I will start with the good news. Ken has done more research, this time about the possible identity of Joanna’s mother, and I am posting it again in a separate blog entry. When I wrote Dragons twenty-five years ago, all that was known was that her mother may have been named Clemence, and so I had to create a past and personality for her. What I love most about history is that it is so fluid. New discoveries are constantly being made, turned up like seashells when the tide goes out—or like buried Anglo-Saxon gold found by an out-of-work Englishman with time on his hands and a metal detector. A perfect example of this sort of discovery involves the mother of Henry II’s illegitimate son, Will Longsword. For centuries her identity was a mystery, but it was recently proven that she was Ida de Tosney, who later became the wife of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, which sheds some interesting light upon the fate of discarded royal mistresses; curious readers can find out more about this intriguing woman by reading Elizabeth Chadwick’s novel, The Time of Singing. So people like Ken are pioneers, venturing in search of hidden treasures, just like that lucky soul who found that gold hoard in a freshly ploughed field.
I was absolutely riveted by the responses to my last blog. It was fascinating to learn which scenes resonated with you and why. Most writers can only dream of getting reader feedback like this! Several of you commented on an earlier admission of mine that I have never cried over one of my own scenes. Since I cry very easily over other writers’ books or over sad films (I’ve never dared to watch Old Yeller or Zorba the Greek again), it does seem out of character for me. So this question is for the writers out there. Do any of you get teary-eyed over one of your own scenes?
I may remain dry-eyed, but that doesn’t mean I like killing my characters off. This is why I included so few death scenes on my list. As Sunne was my first novel, it was a learning experience for me, and I had to distance myself a bit at Bosworth Field, relating Richard’s death through Francis Lovell’s eyes. I was more graphic, of course, with the death scenes of Simon de Montfort and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. I had an unusual ex-perience with respect to the latter scene. I was driving along a lonely Welsh road at twilight, thinking about Llewelyn’s death scene (not written yet) and suddenly these words just popped into my head, almost as if I’d heard them spoken aloud: “A man should die with the sound of his own language in his ears.” I would later make use of that in the scene, and that memory remains vivid even to this day.
I’ve always felt very blessed when it came to battles, for so many of them occurred under dramatic circumstances above and beyond the natural drama involved when you have men trying to kill one another. The battle of Barnet involved an eerie fog enveloping the field, causing a fatal mistake by one of the Lancastrian commanders. During the battle of Tewkesbury, there was a surprise flank attack which could have swung the momentum in Lancaster’s favor, and then something that no writer would dare to invent out of whole cloth—a battle commander killing one of his own allies. And of course at Bosworth, there was Richard’s daring throw of the dice, his charge to find Henry Tudor, an act of reckless courage worthy of the first Richard. Simon de Montfort died during a storm so savage that chroniclers actually compared it to the storm that raged on Golgotha. Since there are only so many ways to describe a battle scene, writers love it when we get “help” like this!
I am going to have to expand my Medieval Mishaps section; another mistake rears its ugly head. Gabriel Gonzalez, a reader from Barcelona, has alerted me that there is an error in an early chapter of Devil’s Brood in which a young Richard is taught to swear in Spanish by his new friend, King Alfonso of Aragon. While my research had shown Aragon was bi-lingual in the 12th century, the people speaking Catalan and Aragonese-Navaresse (the language of Berengaria, BTW), I had not been able to determine the native tongue of the royal house. Gabriel kindly provided me with information showing that Alfonso would have been teaching Richard to swear in Catalan. This is particularly useful information as Alfonso will be making an appearance in Lionheart, coming to the aid of Richard’s wife and sister during his German captivity. So thanks to Gabriel, I can avoid making the same mistake again. It can be tricky sometimes when writing of bi-lingual societies; for one thing, I have to make sure that if a character is eavesdropping on an important conversation, he or she would have been able to understand what was being said. This issue has really come to the forefront in Lionheart, first in Sicily where Latin, Arabic, Greek, and French were all spoken, and now in Cyprus where Richard’s soldiers don’t speak Greek and the Cypriots don’t speak French. I am currently working on a confrontational scene that will definitely require an interpreter!
I would like to apologize now for taking so long to post recommended books about medieval cooking and medieval sexuality, etc. I have not forgotten, but I do not have any assistants to help out. I have to deal with my website, Facebook, on-line chats, etc, by myself, and sometimes I have to give priority to the writing and research. Hey, would you guys want to argue with Coeur de Lion? Trust me, he can be just as impatient with lowly scribes as his prima donna parents. I would also like to alert you that Elizabeth Chadwick’s website has an excellent selection of photos taken at a recent Reenactment event at Kenilworth Castle. I think visuals like this are very helpful both for readers and writers. When I was writing about a savage Good Friday gale that scattered Richard’s fleet, I even went on YouTube and watched some scary videos of ships being tossed around like toothpicks in storms at sea. Lastly, can anyone recommend any novels about Henry V or Henry VI for Brenna?
Okay, on to your comments. Jane, I hope to be able to continue the mysteries with Justin de Quincy, especially because I’d planned another appearance by the young Llewelyn ab Iorwerth in his next adventure. But for now my publisher wants me to concentrate upon the historicals. Koby, I am so glad you reminded me of one of my favorite Shadow scenes, the one where Llewelyn’s son Davydd tells the bishop, “I lied.” That was such fun to write. Obviously that is not true for all scenes. Sometimes they can be unbearably sad; other times they are merely necessary, acting as a bridge between one chapter and another. Naturally I love scenes of high drama, a major reason why I still regret not being able to write of Henry’s affair with Alys…sigh. And sometimes a scene becomes “fun” simply because of the characters involved. I loved writing about Maud, the Countess of Chester, miss her very much in Lionheart. I also enjoyed doing scenes with the Welsh poet-prince, Hywel ab Owain. And I would cheer up anytime that Llewelyn’s reprobate brother Davydd sauntered on stage.
