Although my two favorite books from last week are set in totally different eras, ironically the main characters in both books are working on finding their ways through total upheavals in their lives.
Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison - A novel of loss, redemption, and forgiveness, also learning to move on. Benjamin Benjamin is floundering - he has lost his wife and family, hasn't worked in at least a decade (he was a stay-at-home dad), and is nearly out of money. Almost by accident, he stumbles into a course that is offered at a local church on how to be a caregiver. His first patient is a young man afflicted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In addition to looking after his physical needs, Ben tries to find activities that will keep Trevor interested and engaged. One project is a large map where they mark all the oddball tourist attractions that they hear about on the Travel Channel and the Weather Channel. Finally they set out on a road trip to visit some of these places, and although the trip doesn't turn out as they had planned, they still manage to do some unforgettable things. A wonderful read.
The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory - this is another installment in Gregory's Cousins' War series, known to us as the War of the Roses (it was called the Cousins' War up until the 19th century - the romantics in the 19th century decided to rename it the War of the Roses). Gregory turns the tables on the protagonists in the last two novels in the series (Elizabeth Woodville in The White Queen and Jacquetta, Lady Rivers in The Lady of the Rivers) so that they are now the villains. The main character here is Anne Neville, queen of Richard III and daughter of Richard, Earl of Warwick, known as the Kingmaker since he deposed Henry VI and put his cousin Edward IV on the throne. Anne and her sister Isabel are pawns in their father's plots, and later in their husbands' plans, with the result that they come into conflict with Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville and her witchy mother Jacquetta. After a disastrous first marriage, Anne decides to make her own choices, but navigating Edward IV's court proves to be tricky. Good biographical fiction about a queen that most of us know only from Shakespeare.
Showing posts with label Philippa Gregory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippa Gregory. Show all posts
Monday, October 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Historical Wednesday - Mary Boleyn
Like most people, I get my historical information from novels, television documentaries, and the Wikipedia. Novelists and TV producers will re-write history if it will make a more compelling story. Consequently, there is a certain amount of misinformation that is accepted as truth about many historical figures and events.
Today’s subject is Mary Boleyn. Mary was the sister of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, best known for breaking up Henry's first marriage and then being beheaded. Mary is the title character from Philippa Gregory’s bestselling novel The Other Boleyn Girl (which I loved). Now Alison Weir has written a definitive biography of Mary (Mary Boleyn), or as definitive as a biography of a minor historical figure who lived in the 16th century can be. Not many genuine facts are known about Mary, since women’s lives were not well-documented in the 16th century. Even the princesses Mary and Margaret Tudor, Henry’s two sisters, are known mainly for who they married and the children they bore. If not for Anne Boleyn, we almost certainly would never have heard of Mary.
Mary was probably Anne’s older sister, although several 16th century sources state that Anne was older. Neither Mary nor Anne’s dates of birth are known; not even the year is certain. Mary is often portrayed as stupid or illiterate. Mary was unquestionably literate, since letters in her handwriting survive. She was probably offered the same education as Anne received, but did not seem to be as interested in learning (even their brother George does not appear to be as intelligent or educated as Anne).
Like Anne, Mary was sent to France to serve at the French court to complete her education in proper court etiquette. Many European royal courts served as finishing schools for young ladies of noble birth. At a time when schools of higher education were mainly for those planning to enter the clergy, it was common practice for members of the nobility to send both their sons and daughters to live and train in other noble households.
Because she attracted the attention of not just one but TWO kings, Mary is frequently portrayed as a woman of loose morals. There is no contemporary evidence for this belief. It is more likely that Mary was a sweet, very beautiful young woman who was pleasant and entertaining company.
