Reseña del libro "I Am Gisele, Empress (en Inglés)"
Historical fiction based on actual people and events at the beginning of the 11th century in what is now southern Germany and Switzerland, the land called Swabia. Gisele was the most remarkable woman of the High Middle Ages. She was widely known as the "beautiful Swabian princess" as was her older sister by a year, Mathilde, and her younger sister by three years, Beatrix. Theirs were traits of beauty from their mother, royal Princess Gerberga of Burgundy who was the daughter of Konrad the Peaceful, King of Burgundy. His kingdom was also known as the Kingdom of Arles for the family seat in that northern Mediterranean town with roots far into Roman history. Wife of Konrad the Peaceful was Mathilde, daughter of Louis IV, King of east Francia, mostly modern France. Sisters Mathilde and Gisele grew from childhood with deep affection for each other in their privileged world of high royalty, daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Swabia. There lives were dominated by men as they grew to become highly admired far and wide. A month apart, Mathilde was married at age 13, Gisele at 12, as was the custom of the time when daughters in marriage were the means with which political differences between and among families were resolved or strengthened. The political entanglements involving Mathilde and Gisele found their way entwined for generations after them, although their story alone is the stuff of Hollywood. Her beautiful mother and sisters survived well into Gisele's life during a time when lifespans were short. Her mother's death when Gisele was 29 came three years after Gisele's third marriage that led to becoming Queen of Germany, Italy, and Burgundy and, then Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. Both of her sisters survived into this time, although Gisele out-lived all of her siblings by more than a decade while also out-living almost all of her children, nine by three marriages. As wife of Emperor Konrad II and mother of Emperor Heinrich III, Gisele was the matriarch of the Salien dynasty of emperors who ruled the Holy Roman Empire for more than a century. Her story as both an inspiring and a tragic figure of history is compelling.
