Susan Higginbotham - The Traitors 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 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

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