Jody, I haven’t yet read Helen Nicholson’s book about the Knights Templar, but I would recommend any of her books with enthusiasm. Kristen, I gave a happy ending to the two “orphans of the Fens.” There is so much grief and heartbreak in my books that I try to dole out a few dollops of hope whenever I can. Cate, I really felt terrible about having Edmund die; this was the first time I’d had to kill a character. Much later in Sunne, Edward summons the tutor who was with Edmund on the bridge. Edward has just given the command to execute his brother George and he is looking backward, grieving for Edmund again since he cannot bring himself to grieve for George. What is unusual about this scene is that it came to me in a dream. I’d been trying to decide how I could convey Edward’s conflicted emotions, and it actually occurred to me in my sleep. Not only that, I had total recall in the morning. I thought, “Wow, let’s hope my subconscious keeps helping out like this.” Sadly, that was the one and only time that I had any nocturnal inspiration.
Paula and Leigh, yes, I did love writing about Davydd ap Gruffydd. Some of my readers agree with us. A dear friend thinks he is the sexiest male character in all of my books; needless to say, she has a weakness for bad boys. Other readers loathed him, blaming him for his brother’s death and the loss of Welsh independence. But I am totally immoral when it comes to characters. If they are born scene-stealers like Davydd, I’ll forgive them almost any sins. One of my favorite characters in Sunne was Elizabeth Woodville, for she was so literal and humorless and utterly self-involved. That may not have made her likable, but it did make her fun to write about. And like you, Paula, I was moved by Henry’s comment to Will Marshal, “My son cost me greatly, but I would that he’d lived to cost me more.” That is, of course, an actual quote from Henry, which is what gives it such poignancy. History is filled with sad stories of estranged and hostile fathers and sons, but surely Henry’s is one of the saddest, for he truly loved his sons even while he did so much to turn them against him.
Carrie, I’m glad to hear that you’re writing a mystery set in thirteenth century Wales. Stay with it and keep us posted about your progress—I know I speak for many when I say there can never be enough books about medieval Wales.
Joyce, I am glad you mentioned the scene between Hugh and the Bristol money-lender. Anti-Semitism was the ugly underside of medieval life, and it can be very challenging—and uncomfortable—to deal with this subject in an honest way. Nan put it very well when she said that she had occasion to learn to forgive what she couldn’t excuse in a character. So many of the medieval attitudes are alien to ours—their views on religious tolerance, their utter acceptance of\ a society based upon a rigid caste system (no upward mobility in the MA), their views of women as the lesser sex, the vast influence wielded by the Church and the fear of heresy, their belief that man had utter dominion over the earth and all animals upon it. Obviously there have always been individuals who blazed their own paths, and often these brave souls brought about genuine change; just think of the Abolitionists and Suffragettes. But most of us are not rebels or pioneers; most people accept their world as it is. So when I am writing of medieval men and women, I try very hard to avoid giving them our modern sensibilities. This is particularly difficult when dealing with medieval attitudes toward non-Christians. Most of my characters accepted their Church’s teachings, as people did in real life. I occasionally was able to show that there were brief meetings of the mind, as in the scene with Hugh and Isaac, the young moneylender, or in Ranulf’s encounter with the two Jewish peddlers, when his instinctive suspicion and mistrust slowly waned as he was able to see them as men, men who saved his life. When I did need a character who did not automatically accept the prevailing view that Jews were the Servants of Satan, I chose Elen, Joanna and Llewelyn’s daughter, because she was a woman who was torn between two worlds, not fully at home in either, a woman who had been born with a rebellious streak. I have no doubts whatsoever that Elen would have been a Suffragette!
April, your comment reminded me of something a friend once told me. She and her husband were peacefully reading books in bed at night, and suddenly her husband startled her by crying out, “No, Joanna, no! Don’t do it!” Yes, he’d come upon the scene that you didn’t want to read. Another friend described how she was reading in bed one night when her son burst into her bedroom, exclaiming “George is dead!” Since she had a beloved nephew named George, she understandably reacted with horror. She was not happy with said son when he then commented, “I didn’t really think Edward would do it, not kill his own brother.”
Marbella, I agree with you—Nell was Eleanor of Aquitaine’s granddaughter in more than blood. And Malcolm, I loved your comment that in his discussion with Geoffrey, Philippe suddenly realized that he was now “only one of the two smartest kids in class.” I agree with you, Emily-Jane, that Mary, Queen of Scots, is a tragic figure, but I’m with Cindy about Eleanor; I don’t see her as tragic, either. I read somewhere that how people respond to Mary or Elizabeth Tudor says more about the people themselves than it does about either queen. Apparently it is rare to sympathize with both women; like Team Angelina or Team Anniston, people take sides. For what it’s worth, I’ve always been in Elizabeth’s camp. Any one want to comment on this or make any arguments on Mary’s behalf?
Jerelyn, I have to ask this. You said you have never been able to read the Evesham battle scene in Shadow. Were you able to read the Bosworth battle scene in Sunne? Ken, thank you for including that quote from a genealogist about my research; that meant so much to me!
