Philippa Gregory is known for her books of fiction about royalty. Normally, I am more of a fan of historical non-fiction but the heroine of this novel is not a woman who I have ever found any non-fiction work about. She is Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Not a household name by any means, but as a lover of English history, especially Plantagenet England, it is one that is very familiar to me.
John of Bedford was the grandson of one of my favorite historical figures, John of Gaunt. He was also Jacquetta's first husband. He was a great soldier and statesman who made one tragic misstep which ended up being what he is remembered for, he had Joan of Arc burned at the stake. This was, however, two years before he married Jacquetta.
In spite of this, in this story, Jacquetta and Joan meet and form a connection. Historically it is unlikely but it makes for more drama in a novel. Another license that is taking is giving Jacquetta 'second sight". While her enemies did bring charges of witchcraft against her they never came to fruition and she was never found guilty of anything.
It is important to note that in this time period, almost anything that was unusual could be credited to witchcraft.
If it sounds like I didn't like this book, that is not the case. I liked it very well but I accept that it is fiction.
Jacquetta lived during a very turbulent period of history and she was very much in the center of the action. Her second husband, Richard Woodville was if not quite a commoner, certainly way below her in position but since it was a love match, it is romantic.
From what pictures I could find of Jacquetta and Richard, they were a good looking couple, certainly, their children were known to be excessively handsome.
Her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, would one day go on to marry the English King Edward IV, but that is another story altogether.
This book is a good read and will familiarize you with all of the major players in the English War of the Roses. Jacquetta was a pivotal player in this most interesting period of history and her great grandson Henry VIII is certainly someone who is familiar to everyone. Many women have been overlooked in the written histories and it is about time that someone gave us the story of Jacquetta and Philippa Gregory has done just that.
Georgette Heyer was my favorite author for many years. She was the queen of regency romance. Her novels are historically accurate and her character development is superb. She has, in fact, created some of my favorite characters of all time.
The title says it all, Sir Waldo Hawksridge is the nonesuch. What is a nonesuch you may ask? A nonesuch is a paragon, perfection, the ultimate in all that Regency England considers important. He is handsome, wealthy, a great horseman and most importantly single.
We meet Sir Waldo and his two cousins in the first chapter and it is impossible not to admire his character. He has a great sense of humor and does not take himself at all seriously. We discover that beyond perfection he is also kind and caring and has a very altruistic side.
We are next introduced to two females who will play a very important part in the rest of the story. Ancilla Trent is of good but impoverished birth and is working as a governess/companion to the great beauty Tiffany Wield. Tiffany is shallow and self-centered and inclined to throw tantrums when she is thwarted in any way. Ancilla does her best to keep the worst tendencies from manifesting themselves outside of the household.
When Sir Waldo comes to Yorkshire to take possession of his inheritance, Broom Hall, the two households are thrown together and what ensues is a very entertaining romance that will have you smiling throughout.
While the ending is predictable, it is arrived at in a very entertaining way that makes this a book that is hard to put down.
