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The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II
In fourteenth-century England, young Eleanor de Clare, favorite niece of King Edward II, is delighted with her marriage to Hugh le Despenser and her appointment to Queen Isabella s household as a lady-in-waiting. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Eleanor s beloved uncle is not the king the nobles of the land or his queen expected.
Hugh s unbridled ambition and his intimate relationship with Edward arouse widespread resentment, even as Eleanor remains fiercely loyal to her husband and to her king. But loyalty has its price
Moving from royal palaces to prison cells, from the battlefield to the bedroom, between hope and despair, treachery and fidelity, hatred and abiding love, The Traitor s Wife is a tale of an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times.
A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to an unpopular king and her unfaithful husband...conveys emotions and relationships quite poignantly...ultimately, entertaining historical fiction. -Kirkus Discoveries
Hugh s unbridled ambition and his intimate relationship with Edward arouse widespread resentment, even as Eleanor remains fiercely loyal to her husband and to her king. But loyalty has its price
Moving from royal palaces to prison cells, from the battlefield to the bedroom, between hope and despair, treachery and fidelity, hatred and abiding love, The Traitor s Wife is a tale of an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times.
A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to an unpopular king and her unfaithful husband...conveys emotions and relationships quite poignantly...ultimately, entertaining historical fiction. -Kirkus Discoveries
492 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2005
256 people are currently reading
6031 people want to read
About the author
Susan Higginbotham
20 books1,024 followersWelcome! I write historical fiction and nonfiction set in medieval and Tudor England and, most recently, nineteenth-century America.
As a writer of biographical fiction, one of my main goals is to avoid the stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions that have gathered around historical figures over the centuries. At the same time, I strive to remain true to known historical facts and to the mores of the times in which my characters lived. I use both primary sources and modern historical research to bring my characters to life.
As a writer of biographical fiction, one of my main goals is to avoid the stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions that have gathered around historical figures over the centuries. At the same time, I strive to remain true to known historical facts and to the mores of the times in which my characters lived. I use both primary sources and modern historical research to bring my characters to life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
November 21, 2022
Set in the first half of the 14th century, during the reign of King Edward II of England. Eleanor of Clare takes the center stage. She is the favorite niece of the King. Her marriage to Hugh le Despenser (one of the most hated men in English history) seems to be happy until he becomes the King’s chief advisor after the death of Piers Gaveston.
At times, it might be hard to follow the names due to the 14th century traditions of naming noble children after the royal family and their own close relations, resulting in a plethora of the same names. The story has a feel of a non-fiction history book. It presents historical facts in chronological order, and the plot seems to be missing.
At times, it might be hard to follow the names due to the 14th century traditions of naming noble children after the royal family and their own close relations, resulting in a plethora of the same names. The story has a feel of a non-fiction history book. It presents historical facts in chronological order, and the plot seems to be missing.
December 8, 2015
Friends, I can't.
I can't continue this torment. Without question, The Traitor's Wife is one of the most boring books I've read. EVER. At any point in my life. I'm not exaggerating, guys. I can't even find words to express how dull, lifeless, & utterly unreadable this book is. Every sentence pains me. LITERALLY. EVERY SENTENCE. It's an orgy of infodumps, As You Know Bob, telling-not-showing, block paragraphs of confusing names, chunks of time skipped, flat characters yammering at each other, wallpaper setting that's overwritten up to your eyeballs...honestly, I can't recall the last time I encountered historical fiction that was so completely drained of all possible vigor. The background is confusing, the characters have no distinctiveness, the prose is flat & dry, & the historical details reek of regurgitated index cards. This book makes Here Be Dragons read like Stormfire. This book makes Shanna seem like Eaters of the Dead. Hell, I've read computer maintenance manuals that had more life to the contents. NO. Just...no.
I can't continue this torment. Without question, The Traitor's Wife is one of the most boring books I've read. EVER. At any point in my life. I'm not exaggerating, guys. I can't even find words to express how dull, lifeless, & utterly unreadable this book is. Every sentence pains me. LITERALLY. EVERY SENTENCE. It's an orgy of infodumps, As You Know Bob, telling-not-showing, block paragraphs of confusing names, chunks of time skipped, flat characters yammering at each other, wallpaper setting that's overwritten up to your eyeballs...honestly, I can't recall the last time I encountered historical fiction that was so completely drained of all possible vigor. The background is confusing, the characters have no distinctiveness, the prose is flat & dry, & the historical details reek of regurgitated index cards. This book makes Here Be Dragons read like Stormfire. This book makes Shanna seem like Eaters of the Dead. Hell, I've read computer maintenance manuals that had more life to the contents. NO. Just...no.