Many historians claim that Henry fathered two of Mary’s children, and that she and Henry were lovers for several years. But it is more likely that the affair probably began sometime in 1522 and ended in late summer/early autumn 1523. Mary married to William Carey in 1520, one of Henry’s Gentlemen of the Bedchamber (the male equivalent of a lady-in-waiting) and a close associate who knew Henry well. The king was known for exercising great discretion in his extra-marital affairs, so it is possible that William Carey did not know about the affair. Even Queen Katherine, Henry first wife, did not know of his affair with Mary, otherwise she would have certainly used that information to fight Henry’s attempt to divorce her. Mary’s affair with Henry did not become common knowledge until Henry was trying to get his marriage to Anne annulled, claiming incest because he and Mary had once been lovers.
Their affair must have ended when Mary discovered she was pregnant, since it was believed that sex during pregnancy was harmful to the fetus. Henry was reputed to be somewhat prudish about sex, so he would have abided by the restrictions of the day. Because of certain financial provisions made for her throughout her lifetime, it is very likely that Mary's daughter Katherine was really Henry’s child, while her son Henry is almost certainly her husband William’s child.
After being treated somewhat disdainfully by her family for most of her life, Mary had the best revenge. Her second marriage was for love: she married a man named William Stafford, who was at least 10 years younger than she was and genuinely adored her. Because they married without the king’s permission, they were exiled from court. As the king’s sister-in-law, Mary’s marriage prospects were excellent, but their father Sir Thomas Boleyn does not seem to have exerted himself in arranging marriages for either of his daughters, even when they were very young women. Mary’s second husband was a soldier. He was stationed in Calais from 1534 to at least 1536; Mary was undoubtedly living there with him at the time of Anne’s fall from favor. Thus, they were able to distance themselves from Mary’s siblings Anne and George when they were first arrested and then executed, and avoided the scandal.
Even when they returned to England, Mary and William never went back to live at Henry VIII’s court. They lived in retirement at one of the properties that Mary inherited after her parents’ deaths. They had two children, a daughter Anne and a son Edward. Mary died in 1543, in her forties. Her husband Williams mourned her deeply and did not remarry for 10 years after her death.
Tomorrow: Conspiracy Thursday
Today’s subject is Mary Boleyn. Mary was the sister of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, best known for breaking up Henry's first marriage and then being beheaded. Mary is the title character from Philippa Gregory’s bestselling novel The Other Boleyn Girl (which I loved). Now Alison Weir has written a definitive biography of Mary (Mary Boleyn), or as definitive as a biography of a minor historical figure who lived in the 16th century can be. Not many genuine facts are known about Mary, since women’s lives were not well-documented in the 16th century. Even the princesses Mary and Margaret Tudor, Henry’s two sisters, are known mainly for who they married and the children they bore. If not for Anne Boleyn, we almost certainly would never have heard of Mary.
Mary was probably Anne’s older sister, although several 16th century sources state that Anne was older. Neither Mary nor Anne’s dates of birth are known; not even the year is certain. Mary is often portrayed as stupid or illiterate. Mary was unquestionably literate, since letters in her handwriting survive. She was probably offered the same education as Anne received, but did not seem to be as interested in learning (even their brother George does not appear to be as intelligent or educated as Anne).
Like Anne, Mary was sent to France to serve at the French court to complete her education in proper court etiquette. Many European royal courts served as finishing schools for young ladies of noble birth. At a time when schools of higher education were mainly for those planning to enter the clergy, it was common practice for members of the nobility to send both their sons and daughters to live and train in other noble households.
Because she attracted the attention of not just one but TWO kings, Mary is frequently portrayed as a woman of loose morals. There is no contemporary evidence for this belief. It is more likely that Mary was a sweet, very beautiful young woman who was pleasant and entertaining company.
Many historians claim that Henry fathered two of Mary’s children, and that she and Henry were lovers for several years. But it is more likely that the affair probably began sometime in 1522 and ended in late summer/early autumn 1523. Mary married to William Carey in 1520, one of Henry’s Gentlemen of the Bedchamber (the male equivalent of a lady-in-waiting) and a close associate who knew Henry well. The king was known for exercising great discretion in his extra-marital affairs, so it is possible that William Carey did not know about the affair. Even Queen Katherine, Henry first wife, did not know of his affair with Mary, otherwise she would have certainly used that information to fight Henry’s attempt to divorce her. Mary’s affair with Henry did not become common knowledge until Henry was trying to get his marriage to Anne annulled, claiming incest because he and Mary had once been lovers.
