Cover of The Dove in the Eagle's Nest

The Dove in the Eagle's Nest

  • Free to read
  • 7 hours to read
  • 26 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Dove in the Eagle's Nest" by Charlotte M. Yonge is a historical novel set in the late 19th century, reflecting on the complexities of life in 15th century Germany. The narrative focuses primarily on the story of Christina Sorel, a young girl who is raised in a cultured environment by her uncle and aunt but is forced to leave her home to care for a sick lady at a rough castle named Adlerstein. The opening of the book introduces readers to a richly detailed setting filled with artistic expressions, from the descriptions of workshop intricacies to the historical backdrop of power struggles among German nobles. Christina's tender and delicate character contrasts sharply with the harsh realities of her new home, where she encounters brutal and coarse influences. As she arrives at the castle, she finds herself within an environment that starkly contrasts her sheltered upbringing, revealing the challenges she will face as she navigates her duty to care for the frail Ermentrude, the castle's mistress. The dynamic among the characters, particularly the tension between her noble lineage and her father’s brutish nature, establishes a compelling narrative of duty, compassion, and cultural clash.

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  • Historical fiction
  • Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1459-1519
  • Holy Roman Empire · History · Maximilian I, 1493-1519
  • Emperors

Read the opening

Chapter I: Master Gottfried’s Workshop

THE upper lattices of a tall, narrow window were open, and admitted the view, of first some richly-tinted vine leaves and purpling grapes, then, in dazzling freshness of new white stone, the lacework fabric of a half-built minster spire, with a mason’s crane on the summit, bending as though craving for a further supply of materials; and beyond, peeping through every crevice of the exquisite open fretwork, was the intensely blue sky of early autumn.

The lower longer panes of the window were closed, and the glass, divided into circles and quarrels, made the scene less distinct; but still the huge stone tower was traceable, and, farther off, the slope of a gently-rising hill, clothed with vineyards blushing into autumn richness. Below, the view was closed by the gray wall of a court-yard, laden with fruit-trees in full bearing, and inclosing paved paths that radiated from a central fountain, and left spaces between, where a few summer flowers still lingered, and the remains of others showed what their past glory had been.

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Contents

Show all 26 chapters
  1. Introduction
  2. Chapter I: Master Gottfried’s Workshop
  3. Chapter II: The Eyrie
  4. Chapter III: The Flotsam and Jetsam of the Debateable Ford
  5. Chapter IV: Snow-Wreaths When ’Tis Thaw
  6. Chapter V: The Young Freiherr
  7. Chapter VI: The Blessed Friedmund’s Wake
  8. Chapter VII: The Schneiderlein’s Return
  9. Chapter VIII: Passing the Oubliette
  10. Chapter IX: The Eaglets
  11. Chapter X: The Eagle’s Prey
  12. Chapter XI: The Choice in Life
  13. Chapter XII: Back to the Dovecote
  14. Chapter XIII: The Eaglets in the City
  15. Chapter XIV: The Double-Headed Eagle
  16. Chapter XV: The Rival Eyrie
  17. Chapter XVI: The Eagle and the Snake
  18. Chapter XVII: Bridging the Ford
  19. Chapter XVIII: Friedmund in the Clouds
  20. Chapter XIX: The Fight at the Ford
  21. Chapter XX: The Wounded Eagle
  22. Chapter XXI: Ritter Theurdank
  23. Chapter XXII: Peace
  24. Chapter XXIII: The Altar of Peace
  25. Chapter XXIV: Old Iron and New Steel
  26. Chapter XXV: The Star and the Spark

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About this edition

This free edition of The Dove in the Eagle's Nest by Charlotte M. Yonge comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #3139, released 2002-03-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Historical Novels, Novels, German Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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