![Praise for The Traitors Wife A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to - photo 1](/uploads/posts/book/2352/images/00001.jpg)
Praise for The Traitor's Wife
A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to an unpopular king
and her unfaithful husbandconveys emotions and relationships
quite poignantlyentertaining historical fiction.
Kirkus Discoveries
The dialogue is excellent, the characters are well formed and
vibrant 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
Higginbotham has stirred to life a girl who is nave and passionate,
impulsive and loyalan endearing, involving story, made so by the
unconventional characters of Eleanor and Edward.
Reviewer's Choice
Higginbotham makes history come alive The Traitor's Wife is a tale
of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty and passion.
BookPleasures
All the ingredients for a great tale: [love], treason, war and murder.
Couple this with Higginbotham's clear passion and knack for accuracy,
and this book is a can't missthis novel was a joy to read.
Read and Review
Beautifully researched and incredibly captivating, The Traitor's Wife
is a book you won't want to put down. Susan Higginbotham's
vivid portrayal of life during Edward II's tumultuous reign makes
for fascinating reading. Highly recommended!
Michelle Moran, bestselling author of The Heretic Queen
Once I began The Traitor's Wife , I couldn't stop. When
the electricity went out one night, I actually found
myself reading by flashlight!
Sharon Kay Penman, bestselling author of Devil's Brood
The Traitor's Wife brings to vibrant life a woman of determination
and courage, who became entangled in the colorful, often lethal
intrigues of Edward II's court. A captivating, well-paced read, full
of the dramatic passions of an era that has often been written about
but never from this particular point of view. Readers will
flock to the wit and verve of Eleanor de Clare.
C. W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen
With each new layer, this tremendously researched novel just keeps
getting better. A worthy mate to Marlowe's play Edward II ,
Higginbotham shows the subtle side of pain.
David Blixt, author of The Master of Verona
Susan Higginbotham has delved into a dark period of
English history and given us a more sympathetic look at
a king of dubious reputationEdward II.
Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose for the Crown
In scope, historical accuracy, and authoritative voice, this
novel reads like really good biography. In dramatic force it reads
like exceptional fiction. The maelstrom of death and destruction set
in motion by the avarice, betrayal, and revenge prevalent in the
English court of Edward II is a cautionary tale of
human frailty skillfully delivered.
Brenda Rickman Vantrease, author of The Illuminator
and The Mercy Seller
![Copyright 2005 2007 2009 by Susan Higginbotham Cover and internal design - photo 2](/uploads/posts/book/2352/images/00002.jpg)
Copyright 2005, 2007, 2009 by Susan Higginbotham
Cover and internal design 2009 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover design by Kimberly Glyder Design
Cover Image (c) Bridgeman Art Library: Portrait of Saskia van Uylenburgh
(1612-42) in Rich Costume (oil on panel) (detail) (see 244316), Rembrandt
Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-69), Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel, Germany
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systemsexcept in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviewswithout permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Apart from well-known historical figures, any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
Fax: (630) 961-2168
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Originally published in 2005 by iUniverse, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Higginbotham, Susan.
The traitor's wife / Susan Higginbotham.
p. cm.
1. De Clare, Eleanor, 1292-1337--Fiction. 2. Edward II, King of England, 1284-1327--Fiction. 3. Le Despenser, Hugh, Baron, d. 1326--Fiction. 4. Great Britain--History--Edward II, 1307-1327--Fiction. I. Title.
PS3608.I364T73 2009
813'.6--dc22
2008039530
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
To my family
N OBLE FAMILIES IN FOURTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND GENERALLY NAMED their children after the royal family and after their own close relations, which militated severely against variety and in this novel resulted in a plethora of real-life Edwards, Hughs, Eleanors, Joans, and the like. In keeping with my personal preferences, I have not changed the names of any of the historical characters in this novel, with the single exception of Eleanor's damsel Gladys, who is actually named Joan in the record in which she appears.
Married women or widows, when referred to separately from their husbands, were not necessarily known by their last husband's surname or by their maiden name. The thrice-married Elizabeth de Clare is referred to in records as Elizabeth de Burgh, from her first husband's name, while Isabel le Despenser, also married three times, is referred to as Isabel de Hastings, from the name of her second husband.
The following, and my policy of trying never to have more than two people with the same first name speaking at once, may be of use to the reader. It does not purport to be a genealogical table; children and spouses who played no part in the events here are generally omitted. Major characters are all listed here; minor characters are listed when I thought their inclusion would aid the reader. Titles are those that individuals bore when they are mentioned in this novel.
The Royal Family
Edward I, King of England, married to Eleanor of Castile and Margaret of France. Edward II, Prince of Wales and later King of England, son of Edward I and Eleanor. Married to Isabella of France. Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Gilbert de Clare and Ralph de Monthermer. Countess of Gloucester. Mary, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Nun of Amesbury. Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Humphrey de Bohun. Countess of Hereford. Edmund, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Kent. Thomas, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Norfolk. Edward III, later King of England, son of Edward II and Isabella. Also known as the Earl of Chester and the Duke of Aquitaine. Married to Philippa of Hainault. John of Eltham, son of Edward II and Isabella. Made Earl of Cornwall in 1328. Eleanor, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to the Count of Guelders. Joan, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to David of Scotland, later King of Scotland. Adam, out-of-wedlock son of Edward II by Lucy, a peasant girl.
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