From the Publisher
[A] funny (really!) look at this disastrous Crusade through the eyes of a wacky Welshman, a pious knight and his half-brother and an Arab princess (who isn’t what she seems) they hope to return to her Egyptian home. It’s a raucous road trip set in the 13th century.” — New York Post
“A tasty fictional stew, mixing elements of twelfth-century culture together skillfully to produce a veritable reading feast . . . .The combination of vicious politics, mysterious doings, betrayals, and double-dealing, added to a leisurely but engaging plot, will keep those pages turning.” — Booklist
“A clever novel of courtly love . . . entertains with a flourish.” — Publishers Weekly
“[A]ttention to detail and humor keeps the novel both exhaustive and hilarious...Nicole Galland is exceptionally well versed in the fine nuances of storytelling and illustrating the combustible nature of mixing religion, commerce and war.” — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
“[A]t once an idiot’s guide to the tangled geopolitical landscape of 13th century and a clear and stern indictment of contemporary events...Thick with delectable historical details.” — Martha's Vineyard Times on CROSSED
“A wallop of a first novel—entertaining and engaging.” — San Francisco Chronicle on The Fool’s Tale
“ THE FOOL’S TALE creates a vivid 12th Century world and three unforgettable characters whose lives entwine with war and politics, and climax in an ending as haunting as it is powerful.” — William Dietrich, author of Hadrian's Wall
“An astonishing work of imaginative empathy, buttressed by deep research and enriched by lively storytelling.” — Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
“This is a wonderful historical novel that proves that all people see themselves as the hero of their own lives.” — Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
“A convincing portrayal of a tormented, delusional man whose complacted web of deceit destroys everyone around him.” — Library Journal on I, IAGO
“The delights of this book, lushly set in Renaissance Venice, lie in Galland’s ability to take a series of tiny mistakes, deceptions and wrong turns and roll them into a juggernaut.” — More magazine on I, IAGO
Booklist
A tasty fictional stew, mixing elements of twelfth-century culture together skillfully to produce a veritable reading feast . . . .The combination of vicious politics, mysterious doings, betrayals, and double-dealing, added to a leisurely but engaging plot, will keep those pages turning.
New York Post
[A] funny (really!) look at this disastrous Crusade through the eyes of a wacky Welshman, a pious knight and his half-brother and an Arab princess (who isn’t what she seems) they hope to return to her Egyptian home. It’s a raucous road trip set in the 13th century.
San Francisco Chronicle on The Fool’s Tale
A wallop of a first novel—entertaining and engaging.
Geraldine Brooks
An astonishing work of imaginative empathy, buttressed by deep research and enriched by lively storytelling.
Martha's Vineyard Times on CROSSED
[A]t once an idiot’s guide to the tangled geopolitical landscape of 13th century and a clear and stern indictment of contemporary events...Thick with delectable historical details.
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
[A]ttention to detail and humor keeps the novel both exhaustive and hilarious...Nicole Galland is exceptionally well versed in the fine nuances of storytelling and illustrating the combustible nature of mixing religion, commerce and war.
William Dietrich
THE FOOL’S TALE creates a vivid 12th Century world and three unforgettable characters whose lives entwine with war and politics, and climax in an ending as haunting as it is powerful.
Peter Sagal
This is a wonderful historical novel that proves that all people see themselves as the hero of their own lives.
Booklist
A tasty fictional stew, mixing elements of twelfth-century culture together skillfully to produce a veritable reading feast . . . .The combination of vicious politics, mysterious doings, betrayals, and double-dealing, added to a leisurely but engaging plot, will keep those pages turning.
More magazine on I
The delights of this book, lushly set in Renaissance Venice, lie in Galland’s ability to take a series of tiny mistakes, deceptions and wrong turns and roll them into a juggernaut.
San Francisco Chronicle on The Fool’s Tale
A wallop of a first novel—entertaining and engaging.
New York Post
[A] funny (really!) look at this disastrous Crusade through the eyes of a wacky Welshman, a pious knight and his half-brother and an Arab princess (who isn’t what she seems) they hope to return to her Egyptian home. It’s a raucous road trip set in the 13th century.
Martha's Vineyard Times
[A]t once an idiot’s guide to the tangled geopolitical landscape of 13th century and a clear and stern indictment of contemporary events...Thick with delectable historical details.
San Francisco Chronicle
A wallop of a first novel—entertaining and engaging.
Kirkus Reviews
Galland (Crossed, 2008, etc.) takes on one of literature's greatest villains and tries to make him sympathetic. For a large part of the novel--until the introduction of Othello when events from Shakespeare's play take over--she succeeds. As the fifth son of a Venetian silk merchant, Iago has limited prospects. His precociousness and his growing reputation for blunt honesty don't help in a society where insipid, phony etiquette is prized if not required. He spends his childhood getting into mild scrapes with his poorer, weaker friend Roderigo, whom he is always protecting, before his father enrolls him in the military. There he finds himself and excels. He meets Emilia at a Venetian masked ball and falls in love with her wit and intelligence even before he learns she is beautiful. Despite Iago's bouts of jealousy, theirs is a marriage of soul mates. Emilia remains his (and the novel's) heart and conscience to the end. Meanwhile the Moor Othello has been named General by the Venetian senate. When Othello and Iago meet at a ball, they immediately connect, recognizing that they are both outsiders who don't really want to fit into society, Iago for his mouth and Othello for his black skin. Othello makes Iago his ensign, an important promotion. After the battle at Rhodes, Othello suffers an epileptic fit and Iago covers for him. So when Othello falls for Desdemona, Iago is understandably hurt and jealous that he is left out of the loop as the romance develops with Emilia's help. Then an alcoholic, womanizing fop from Florence shows up; Cassio lacks Iago's military skills but because he carries secret letters between the general and Desdemona he gets the lieutenancy that should go to Iago. Resentment turns the love Iago has felt for Othello into hate. Although Iago doesn't really mean to kill anyone, he's not good at intrigue. Familiar Shakespearean tragedy ensues. Too bad the switch from empathetic protagonist into villain is not quite believable, because until then Iago and Emilia are magic.