And now, without further ado, here is Ken’s blog entry about Joanna’s mother. I have to say that I have a problem with genealogical research in that so much of it too often seems founded upon speculation. I personally think the idea that Constance of Brittany could have been the mother of Joanna is ludicrous. I am not taking issue with Ken, for these are not his own conjectures; he has done an admirable job of sifting through the various theories and then presenting them–quite fairly–for us to judge for ourselves. I do disagree with the question Ken raises about Joanna’s age. It is true we do not know her exact birth date, but I determined her likely age based upon a number of factors, including the birth of her son Davydd, whom we know was born in 1207 and her affair with William de Braose, for we know his age. There is no way to know for sure, but I remain quite comfortable with my conclusion that she was probably born circa 1191. One minor quibble, Ken. John was born in December of 1166, not 1167, the date so often given. This is a very widespread mistake, and what is interesting about it is that biographers of Henry and John seem most likely to make it, whereas biographers of Eleanor get the date right. Readers who would like to know more about this dispute can find a thorough discussion in the article by Andrew Lewis, “The Birth and Childhood of King John: Some Revisions,” published in my favorite book about Eleanor, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lord and Lady, edited by Bonnie Wheeler and John Carmi Parsons. Andrew Lewis is the scholar who discovered that Eleanor was actually born in 1124, not 1122, the “traditional” date given for centuries. But back to the important issue–Ken’s research paper. Diolch yn fawr, Ken!
September 29, 2009
Hello Sharon, OK. I have a query. In Here Be Dragons, Will Longsword is older than King John. In Elizabeth Chadwick’s book, The Time of Singing, Will Longsword is younger than King John. So, which is it, is Will older or younger than John? In your book, Will took an interest in his baby brother (John). In EC’s book, John took an interest in his little brother (Will). Given the descriptions of John’s character, it doesn’t seem as if he would have paid much attention to a younger, illegitimate half-brother. Both you and Elizabeth Chadwick present a view of King John which is at variance with other authors. In some books I have read King John is depicted as a terrible person with no redeeming qualities at all! In The Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Robinson, John is venal, greedy, and uncaring of the common people. I didn’t particularly like this book!
If Constance of Brittany was the mother of Joanna, it would only have been if John had assaulted her, which according to some authors, he was perfectly capable of! Then Joanna’s aloneness is easily explained. IMHO Constance wouldn’t have wanted a daughter of John’s in her household, even if it was her own daughter! So the birth would have been as secret as possible and she would have sent the child to the King as soon as she was able to fend for herself!
Hi, Gayle,
This is fairly easy to answer. You have to remember that I wrote Dragons 25 years ago and at that time, Will’s birthdate or mother were both unknown. But since authors need to be specific, I had to pick an age for him. Because of research discoveries in recent years, I am inclined now to think that he was born in the 1170’s and was probably about 10 years or so younger than John. Actually John did take considerable interest in his illegitimate half-brothers, though. He showed favor to Will and was very generous to his half-brother Morgan and to Morgan’s mother and Morgan’s siblings by her subsequent marriage. A psychiatrist might speculate that John was trying to forge the sort of bonds with his illegitimate brothers that he didn’t have with his blood brothers? Impossible to know, of course. As far as Constance being Joanna’s mother, I think that is a ridiculous theory with no evidence to support it. I don’t blame Ken for addressing it, but that is a perfect example of some of the nonsense that passes for “research” when it comes to medieval genealogy. I really hope it doesn’t end up getting wider circulation because of my blog–I have enough on my conscience as it is! God forbid there is some novelist out there who thinks this would make a great plot-line.
I am in the Elizabeth camp as well. I’m not sure just what it is about Mary, Queen of Scots that I can’t sympathise with but I think it was her marriages to Darnley and Bothwell and the controversy surrounding Darnley’s death etc. It’s like she was in the middle of a melodrama where all the men around her were trying to fight for the control they could have through her. I admire Elizabeth as she never married and managed to keep control herself.
I greatly admire Eleanor of Aquitaine as she did the best she could with what she had. Even after all those years of imprisonment she didn’t give up. She helped Richard during his reign, especially with securing the ransom for his release. While aspects of her life were tragic I don’t see her as a tragic figure, I see her as a survivor.
Dear Sharon; In answer to you question about if I was able to read the battle scene in Sunne at Bosworth, I couldn’t see Richard die. It took me two days to watch LLewelen die in Reckoning, I’d read a bit and put it down, then pick it up. I’m a complete watering pot! I’m certain in the rereading of the books one day I’ll screw up the courage to do so. Can’t wait for the new book! You also have a new fan my daughters friend asked me to recommend a book, I lent her Dragons, she now has Shadow.
Hi, everyone. This has nothing to do with this blog, but I know many of you will want to know this. The 1984 “trial” of Richard III for the murder of the princes in the Tower is now available for viewing on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-kQoKt2Kf4 It took the format of an actual trial, with the prosecution presenting its case, the defense responding, witnesses for both sides testifying, and then the jury verdict. The trial can be viewed in its entirety; all the segments are listed to the right of the screen.
First of all, let me resume the role of history-teller, and say that today Henry IV (I’m still saying he was V) deposed Richard II and became King of England.
I’m in neither camp, personally. I don’t see any reason to pity Elizabeth – she made her choices, and seemed happy enough for them. And I’ve never liked Mary much – maybe the early influence of the Lymond Chronicles, and I feel she dug much of her own grave.
I do agree with Sharon regarding Eleanor, that she shouldn’t be pitied, and I think that she wouldn’t have wanted to be pitied.
Personally, I’ve always been a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scotts rather than Elizabeth. Although I will say you have to respect the heck out of the fact that Elizabeth was intelligent enough to play the “old man’s game” successfully but with consequences for herself. I think we can now say with some certainty that she wasn’t as “innocent” as we were all led to believe by our History teachers. I think Elizabeth was able to surround herself with men who genuinely wanted England to succeed (not always by the most honest of ways, but that is another discussion). Elizabeth also had the perseverance within herself to say “be damned to tradition, I’m going to go my own way” and not really take to heart what other people thought of her. Mary, on the other hand, was surrounded by people (for the most part) that were jealous of her and who wanted to see her fail. Not being properly prepared either mentally or intellectually to rule a country like Scotland, she wasn’t able to find within herself the courage to “blow off” her advisors like Elizabeth did. I think she needed to be liked and needed the approval of everyone, including Elizabeth, which led to her downfall.
