Berta Broadfoot and Pepin the Short: A Merovingian Romance

Alan Thomas is a professor of English at the University of Toronto.

Barbara Goldberg is a well-published young American poet. This set of 31 poems tells a tale of bridal substitution on the wedding night and its consequences.

The Berta and Pepin of the title were the parents of Charlemagne, but this story is not about the emperor’s birth; its interest lies in the suspicions, guilts, and ambitions of life at court. These poems give voice to a variety of personalities and create a sense of dramatic life; the tension and surprise of narrative is largely absent.

This “Merovingian Romance” is provided with a historical introduction, a chart of the Merovingian line of kings, and a bibliography. The book isbeautifully designed by Coach House and illustrated with wood engravings by Rosemary Covey.