About the Book: Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Harper 360 (August 19, 2014)
Her beauty fuelled a war.
Her courage captured a king.
Her passion would launch the Tudor dynasty.
When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court.
Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position.
But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties. Her brother, The Dauphin and the dark and sinister, Duke of Burgundy will both use Catherine to further the cause of France.
Catherine is powerless to stop them, but with the French defeat at the Battle of Agincourt, the tables turn and suddenly her currency has never been higher. But can Mette protect Catherine from forces at court who seek to harm her or will her loyalty to Catherine place her in even greater danger?
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Publisher: Harper 360 (August 19, 2014)
Her beauty fuelled a war.
Her courage captured a king.
Her passion would launch the Tudor dynasty.
When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court.
Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position.
But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties. Her brother, The Dauphin and the dark and sinister, Duke of Burgundy will both use Catherine to further the cause of France.
Catherine is powerless to stop them, but with the French defeat at the Battle of Agincourt, the tables turn and suddenly her currency has never been higher. But can Mette protect Catherine from forces at court who seek to harm her or will her loyalty to Catherine place her in even greater danger?
Goodreads
Purchase Links
Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
Review:
The Agincourt Bride tells the story of Catherine de Valois from her birth through her marriage to King Henry V of England. Told through the eyes of Catherine's faithful nurse turned Keeper of the Robes, Mette, her story is recreated with a caring and knowledgeable tone that only one so close to Catherine could have.
I do love history written from a women's perspective and learning about women in history that I didn't know a lot about. The Agincourt Bride fulfilled both of these for me, so needless to say, I enjoyed this book. I very much liked that this was written from Mette's perspective. This gave me a deep sense of caring and compassion for Catherine as well as an older and outside voice in order to narrate what happening when Catherine is only an infant as well as give Catherine knowledge from outside the court's walls.
It was interesting to learn about Catherine's life as a child, how she and her siblings were essentially neglected. This is where Mette's character is the most intriguing, to learn about the other side of courtly life and the ins and outs of the nursery. Another captivating character is Catherine's father, the Mad King, Charles VI. Catherine's first encounter with her father is when he is raving about being made of glass; however, this does not seem to tarnish Catherine's view of him forever and she even helps him through his delusions later in life. As Catherine grew and matured it would have been nice to know a little more of her own feelings about what was happening to her as she is used over and over as a political pawn. We get to know some of this through letters that Catherine has written but were never sent; however the point of view is from Mette's perspective throughout.
A great start to learning more about Catherine de Valois. I'll be reading about the rest of her life in the next installment, The Tudor Bride soon.
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
The Agincourt Bride tells the story of Catherine de Valois from her birth through her marriage to King Henry V of England. Told through the eyes of Catherine's faithful nurse turned Keeper of the Robes, Mette, her story is recreated with a caring and knowledgeable tone that only one so close to Catherine could have.
I do love history written from a women's perspective and learning about women in history that I didn't know a lot about. The Agincourt Bride fulfilled both of these for me, so needless to say, I enjoyed this book. I very much liked that this was written from Mette's perspective. This gave me a deep sense of caring and compassion for Catherine as well as an older and outside voice in order to narrate what happening when Catherine is only an infant as well as give Catherine knowledge from outside the court's walls.
It was interesting to learn about Catherine's life as a child, how she and her siblings were essentially neglected. This is where Mette's character is the most intriguing, to learn about the other side of courtly life and the ins and outs of the nursery. Another captivating character is Catherine's father, the Mad King, Charles VI. Catherine's first encounter with her father is when he is raving about being made of glass; however, this does not seem to tarnish Catherine's view of him forever and she even helps him through his delusions later in life. As Catherine grew and matured it would have been nice to know a little more of her own feelings about what was happening to her as she is used over and over as a political pawn. We get to know some of this through letters that Catherine has written but were never sent; however the point of view is from Mette's perspective throughout.
A great start to learning more about Catherine de Valois. I'll be reading about the rest of her life in the next installment, The Tudor Bride soon.
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author: Joanna spent twenty-five years at the BBC writing and presenting for radio and television. Gripped by Shakespeare’s historical plays, Joanna began researching the King Henry V’s ‘fair Kate’ as a schoolgirl and the story of Catherine de Valois and the Tudor genesis has remained with her throughout life. She lives in an old farmhouse in Wiltshire and is married with a large family and a wayward Irish terrier.
Follow Joanna on Twitter and connect with her on Facebook.
Follow Joanna on Twitter and connect with her on Facebook.
The charming Catherine de Valois courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
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