I honestly think Mary and Elizabeth, if left to their own devices without the intereference from men who were commited to finding a conspiracy in everything, would have been able to learn from one another and lean on one another for mutal support. Now if Elizabeth were reading this she would probably want my head to be cut off for even insinuating that Mary was her equal, but I would like to believe it would have been possible.
Thank you Sharon for asking about books on Henry V and VI. I searched for hours last night and was not successful. I guess Jean Plaidy will have to suffice for the moment.
Hi Sharon,
I just wanted to say it’s interesting that it’s easier to cry over other people’s characters and not those you write about. Maybe because as an author there’s a resignation that it has to happen for the story’s sake?
Many years ago, in my grade 11 history class, we had to pick some controversial issue in history, pick one side and make our case. For the first essay, we could pick from any time period. So I picked whether or not Elizabeth I was justified in beheading Mary Queen of Scots. I made the case that she was, based on a combination of the probability that Mary was actively involved in the plots against Elizabeth and that she would be a pawn in other people’s plots as long as she was alive. I had some sympathy for Mary, but was solidly on Elizabeth’s side. Wish I still had a copy of that essay!
EVERYONE! DON’T SPREAD MY THEORY ABOUT CONSTANCE OF BRITTANY AND JOANNA AROUND!
Hi Sharon. I sincerely hope no one spreads my theory re Constance of Brittany and Joanna, because that’s all it was, a theory!
I really like the way you draw John’s character. He is such a monster in other books, that it is nice to read a more nuanced view of him. That is why I didn’t like “The Lady of the Forest”. I don’t like seeing John as an incapable duncecap. He was educated in the Church! I think the words Llewellyn spoke via your writing about John say it all–something to the effect that John is generous and caring to people without power!” Well, and so he was–to his children!
Hi, Gayle. Not to worry–it is not your own theory! Nor is it Ken’s. You both were just giving your opinions of speculation that was–sadly–already out there. Nor do I mean to malign all genealogists. But there are some people–particularly on the Internet–who seem to have way too much time on their hands. I find such speculation troubling because it takes on a life of his own, esp. on the web. And while we can kill vampires by driving stakes through their hearts, there are no stakes for slaying falsehoods. When you add writers to the mix who care not a fig (which had vaguely obscene connotations in the MA; bet you didn’t know that!) for historical accuracy, you get books in which Eleanor of Aquitaine has sex with her mother-in-law, the Empress Maude. And no, to steal a line from Dave Barry, I am not making that up. This is an actual novel, and when I get the time, I’ll put up the link so you can read the scathingly hysterical review of it by one of my favorite bloggers, Misfit.
Hi, Sharon:
For a nice read on Henry V, try Martha Rofheart’s “Fortune Made His Sword.” Told in first person narration–Henry himself, Katherine of Valois, and a few other characters I can’t remember at this time. I have an old hardcopy and read it many years ago but I remember enjoying it. You can find it on Amazon. Also, Rosemary Hawley Jarman’s “Crown in Candlelight” features Henry, although it’s mostly about Katherine and Owen Tudor.
A comment on the Bosworth scene in Sunne–you mention how it affected you to write it and others comment on how they still cry when they read it. I have a different take. I think that Richard at Bosworth was finally liberated and newly energized. This is why (I think), he decided to risk it all with that charge toward Henry Tudor. He seemed no longer weighed down with regrets, with the ghosts of his dead loved ones, with the many betrayals of people he had trusted and depended on, with his loneliness. The Richard of Bosworth was no longer a sorrowful man to be pitied. The scenes in Sunne that make me cry are right after Anne has died and Richard is facing a very grim personal future. His melancholy is so sad. The conversation with Katherine Woodville is particularly tragic in my opinion, as well as the scene with his mother, Cecily. The pathos in these scenes and your brilliant writing, Sharon, made me cry. The war, well, I figure Richard was glad to bet his life against his crown! BTW, this is my favorite book of yours, great as all the rest have been!
Hi Sharon, I just love your books. I don’t know how you get any writing done, when you are keeping up with Facebook, this Blog, etc. Thank you for reading the comments from your fans! Actually I did catch the fig reference, because you alluded to it in Here Be Dragons, when Joanna was being taken away after being caught in her bedchamber with Will De Broase. It really amazes me how careless authors are with historical figures and their behavior, motives, etc. I, too, find it difficult to read the Evesham and Bosworth Field battle scenes. And when reading The Reckoning, I still get angry at Edward I for his cavalier treatment of the Welsh. How he could talk out of both sides of his mouth is amazing! I also blame Davydd for starting that last war with the English too soon, but it probably wouldn’t have made any difference to the outcome. In The Brothers of Gynnedd quartet by Margaret Pargeter, the narrator states that Llewellyn received a message which took him to where he was ambushed and murdered. In The Reckoning it seems like Edward I was just about to quit the war because of the costs in men and money, but Llewellyn’s death allowed him to prevail.
First of all, today Henry III (or IV) was born.
Now, I must agree maritza regarding Richard in Redmore Plain. He saw the battle as release. You wrote it so yourself. It was Judgement Day. It would show him whether he was just in seizing the throne, or not. He would either win, and know it was not his fault, or he would die, and be reunited with his family.
Lastly, did the Lymond Chronicles affect how you viewed May and Elizabeth?
Maritza,
Thank you for the recommendations. I had found both books you mentioned while searching. Unfornately, my local library doesn’t carry them, so I will have to purchase them from Amazon when I have the opportunity. It is nice to get someone’s perspective on them before I make the investment. Thanks again!
Hi Sharon,
Brilliant post as usual with much food for thought, and thanks to Ken for a fascinating article on Joanna’s likely mother.
