First published 2020
Count Egmont walks through the streets of Brussels, beloved by the people but watched carefully by Spanish authorities. The Flemish nobleman moves between his public duties and private desires, caught between his loyalty to his countrymen and the growing demands of Philip II's regime. His relationship with Klärchen, a burgher's daughter, offers moments of joy amid the political storm gathering around him. The Duke of Alba arrives with orders to crush Flemish independence, and Egmont must choose between flight and standing firm. His decision will test whether love and honor can survive when empires demand submission. Swanwick brings Goethe's hero into sharp focus, exploring how ordinary people navigate impossible choices when history pivots around them.
Genres: drama, romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, impossible-choices
Setting: Brussels, Flanders
Period: 16th-century
152 pages · Paperback · Independently Published