Our Lady’s Troubadour

Ten miraculous stories that transport you to medieval Spain in honor of Spain’s Wise King.

“The poetry is beautifully preserved in the stories. ‘Our Lady’s Troubadour’ perfectly translates the essence of the ‘Cantigas’ for the reader.”

–Virgilio Fernández, musician

Thirteenth-century King Alfonso X of Spain was one of history’s wisest rulers. In more than 400 songs in his greatest work, the Cantigas de Santa Maria, he constructed an ideal kingdom full of learned, talented, and prosperous subjects. This book adapts ten of the best of these miracle tales to share the joys and sorrows of medieval Spain with modern readers.

An innocent musician sings his wonderful songs for the wrong people. Will he pay for his error with his life?

A brave knight rides hard through a narrow mountain pass, his enemies in hot pursuit, intent on ending his life. Can he find salvation at the hermitage on the hill?

A lord abandons his castle on the border only to be kidnapped by invading enemy soldiers. Can his wife protect the castle and everyone in it?

In this collection, the critically acclaimed author of Seven Noble Knights offers historical fiction lovers imaginative retellings of these and other extraordinary tales to paint a vivid picture of life in the Middle Ages. In this tribute to Alfonso X, el Sabio, on the occasion of his 800^th birthday, a new audience will discover the delights of a beloved artefact of a golden age ruled over by a legendary king and scholar.

Our Lady’s Troubadour and Other Miraculous Tales from the Cantigas de Santa Maria in Honor of Alfonso X, el Sabio debuted in hardcover, paperback, and ebook from Encircle Publications on November 17, 2021.

It’s also available en castellano! Check it out here!

The court of Alfonso X prepares the *Cantigas de Santa Maria*. RB. Patrimonio Nacional

Purchase Our Lady’s Troubadour

Press

Imaginative Retellings of History

I nterview with Tracey Warr for the Historical Novel Society

The Musical Biography of King Alfonso X with Debra J. H. Bolton

Reviews

“The author has created a rather wonderful bit of alchemy here: the reader enters each story with twenty-first-century sensibilities, but somehow by the end is firmly in a medieval mindset. This is a rare reading experience, as close to time travel as one can get. Here there are no thinly disguised modern people in costumes, but the real thing. The background information is rich and colorful and adds a great deal to the reading experience.” —Tinney Sue Heath, author

“J. K. Knauss’ voice is extremely authentic and placed me right into thirteenth-century Spain and the surrounding area. These stories contain a mix of wealthy and poor, distinguished and anonymous, but always with a miracle that was like the teaching of a lesson. Bravo.” —Matt Cost, author

“The value of Our Lady’s Troubadour lies in bringing a small part of the works of Alfonso X to the public. The tenderness and care with which the author adapts the plots of the Cantigas de Santa Maria don’t detract from the exhaustive knowledge she possesses about the Wise King’s work, but allow her to capture the spirit of medieval Spain in an entertaining way.” —Daniel Pérez, author