I must admit I am in the anti-John camp in that I think he had a brilliant mind, but a very damaged personality. I think as long as writers use the facts to support their fiction, then historical novels do have that advantage of allowing said writers to play ‘what if’ and give food for thought and insight.
I posted about Misfit’s reviews of those novels about Eleanor of Aquitaine at Facebook a couple of weeks ago. The notion of Eleanor and her mother in law getting it on is just mind-boggling. Pass the mental floss please!
Sharon, you asked about getting teary when writing sad scenes. I know authors who do, but I can say honestly that I never have. Rather I love the challenge. I suppose an analogy might be that I feel as if I’m a chef creating a memorable meal (tear-jerker scene) in the kitchen for my diners. It’s their response that matters. My pleasure comes in the crafting. Someone else once commented to me that what I was doing was ‘remembering emotion in tranquillity,’ which is one way of describing it. So you still have the tools to pack that wallop, but you don’t have to be an emotional mess when writing the piece. I mean, if you write erotic fiction for a living, does it mean you spend all your time on a lustful high? There has to be that element of detachment.
I have no problem being sympathetic to both Elizabeth and Mary. Both did remarkable jobs given their childhoods, the lack of any training for ruling, and the challenges they faced. Was Elizabeth smarter? No question. Do I consider many of Mary’s acts abhorrant? Absolutely. At the same time, I respect Mary’s commitment to her beliefs and recognize that much of Elizabeth’s success was due to good advisors.
Sharon, your comments about crying struck very close to home. I’m so bad that I cried at the end of Mary Poppins because she had to leave the kids. Your examples, however, made me laugh. My family had our own “Old Yeller” who was quite aptly named Zorba.
Gayle, I am glad you asked that question about Will Longsword – I wondered the same thing! Interesting how a little new research changes everything.
The scenes in the Welsh trilogy that had me in tears were the death of Elen in childbirth, battle of Evesham, and the epilogue when I learned what happened to people after Llwyllen was killed. The ones in Devil’s Brood was Henry in Cantebury, asking forgiveness, and when Henry saw John’s name on the list of traitors.
I don’t cry much, but I did ger tearful when Joanna is in front of John’s tomb, when Llewellyn comes in and finds her and William, and when they made up.
While I’m sure this has probably been discussed, how did you find Sharon’s books? My mother introduced me to The Sunne In Splendour when I was 13, and I quickly went on to the Welsh trilogy. Then, in another library, I found the Justin series. After that, I bought the Henry and Eleanor trilogy. My sister also started reading the books after us. How about you guys?
Oh, and I forgot to mention that today, our favortie wronged hero, Richard III was born.
Koby,
My Mom introduced me to Sharon by way of Sunne as well. This past spring I began reading about the Tudors and was enthralled (not knowing any better at the time). Then Mom, in her wisdom, said “You think the Tudors are interesting? You have to read this-and she hands me Sunne. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the size, but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. Then I moved on to the Henry II triology and then finally the Welsh triology. Now I’ve been so inspired to read books starting with William the Conqueror all the way through to Richard III. Hence the reason why Sharon asked if anyone had recommendations on books about Henry V and VI. I was a little stuck, but I think I’m getting a few books from the library which will help. Interesting discussion Koby, thanks!
Kolbe, I was in college (mid 80s), and a dear friend was pushing HBD on me. The cover was a complete turn off (very bodice ripper at the time), but since she was someone I knew to be a serious HF reader, I borrowed it. Could not put it down once I started it. The rest, as they say, is history. I proceded to eat up every book Sharon has written since.
Cindy, was that the infamous cover in which Llewelyn looked like Tom Selleck, Joanna like a wench who’d just fallen out of her lover’s bed, and John a dead-ringer for Peter O’Toole in Becket? Peter should have gotten royalties from that cover. But compared to some of the covers my books have endured over the years, that was a work of art.
Koby, you were too quick for me again. Yes, this is Richard’s birthday, except for you purists out there who quibble about actual dates because of the calendar shifts. And on this day in 1283, Davydd ap Gruffydd, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, was drawn and quartered in Shrewsbury for the questionable crime of high treason by Edward I.
Koby, I picked up “Here be Dragons” in the beginning of the 90’s and that got me truly into medieval history. After I moved back to Sweden it’s a short trip to Wales and guess who crisscrossed that country :)…….. and to lots of other castles in Great Britain.
Thanks Sharon for a lifelong love of MA and all trips.
Monica.
Hi, Monica. Are you familiar with the trilogy by Jan Guillou? He wrote a marvelous trilogy set in 12th century Sweden. Only the first two were translated into English as he was not happy with the translation. But they have been re-translated and the first one was published in the US this spring, The Road to Jerusalem. The second one, The Templar Knight, won’t be published in the US till next year but it can be bought now in the UK. I have just read the first one so far, but I was very impressed with his almost eerie ability to get inside the medieval mind. I am assuming you can read them in Swedish–lucky you.
Hi. The past couple of months I’ve read Sunne, and your Welsh trilogy, and now I am awaiting Amazon’s delivery of the Henry II trilogy. I can’t wait until the books get here! There have been so many times when I was afraid to turn the page because I feared a favorite character’s death; so many afternoons where I would have to read a couple of pages back from where I stopped the night before because I read past the point comprehending words.
Llewelyn and Joanna and Henry and Davydd on and on I love them all. I’m gushing. I’ll go away now. I just wanted to say thanks and I will keep reading:)
Thanks, Ty. You definitely made my day!
Koby, great question about how readers first discovered Sharon’s books.
