Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Chunkster Challenge 2009

Book Review: The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham

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The Traitor’s Wife by Suan Higginbotham was fantastic! The mark of a great book is when you breeze through 500 pages in a matter of days and are completely riveted by the story along the way. This novel is rich in history and detail. The amount of research that went into the making of this novel was huge and it shows. Susan does an amazing job of weaving all the historical details in with a fictional tale of how things may have been around these events in history.

This novel takes place in 14th century England and is told from the point of view of Eleanor de Clare who is the grandaughter of King Edward I and a favorite neice of King Edward II. As a young girl she is married to Hugh le Despenser and luckily for her it is a good match. Throughout their marriage there are many children born and Eleanor remains with her head in the clouds in regards to her husband’s extra curricular activities both in business and in love. Turns out that Hugh le Despenser was quite the troublemaker in his time what with his piracy and trying to cheat people out of what was rightfully theirs. In all fairness to him though he appeared to be a loving husband and father.

King Edward II, while being a weak King, is portrayed in such a way that you can’t help but like him. In the beginning of the book we learn he is intimately involved with Piers Gaveston, a man he has known since boyhood and called a brother. He eventually marries Queen Isabella and goes on to have children of his own but always stays loyal to Piers. In the end, Piers ends up to be the beginning of the end for King Edward II. Piers is considered a huge threat to all in the kingdom as he seems to control Edward II in everything and ultimately he is killed. Edward is devastated but soon enough good old Hugh le Despenser catches his eye and even though he adores his neice Eleanor and Hugh does love his wife, they too end up carrying on an intimate relationship for many years. Again, King Edward II is led astray by his emotions and this time this does culminate in his end and Hugh’s also.

At this point Queen Isabella and Mortimor have control over the throne. Young Edward III is the ruler but he isn’t the one having the say over things; his control seems to be in name only. Isabella orders that Eleanor and her family be imprisoned. While there Eleanor’s daughters are taken away to be nuns and while she isn’t treated badly, she is daily harassed about her husband Hugh and the manner in which he died. Also while there, Eleanor becomes acquainted with the next man she is to marry, William Zouche. Eventually Eleanor is freed only to be imprisoned again over theft. Finally though she manages to marry William and you’d think all would be well but she manages to get herself into a pickle there too with another man.

I love how this book was written. The only thing a little hard to follow at times was the multitude of characters but thankfully the author gave us a nice character list at the very beginning of the book which was extremely helpful and I found myself referring to it more than once. You’d think with a novel of this scope that it would be difficult to succeed at making the characters likeable and sympathetic but Susan Higginbotham certainly managed quite well. I felt invested in these characters-Eleanor, her kids, her family, Edward II and even Piers and Hugh. She made them real to me and she made me care. Eleanor, at times, really made me mad. How could she not know what her husband was up to when he’d disappear for weeks at a time or longer? Was she truly that naive? Even taking her obvious blind love with regards to her first husband Hugh into account, Eleanor was a very strong woman. She went through a lot being imprisoned and living with such uncertainty in her time and yet she fought through it and came out even stronger.

For me, this was my first taste of this time period. I had not read anything on King Edward the II or III before and I am hooked now. I devoured all the historical detail of this one and want more. I truly appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into amassing the facts that are portrayed in this novel. I love how Susan Higginbotham took those facts and gave them to me in a story that brought the court of King Edward II to life in all it’s glory and treachery. This was a fast paced novel for me that has plenty of romance, intrigue, scandal, murder, betrayals and plenty of hanky panky to keep everyone happy. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this time period or for those historical lovers out there; even those just looking for a good and entertaining read! I really look forward to delving into and enjoying more of Susan Higginbotham’s work.

Thanks to Paul at Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this novel and participate in Susan’s blog tour. You can visit Susan’s website here and her blog here. You can buy this book here in the US and here in Canada.

Be sure to check out the other stops on Susan Higginbotham’s blog tour:
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Book Review Blog Tour: Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly

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Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly is an amazing epic saga about an Irish family’s struggle to live in their own country of Ireland but find instead they must make the harrowing journey to America to start over. It’s a nice, big book-over 500 pages worth, one that you can really sink your teeth into. It grabbed me from the start although I found some slower parts in the beginning due to so much being introduced between people, places, legends and myths. However this novel captured me with all the forklore of ancient Ireland, their language and quite simply the story of the Irish during one of the most difficult times in history-The Great Starvation and all the while weaving in a wonderful tale of family remembrances of Mary Pat Kelly’s own family.

