Told from the perspective of a Saxon peasant, this is a story about the ruling family of England and the changing succession during the early 11th century prior to William the Conqueror taking the throne in 1066 from the Earl of Wessex.

Second in a trilogy, The Norman Pretender continues the story of the Godwin family, Earls of Wessex. Opening in 1052, the story talks about the Battle of Hastings. Harold Godwin is rescued by the Duke William of Normandy from captivity, but he is tricked later into swearing an oath securing William's succession to the English throne. After Edward the confessor dies, Harold recklessly breaks his oath and becomes king of England.

This richly and authentically detailed chronicle of the establishment of the rule of William the Conqueror over England traces the struggles of the English people to choose between fealty to the Norman and rebellion.

From Library Journal In A.D. 1100 King William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, was killed during a hunt. Although no one knows who shot the fatal arrow, Anand provides an intriguing story of what might have been. William Rufus faced opposition from his two brothers and numerous lords under his dominion in England and France. He drew the condemnation of Church authorities for his homosexual liaisons. He ignored the grievances of his impoverished subjects, many of whom continued to practice ancient fertility rituals in the hope of improving their economic lot. Anand pulls seemingly unrelated subplots tighter and tighter as the novel progresses, drawing the principal characters together to the fateful day of the king's death. In the process she masterfully re-creates the chaos and passion of a turbulent time.