As I recall The Sunne in Splendor was a book club offering one particular month and I ordered it. I read it, loved it and kept an eye open for the next one – which was Here Be Dragons, my all time favourite, although I love them all. So I guess I’ve been there from the beginning, but I was initially guided by a book club recommendation and I had a penchant for reading large tomes of historical and fantastical natures. The bigger the better in my hey-day!
I was on a trip to Wales(To see where my ancestors came from) and my tour guide Bryn Hughes(could this name be anymore Welsh?) recommended Here Be Dragons to me. I bought it, thoroughly enjoyed it, and then slowly read each of Sharon’s books(except the mysteries). I never used to read much, but Sharon’s books showed me how great it can be to read when you have a good story. Of course, this is the reason I baked the Welsh cakes for Sharon, the many hours of reading enjoyment that is.
Iechyd da,
Dave
Hi,
I purchased Here Be Dragons in a bookstore when it was a very fat regular size, small print paperback. It is much easier to handle in the larger format! I wore my fat little book out re-reading it.
Dave, way to go, reading is much more fun when the subject is interesting and there is a good story!
Hi Sharon!
Yes, I’ve read the Arn-books in swedish (there is a 4th book “the Legacy of Arn” -my translation).I’ve sent the books to my daughter who lives in Scotland and she passes them on to anyone who reads swedish. The first two are on dvd but no english text. I haven’t seen them as I prefer books; maybe later on as I’m curious about the dress etc.
Hi Koby,
I stumbled onto Here Be Dragons after my father bought it accidentally as it was mistakenly categorised as Science Fiction. I was 16 at the time and meant to be studying for exams but I took a lot of time off and read the whole book in 8 days. The cover on my copy of HBD is quite tasteful-it is two knights looking out over a body of water towards a castle on a small rocky island. That would have been in the late 1980’s. I went straight out and bought Falls and Sunne as well and read them in quick succession. Since then I have had to be patient and read all the other books as they have been released.
Sharon, the wait for all your books has well and truly been worth it. I hope you do not have too much anxiety with trying to make deadlines and I hope your editor and publishers are understanding. As much as I want to read about Richard I am willing to be patient and wait until he is well and truly ready.
Paula, there is a story behind that cover of Dragons. When it was first sent to me, it showed figures purporting to be Llewelyn and Joanna on the cover, and all I can say is that it looked like a medieval poster for Night of the Living Dead. Not only did they look zombie-like, with eerie hollow eyes, but the background was pink and purple, like an artist’s psychodelic nightmare. I was horrified; so were my American editor and both of my agents. Thankfully, my British editor thought it was just as ghastly as we did; she’d been overruled by their marketing dept. I didn’t have a lot of clout, this being my second book, but the fact that I was backed up so strenuously by my editors and agents on both sides of the Atlantic won the day. So they took the scene that had appeared on the back cover–the knights by the lake-and put it on the front, to my vast relief. I’ve had covers I detested over the years, but that one would have been downright scary.
Monica, that is so interesting about the Jan Guillou books. I wonder if the 4th will ever be translated into English; I guess that depends upon how well it sells.
Well, on my cover there are several riders, one a woman in a red gown on a white horse. I’m currently waiting for When Christ and His Saints Slept, which got delayed, but hopefully I’ll have it soon.
Hi, everyone. This is a cautionary alert. Merlin, my main computer, has sold his soul to the Devil again, and so far is resisting exorcisms or my threats of major mayhem. So if I suddenly drop off the radar screen or do not answer e-mails, do not read anything sinister into my silence. It will just mean that Merlin has gained the upper hand again.
Shouldn’t we call it Morgana if it keeps doing that?
Actually, Koby, I have a Morgana already. That is what I named my laptop. And down in my den I have Mordred, a backup given me by Dell after one of their tech guys fried the mother-board on my Dell from Hell. Doesn’t every body name their computers?
Well, I have a Melusine… but that was about it. Maybe when I’ll get a laptop (probably next year), I’ll get to name another computer.
Koby, I love that–Melusine. Truly inspired. Of course only medieval geeks like us would appreciate it.
I’m quite flabbergasted, if I may say so, to read that Constance of Brittany is one of the contenders for being the mother of Joanna. I wonder how the idea first came to light though…
Have you ever considered writing a book about Richard II? Anything about him is rather scant, I think. What do you think of him?
For Brenna: A novel about either Henry V or Henry VI. I can’t think of any that have them as the main characters, but there are books in which they are included. For Henry V, any book about Catherine of Valois, of which there are quite a few now. There is one by Jean Plaidy and another one that just came out. Forgot the title. About Henry VI, the only one I can think of him actually being given some lines and not mentioned merely in passing, not including Sunne in Splendour, is Plaidy’s book of Marguerite d’Anjou, titled The Red Rose of Anjou.
I found_When Christ and his Saints Slept_ in the bargain bin at Borders. I was at first intrigued by the artwork on the dust jacket, then hooked when I reads the notes inside. What a treasure…and a first edition to boot! Ha…..take that Barnes and Noble.
As for the Tudor upstart wenches….well that should say it all. Plantagenet girls rule…or should have!
my mother recommended Sunne in Splendour to me, and am I glad she introduced me to such a great author, and I have enjoyed getting all the books when they have been release. Just a few years now!
Hi, Sharon,
While trawling through some of my favourite medieval web sites I noticed that Margaret Wade Adams had died, in August, aged 93! I think, and I’m sure you have some of her books, so you know, that she was just the most marvellous historian/writer, who simply brought the MA to life!
Margaret Wade (Polly) Labarge was born on July 18, 1916, in New York City. She died in her sleep at home in Ottawa on Aug. 31, 2009, aged 93.
The list of her (must have) books include:
• 1965) A Baronial Household of the Thirteenth Century
• (1968) Saint Louis: The Life of Louis IX of France, London.