Their affair must have ended when Mary discovered she was pregnant, since it was believed that sex during pregnancy was harmful to the fetus. Henry was reputed to be somewhat prudish about sex, so he would have abided by the restrictions of the day. Because of certain financial provisions made for her throughout her lifetime, it is very likely that Mary's daughter Katherine was really Henry’s child, while her son Henry is almost certainly her husband William’s child.
After being treated somewhat disdainfully by her family for most of her life, Mary had the best revenge. Her second marriage was for love: she married a man named William Stafford, who was at least 10 years younger than she was and genuinely adored her. Because they married without the king’s permission, they were exiled from court. As the king’s sister-in-law, Mary’s marriage prospects were excellent, but their father Sir Thomas Boleyn does not seem to have exerted himself in arranging marriages for either of his daughters, even when they were very young women. Mary’s second husband was a soldier. He was stationed in Calais from 1534 to at least 1536; Mary was undoubtedly living there with him at the time of Anne’s fall from favor. Thus, they were able to distance themselves from Mary’s siblings Anne and George when they were first arrested and then executed, and avoided the scandal.
Even when they returned to England, Mary and William never went back to live at Henry VIII’s court. They lived in retirement at one of the properties that Mary inherited after her parents’ deaths. They had two children, a daughter Anne and a son Edward. Mary died in 1543, in her forties. Her husband Williams mourned her deeply and did not remarry for 10 years after her death.
Tomorrow: Conspiracy Thursday
Monday, February 6, 2012
Literary Monday, 2/6/2012
I am trying a new blog format here, where I have a specific topic for each day of the week. So today is my first Literary Monday, where I will discuss what I am reading or have just finished reading. Reading in a wide variety of genres helps me remember books better. I find if I read a lot of one genre (such as literary fiction), the stories start to blend together, no matter how good a book is.
Like most people, I get my history and facts from novels, television documentaries, and the Wikipedia. This past week, I finished Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn, a biography about Mary Boleyn that dispels many of the fictions about Mary from novels like Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl. Don't get me wrong, I loved Gregory's book, just as I enjoy most historical fiction about romantic or doomed figures. But as in most novels, the actual historical facts are manipulated to make a better story. There is nothing wrong with this - that's why it's called fiction. I plan on devoting another day of the week to facts about maligned or misunderstood historical figures. The book starts off slow - you have to slog through about 50 pages of background about the Boleyn family, but stay with it.
The second book that I finished this week was Kathleen Grissom's The Kitchen House, a historical novel about an Irish girl who grows up as an indentured servant (i.e., slave) at a Virginia plantation. Great characters and description, if not a happy story. I recommend both of these titles.
Tomorrow: Missing Tuesday, with a focus on a missing person case
Like most people, I get my history and facts from novels, television documentaries, and the Wikipedia. This past week, I finished Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn, a biography about Mary Boleyn that dispels many of the fictions about Mary from novels like Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl. Don't get me wrong, I loved Gregory's book, just as I enjoy most historical fiction about romantic or doomed figures. But as in most novels, the actual historical facts are manipulated to make a better story. There is nothing wrong with this - that's why it's called fiction. I plan on devoting another day of the week to facts about maligned or misunderstood historical figures. The book starts off slow - you have to slog through about 50 pages of background about the Boleyn family, but stay with it.
The second book that I finished this week was Kathleen Grissom's The Kitchen House, a historical novel about an Irish girl who grows up as an indentured servant (i.e., slave) at a Virginia plantation. Great characters and description, if not a happy story. I recommend both of these titles.
Tomorrow: Missing Tuesday, with a focus on a missing person case
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