The story begins with Honora Keeley making plans to begin life as a nun. However, this is not to be. While walking along Galway Bay she sees a man, who appears to be drowning. He isn’t and he turns out to be none other than Michael Kelly, her future husband. Theirs is a love at first sight type of love story. From the beginning you feel the fierce love they share, the strong bond, the willingness to do anything for each other. They marry, although not without many hardships concerning Honora’s sister, Maire. Back in the day the landlords who the people leased their land from were allowed to take a bride price-meaning they could take the bride on her first night away from her husband. Honora’s sister saved her from that but unfortunately put herself into a very awful circumstance.

Honora and Michael make a home and are doing well. They build a home up on a hill overlooking Galway Bay with a big window just for Honora. They plant pratties-potatoes as all the community does-it is their only staple food as the government exports everything else. They will have food all winter or so they thought; unfortunately the blight hits Ireland hard and all the potatoes rot and are inedible. If this had happened for one year, families would have been able to survive. However, it continued on for four years and the government refused to help the people. People were starving and dying not only of starvation but of disease. Honora and Michael were devastated watching their children fading away to nothing. They vowed to each other that their children would live.

More tradegy hits the Kellys and Honora knows she must leave Ireland. She must do what she can for her family so she and Maire take their brood of children by ship to Chicago. America is a whole new world for them, one in which they aren’t easily accepted. Through pure strength of will though the two of them do succeed and do well in spite of everything. Their sons go to war, marry and have children of their own.

Mary Pat Kelly’s writing is wonderful. The research and family stories she put together for this novel amazing. Galway Bay spans six generations. I can’t help but admire having such a rich family history. Honora was, in fact, Mary’s great-great grandmother. This novel in turn made me laugh at times and cry at others. I was horrified by the hardships the family had in Ireland and elated at their victories in America. Mary Pat Kelly takes her readers so fully into the tale that you feel as though you are a part of it all-you made this journey with Honora and Maire and the kids to America. Again, this was a piece of history that I was unaware of and this novel has brought it to the forefront of my mind. As I write this I am watching a program on the The Great Famine on television. It was strange how it just happened to coincide with me finishing this novel. As I’m watching I am continually being reminded of the journey that Honora and Maire took and seeing the pictures and hearing the facts only makes it more scary to me. They were brave and amazing woman who single handedly made sure that there were generations of their family to come for a long time.

I would absolutely recommend this novel especially to those wanting to know more about the Irish-their faith, songs and stories and to those interested in learning a bit more about the struggle of the Irish during The Great Starvation. It’s almost impossible to encompass in a review all that this book holds. There is romance and history and above all, the enduring love of family-such a rich story so worth reading. I also have to mention the book cover itself which is absolutely beautiful. I would like to thank Miriam from Hachette for sending me this lovely book and having me participate in the blog tour for Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly.

Please join me tomorrow when Mary Pat Kelly visits Peeking Between the Pages with a guest post and a giveaway of Galway Bay.

There is also a Blog Talk Radio show happening today for Mary Pat Kelly’s book Galway Bay at 11 am ET. You can check that out and join in the conversation here.

  • You can visit Mary Pat Kelly’s website here.
  • You can visit Mary Pat Kelly’s blog here.
  • You can read an article by Mary Pat Kelly on what an honor it was for her to write Galway Bay here.
  • You can read a letter from Mary Pat Kelly on the research that went into the writing of Galway Bay here.
Finally, here is the list of participants in the Blog Tour for Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly. Be sure to visit and see what they have to say about the novel and Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

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Book Review: The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick

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The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick is Book One of The Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and what a fascinating account it is of who King Arthur might have been. Now I’ve not read any Arthurian stories before this one but from what I gather the majority of those are like fairy tales-very rosy views of Arthur. I can say in all honesty that I would and do prefer this down to earth, real-life type epic tale any day. This novel took me on a sweeping adventure into the Dark Ages in the history of Britain and I loved it!

This book spans from 450 AD to 457 AD. It’s a hefty book at 563 pages and yet you don’t notice that it’s that long as you are so caught up in the story itself. Helen Hollick’s storytelling ability is amazing. So many times I felt that I was right there in this story, experiencing someone’s pain or happiness, feeling as though I was right in the middle of a medieval battle. It’s fast paced and exciting and very well researched and told.

We start off with Uthr Pendragon coming to Gwynedd to see the Lion Lord Cunneda, ruler of the land. Gwenhwyfar, Cunneda’s only daughter among nine sons, and her brother are watching for the ship to come in. Years past Cunneda and Uthr had fought and lost to King Vortigern. Now they want to change that and give the title back to the rightful King, Uthr. Unfortunately after a bloody battle things don’t come to light as they had planned and Uthr is killed.