• (1980) Gascony, England’s First Colony 1204–1453. London:
• (1982) Medieval Travellers: The Rich and the Restless, London:
• (1986) A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life,
• (1997) A Medieval Miscellany:
• (1962) Simon de Montfort
• (1975?) Henry V
Margaret Wade Labarge was a historian/writer ‘par excellence!’ She brought the thirteenth century to life and, for the first time, really described the lives of the women, both noble and base-born, of those far-off days, in incredible detail. These women were normally forgotten by the chroniclers in favour of their more famous husbands. She actually used the household rolls of Eleanor de Montfort to describe the day to day activities of a Baronial household (Dover castle) during 7 months of 1265 while Eleanor’s husband Simon de Montfort (see ‘The Reckoning) was so occupied with the battle of Lewes and Evesham.
R.I.P Margaret!
Thank you so much, Ken, for letting us know. I hadn’t heard of her death, but like you, I respected her enormously as a historian and a writer. Her book based upon the household accounts of Simon de Montfort’s countess offers one of the most insightful and educational glimpses of daily life in the MA that I’ve ever read. She will be missed.
The dangers of travel… My fascination with MA was just starting when I happened across Sunne in an airport bookstore. At least that was a step up for me. My Arthurian obsession started in a bus station.
That is funny, Sandy.
I am temporarily escaping from Famagusta, where Lionheart is having a heated confrontation with a French bishop, to share some interesting news. Hilary Mantel has won the prestigious Booker prize for her novel about Thomas Cromwell.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8292488
Sharon,
I was wondering if you ever watched the first Blackadder series. I think you might be somewhat happy with the outcome. Richard dies at Bosworth, but his nephew then wins the battle, and becomes Richard IV. Also, have you ever watched Last of the Summer wine? A hilarious show filmed in Yorkshire. And lastly, I have a question about a character from “When Christ and his saints slept”. Baldric, the character that Ranulf was going to get revenge on, was he named after the Baldric from Blackadder?
Iechyd Da,
Dave
Edith,
Sharon is planning to write about Owain Glyndwr in the future, so Richard II should probably be in that book. He was after all part of the reason for the rising. That, and Lord Ruthun stealing some of Owain’s land.
Cheers,
Dave
Hi Brenna,
I know of two books that have guest appearances by Henry V.
“In a Dark Wood Wandering” by Hella Haasse is a book mostly about Charles D’Orleans and it tells the events leading up to and following the battle of Agincourt from the French point of view. Henry V is not in the book much but when he is he has some great lines.
“A Bloody field by Shrewsbury’ by Edith Pargeter tells the story of Henry Bolingbroke, Prince Hal, Harry Percy ‘Hotspur’ and Owen Glendower (the spelling used in the book for Owain Glyndwr).
Both great books and worthy of any TBR pile or room. I hope everyone elses TBR piles are not getting scarily out of control like mine are. I may have to ban myself from this website for a while…….
Paula,
Thank you for the recommendations. Edith’s book is arriving in a library near me hopefully this weekend! I hadn’t heard of ” In a Dark Wood Wandering” before, which I will now add to my list. As for books piling up…lets just say I already have 6 bookcases in my small one bedroom apartment and I think my husband will divorce me if I have to build a 7th (I now store some books under our bed so he can’t see them!).
Thanks again!
I first heard about SKP in the Reading Recommended section of another author’s fan forum . I went on Amazon and looked her up, ordered Sunne and was absolutely blown away! I think that was a couple of years ago. Since then I have read everything she has written and have urged everybody I know to read her books. I buy extra copies to loan out to my friends and relatives. I had not read many medieval historical novels until Sunne. Sharon has introduced me to a whole new world of reading enjoyment.
My book club read Bertram Fields’ Royal Blood one month, and I became fascinated w/ Richard. A friend from book club went on to read Sunne and recommended it to me. The rest, as they say, is history. I didn’t read much HF before then, but it’s like a switch turned on, and that’s what I’ve been reading for the last 10 years or so.
I’m a big Charles d’Orleans fan, and loved In a Dark Wood Wandering. The book was originally written in Dutch, and the story of how it was translated into English is an epic in itself.
That sounds interesting in itself, Theresa. Can you tell us about the translation saga when you get a chance?
Hi Sharon,
The story of the translation is very interesting and it was reading a report about the translation that lead me to the novel. Hella Haase was born in 1918 and grew up in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). She was always fascinated by the MA and while at University in Amsterdam in the late 1930’s she came across poems written by Charles D’Orleans. She then left Uni rather than sign a statement of loyalty to the Reich during the German occupation. The book ‘In a Dark Wood Wandering’ was first published in Dutch in 1949.
In 1953 a man in Chicago named Lewis C. Kaplan asked permission to translate the book into English. He worked on the translation during his spare time and had done a rough draft and then revised the first 150 pages when he died in 1958. His widow then put the work in a briefcase and put it in a closet where it stayed for 20 years.
All this time Hella Haase did not contact Lewis Kaplan to see what was taking so long as she didn’t want to rush him.
In the late 1970’s there was a fire in the Kaplan’s apartment and it was while cleaning up that the son of Lewis Kaplan, Dr Kalman Kaplan found the briefcase and dried out the pages. He contacted the publishing house that Anita Miller worked at. She then revised the translation and with the help of Hella Haase herself reworked some areas of the translation.
The book was first published in English in 1990.
The story of the translation is a lot more detailed but above is a bit of a summary.
Paula, thanks so much for sharing this with us. It would make a compelling novel in itself.
Paula and Theresa, I’ve read In a Dark Wood Wandering, and I loved it. Read “Crown in Candlelight” by Rosemarie Jarman for a contrasting view of Charles and the whole war.
And Paula, thanks for that little background on the Wood translation.
I totally recommend ‘In a Dark Wood Wandering’. I was really impressed when I read the story behind the 1st English translation. There is a detail Introduction by Anita Miller included in the book.
