly, fat, and undesirable. A series of humiliating incidents on her wedding day and thereafter has also convinced her new husband, Paen de Gerville, that she is not only frail but accident-prone, and the comical misunderstandings that result lead to more unhappiness for Avelyn. But eleventh-century England is dangerous and demanding, and soon her natural optimism overcomes her feelings of inadequacy, allowing her to take control and succeed as chatelaine of Rumsfeld in spite of the mishaps that continue to plague her. Sands has cleverly woven a suspenseful subplot into this medieval coming-of-age romance, and her characters--including two sets of overanxious but loving parents, a clumsy squire-in-training, and a pet piglet--delight, while her trademark humor and vivid settings enthrall the reader