This is also the time that Arthur, who after Uthr is killed, finds that he is the rightful heir to Uthr. It is also when we are first introduced to the romance that is to build between Arthur and Gwenhwyfar. At first she thinks he is insolent boy when she finds him staring at her from across the room. They experience a few run ins but later because of both of them being mistreated by female caregivers, they find a common bond and that is when Gwenhwyfar realizes that she loves this boy even though she is only twelve. Before Arthur is to leave Gwynedd, Gwenhwyfar pledges herself to him saying, ‘When I am woman-grown I shall have a greater gift to pledge. I offer you, my Lord, Arthur Pendragon, to use how you choose, my unborn sons!’ (pg. 109, uncorrected advance copy, published copy may be different) This is the start of an epic romance that spans the years and never dies.

Arthur is a character you really want to dislike, yet you find you can’t or at least I couldn’t. Oh my goodness, he’s a wine guzzling drunk at times and definitely a womanizer and yet there is the other side to him~the loyal side. The side that will give his life for Gwenhwyfar or his men. The thing that irritated me the most about him was the political side of the battles between the men. I know Arthur had to do what he could to advance himself in order to take over as King but when he marries Winnifred, Vortigern’s daughter, in a drunken stupor I was really ticked at him. She is the epitomy of evil~scheming and betrayal being her number one priorities. He eventually divorces her to marry Gwenhwyfar but she nevers acknowledges the divorce and in the meantime he has lain with her again and produced a son with her. He refuses to acknowledge this son. He will only ackowledge Gwenhwyfar’s and his own son. If he had learned to keep it in his pants, a lot of the tribulations he had would have been prevented but then the story wouldn’t have been the same either.

Gwenhwyfar was my favorite character. She’s a strong, independent woman in what would have been a man’s world back then. I loved her spirit and quick wit. Many times she had me laughing with her antics. When something bad happened to her I cried with her and when things were good, I was elated for her. I was rooting for her and Arthur all the way. They seem a couple destined to be together and when she even goes to war with him, you again see her strength.

There’s so much one could say about this book. It is very well worth the read. Helen Hollick’s writing is fantastic and the story is enthralling. A few quotes from the book that show off Helen’s wonderful way with words are…

  • ‘Where valleys nestled green and lush, and mountains heaved upwards to caress the sky.’ (pg 20, uncorrected advance copy, published copy may be different)
  • ‘A lively wind, the tail end of the storm, danced across the sea chasing a galloping herd of white-dusted waves that pranced to meet the nearing shore.’ (pg 20, uncorrected advance copy, published copy may be different)

  • ‘Your life is my life; your death my death. I will follow where you lead, through water and fire, across earth and stone. My love for you shall burn until the very sun ceases to give us warmth and light; until the moon sinks behind the hills to rise no more. Your dreams are my dreams. Your destiny, my destiny. May the Mother of Earth bless our union.’ (pg 352, uncorrected advance copy, published copy may be different)

If you’re a lover of historical fiction then this is one epic novel you shouldn’t miss. You will find yourself taken into Arthur and Gwenhwyfar’s world and when it ends you find yourself wanting so much more. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the trilogy which is Pendragon’s Banner and then Shadow of the King. I’m anxious to get back to the Dark Ages of Britain and see what the future holds for Arthur and Gwenhwyfar. I highly recommend The Kingmaking!

Be sure to pop into Peeking Between the Pages tomorrow when Helen Hollick drops by with a guest post to share with us.

Other blog reviews and guest posts with Helen out in the blogging world are and will be:

Harriet Devine’s Blog
Lazy Habits of Thinking interview 2/27
Carpe Libris Reviews
Historical Novels Book Reviews
Bibliophile Musings
Lilly’s Reading Extravanganza guest blog 2/25
Medieval Bookworm review
Medieval Bookworm guest blog 2/24
Books Are My Only Friends 2/25
We Be Reading 2/26
A Hoyden’s Look at Literature 2/26
Books Thoughts by Lisa 3/1
S. Krishna’s Books 3/1
Jennifer’s Random Musings 3/1
RhiReading 3/1
Passages to the Past 3/2
The Tome Traveller 3/2
Medieval History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Writing Fiction 3/2
Savvy Verse and Wit 3/2 and interview 3/3
A Striped Armchair 3/3
Carla Nayland’s Blog 3/3
A Reader’s Respite 3/3 and interview on 3/5
Library Queue 3/4
The Bookworm 3/4
My Friend Amy 3/5
Sam’s Book Blog 3/5
Good Books, Bright Side 3/5
So Many Precious Books, So Little Time 3/6
Susan’s Art and Words 3/6
(borrowed from Medieval Bookworm who had this lovely list all done up~so all credit goes there)

Many thanks to Paul with Sourcebooks for this great novel and the opportunity to participate in Helen Hollick’s book tour. Be sure to visit Helen’s website here.

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