A beautiful novel with much court detail in the MA. From the book’s cover–“The novel’s larger-than-life characters move across a panoramic tapestry woven together by criss-crossed bloodlines and intense rivalries.” I really consider this a classic.
PAULA–thanks for sharing this summary of the novel’s translation. Isn’t wonderful?! I really wish i could read it in its original language.
Brenna–I pulled up a few books from my TBR pile and I found ‘Fortune Made his Sword’ a Novel by Martha Rofheart about Henry V. I am not familiar with the writer, yet, so I am not sure how reliable of a HF novel this might be.
Has anyone read any of Martha Rofheart’s books? I know she has Welsh brackground.
Regarding Charles d’Orleans, the current volume of Speculum has a review of a very interesting book, published in Belgium, in French, in 2007: La librairie des freres captifs: Les manuscrits de Charles d’Orleans et Jean d’Angouleme. (vol. 84, pp. 762-3) The reviewer is Lori Walters, a professor in the F.S.U. French Dept., whom I know socially. The subject of the book is the library the brothers accumulated while prisoners in England. Charles was imprisoned from 1415 (Agincourt) until 1440; Jean (or John) went to England as a hostage in 1412 and did not return to France until 1445. (To those who read French, I apologize for not being able to insert the appropriate accent marks in the book title.) Charles, of course, was father of King Louis XII, whose marriage to Duchess Anne united Brittany with the French crown.
Marbella,
Martha Rofheart apparently plagiarized huge chunks of her book on Owain Glyndwr from John Cowper Powys, and I’ve also heard that she plagiarized from A. M. Maughan’s Harry of Monmouth in her novel about Henry V. I have not read her books, but this is well known; you can read a fuller account on her Wikipedia entry. She seems to have been very careless, too, in her Welsh research; for example, Brian Wainwright says she translated “ap” as “daughter of” rather than “son of.” So based on this dubious history, I’d steer clear of her books.
Oops! The author of the book about the Orleans brothers’ library is Gilbert Ouy.
Thanks for the red flag Sharon (about Martha’s R. books). It is always good to know details as these.
About Charles d’Orleans–I always felt sad about his imprisonment in a foreign land for those many years. I always like to imagine how he might have felt when he stepped on French land again after 20+ years….aaahhh (sigh)
Funny, I just stumbled upon In a Dark Wood Wandering at my local used store a few months back. Esp taken with the cover and story, I was intrigued by the story of the translation, listed in the preface. Haven’t gotten to this one yet, but plan to very soon!
HI Sharon. Thanks for another fascinating blog entry! And thanks, too, to Ken, for sharing his wonderful reasearch with us! I suppose I should put that under the blog entry especially for him! 🙂
I find it really interesting to learn what things in literature emotionally affect people. I do not cry easily AT ALL, but I confess I sobbed when Simon de Montfort died. I also cried once when I killed one of my characters in my own writing. For me, literature affects me a lot more easily than film or TV for some reason.
OT, but I was stoked because I was in England a couple weeks ago, and I was able to totally stock up on a ton of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books that I was having a hard time tracking down at home. Score!
Anyway, I hope you all have a great day!
Hi, Sharon,
Just to let you know, if you have stopped looking at my paper on ‘Clemence’, that I have answered a question by Marilyn in it and have also addressed your position (in a message to me) that Gwenllian, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth’s daughter, was not Joanna’s, but almost certainly Tangwystyl’s.
I agree with you!
Ken, thanks for the sad news about Margaret Wade Labarge. I agree with Sharon about her book on the 13thC household. My version is called Mistress, Maids and Men: Baronial Life in the thirteenth Century.
I confess that when I was much, much younger, I really enjoyed Martha Rofheart’s books. I have a review noted somewhere in an old reading diary – must be late 1970’s and I think the book was called Cry God For Harry. Back then the inaccuracies wouldn’t have jarred and I wouldn’t have known about the plagiarism. Awareness certainly changes ones perceptions!
It’s good advice to steer clear of Martha Rofheart’s novels on Henry V and Owain Glyndwr. Save your time and treat yourself to A(nne) M(argery) Maughan’s charming “Harry of Monmouth” and John Cowper Powys’ strange and beautiful “Owen Glendower”. (You can spend the time you’d otherwise waste on Rofheart by speculating how on earth Powys managed to get all that kinky sex past censors in 1940.)
Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry on Rofheart’s plagiarism of A.M. Maughan’s Harry of Monmouth was excised in September by one “Evananda”, who stated that it was an “unsupported claim that was not attributed”. (“Evananda”appears to be the screen name of Rofheart’s son, who is some kind of psychic healer.) But one has only to compare the two novels to find that Rofheart did, indeed, plagiarize large chunks of Maughan’s “Harry of Monmouth”, too — and, for the record, H.F. Hutchinson’s Henry V.
On second thought, maybe one should read Rofheart’s two novels. Plagiarism and general silliness aside, they achieve one thing. They give one a greater appreciation of the work of writers like Cecelia Holland, Rosemary Hawley Jarman, Edith Pargeter, Sharon Kay Penman…
I’m looking forward to Sharon’s novel on Owain Glyndwr. I don’t think he’s been in a novel since Jarman’s “Crown in Candlelight” or Edith Pargeter’s excellent “A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury”.
i read once [pre-internet], that when charles windsor was crown prince of wales, there was a personal published in a english paper, a rememberance for david, the last true prince of wales. i’ve never been able to find a mention of it on the internet but i like to think that it was true
LL Thom, Owain Glyndwr appears in one of susan cooper’s the dark is rising novels – it’s kids stuff, but it’s great kid’s stuff.
thanks for everything, sharon, just bought devil’s brood the other week – cried again.
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