The Traitor's Wife

Author: Higginbotham, Susan

Features:

• Used Book in Good Condition

Number Of Pages: 512

Details:

From the bedchamber to the battlefield, through treachery and fidelity, one woman is imprisoned by the secrets of the crown. It is an age where passion reigns and treachery runs as thick as blood. Young Eleanor has two men in her life: her uncle King Edward II, and her husband Hugh le Despenser, a mere knight but the newfound favorite of the king. She has no desire to meddle in royal affairs-she wishes for a serene, simple life with her family. But as political unrest sweeps the land, Eleanor, sharply intelligent yet blindly naïve, becomes the only woman each man can trust. Fiercely devoted to both her husband and her king, Eleanor holds the secret that could destroy all of England-and discovers the choices no woman should have to make. At its heart, The Traitor's Wife is a unique love story that every reader will connect with. Gold Medalist, historical / military fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards • Includes bonus reading group guide PRAISE FOR THE TRAITOR'S WIFE: "Conveys emotions and relationships quite poignantly... entertaining historical fiction."

― Kirkus Discoveries

"Higginbotham's talents lie not only in her capacity for detailed genealogical research of the period, but also in her skill in bringing these historical figures to life with passion, a wonderful sense of humor, honor, and love."

― Historical Novels Review Online

From Booklist A strong woman circumscribed by artificial restrictions imposed on her by her time, her place, and her social standing is a recurrent theme in historical fiction. Higginbotham artfully reworks this theme, fictionalizing the story of Eleanor le Despenser, niece of Edward II and wife of Hugh le Despenser the Younger. As lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabella, Eleanor enjoys her privileged position in the fourteenth-century English court until doubts about her uncle and his seemingly unsavory relationship with her husband begin to creep in. Higginbotham does a superb job of vividly re-creating the royal intrigue and treachery that characterized Edward’s inner circle, while breathing new life into a complex, real-life heroine forced into making decisions that virtually defined the historical destiny of her family. --Margaret Flanagan

About the Author:

Susan Higginbotham's meticulously researched historical fiction brought to life through heartfelt writing delights readers. Higginbotham runs her own historical fiction/history blog and is a contributor to the blog "Yesterday Revisited." She has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in Apex, North Carolina with her family. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Excerpt from Part I: May 26, 1306 to November 24, 1326 i May 1306 Prince Edward and Piers Gaveston had slept together and too late, neither of which was at all unusual. Edward was the first to awake. "Up, Perrot." "No." His beautiful friend yawned and rolled to his side. "You must. We have a wedding to attend. And what if my father finds you here?" Piers considered. "Apoplexy?" "At the least." But his friend made no move to leave the bed, and Edward did not press the matter. "So it is your niece who is getting married. It occurs to me that I have hardly seen the girl." "Eleanor is but thirteen. She has spent some time lately in my stepmother's household, and then she stayed at Amesbury priory with my sister Mary for a time too. She has just lately returned for her marriage." "I cannot for the life of me understand why girls go to convents before they are married. One thinks that the company of elderly virgins would be dampening to marital ardor. Now if they went to brothels at least it would be educational and practical." Edward swatted his friend with a pillow. He said a bit wistfully, "When Eleanor was younger, I used to row her and her brother in my boat. Her sisters felt it was too unladylike, so they would never go along. But she loved it. She and Gilbert used to stick their noses in the air and pretend I was t

UPC: 760789223679...

EAN: 9781402217876

Release Date: 01-04-2009

Languages: English

Item Condition: New

Binding: Paperback