November 9, 2011
I was so eager to dig in and begin this book, especially with the endorsements of friends and a bit of help from the author herself (helping me to choose which book of hers to start with). I was beyond frustrated that it took me two months to read. Let me explain, it wasn't the fault of the book but life that got in the way. I tried to read a few pages here and there but you can’t do that with this book. You need, and want, to have time to spend with Eleanor de Clare, her family and their lives, even then you will want more. The people and writing demand your undivided attention, so I had to wait.
Was it worth the wait to visit Edward II's court and the people he loved, his favorite niece Eleanor de Clare, Piers Gaveston and Hugh le Despenser, the Younger? Was it worth the wait to see all the machinations and manipulations for power, bed hopping, politics, imprisonment, coups, battles, piracy, even a three year pregnancy? Simply put, yes. We enter a world that existed about 700 years ago. Before you realize it, the 21st century has slipped away and there is suddenly no distinction between the present and past.
Wedding of Edward II and Isabella
This novel covers the years 1306 to 1337, primarily centered on Eleanor de Clare, granddaughter of Edward I, niece to Edward II, wife of Hugh le Despenser “the younger” and William la Zouche. In those 31 years, it was incredible what Eleanor lived through personally, never mind what happened around her. She’s a proper wife, but happy to explore the joys of her sexuality even if it means dealing with the religious guilt of doing so, she loves completely but is blind to her husband’s wrongdoings, she’s an heiress, a prisoner and a loving mother.
The author has this casual way of bluntly and quickly telling the reader what happened; the Battle of Bannock Burn or someone’s death, and then would follow this up by showing the reader how it all came to be. Painful and emotional events, like the capture and deaths of Edward II’s favorites, are handled first with shock, almost a brutal frankness, followed with a horror and sadness, and finally acceptance.
Susan Higginbotham provides a character list, broken down by family and title, to help keep everyone straight during a time when naming children after the royal family or close relations was the norm. I admit I needed to refer to that list many times, otherwise all the surnames, first names and titles would be a jumbled mess. With the marriages and deaths, making everyone related a genealogical chart would look like a spiders web, which in many ways seems all too appropriate. I would have liked a map to help me keep track of the properties, royal progresses and events. I can see where these names and things may seem daunting for some but don’t let any of that discourage you.
This is a book for adults with sexual situations that may not be comfortable for everyone, same sex, and one scene of familial relations. Even though these scenes are tastefully handled and sparingly used, I wanted to mention them for those sensitive to these or looking for a clean read.
When you finish this book, you will not want to leave these people and events behind. This was my first book about Edward II but it won’t be my last. There are so many I want to know more about, Queen Isabella, Zouche, Gaveston, Edward III and Eleanor’s eldest son Hugh. Fortunately, Higginbotham’s next book, Hugh and Bess carries on Hugh’s story and her web site has a nice list of historical fiction covering Edward II and his people. In her afterword, Susan explained the historically accurate aspects and explained her choice or direction for those events still debated today. I appreciate when an author goes to these lengths; it shows an appreciation for their reader.
Sit back and get ready for a transformative experience. I hope you enjoy the journey and education as much as I did, just be prepared to never want to leave.
Was it worth the wait to visit Edward II's court and the people he loved, his favorite niece Eleanor de Clare, Piers Gaveston and Hugh le Despenser, the Younger? Was it worth the wait to see all the machinations and manipulations for power, bed hopping, politics, imprisonment, coups, battles, piracy, even a three year pregnancy? Simply put, yes. We enter a world that existed about 700 years ago. Before you realize it, the 21st century has slipped away and there is suddenly no distinction between the present and past.
Wedding of Edward II and Isabella
This novel covers the years 1306 to 1337, primarily centered on Eleanor de Clare, granddaughter of Edward I, niece to Edward II, wife of Hugh le Despenser “the younger” and William la Zouche. In those 31 years, it was incredible what Eleanor lived through personally, never mind what happened around her. She’s a proper wife, but happy to explore the joys of her sexuality even if it means dealing with the religious guilt of doing so, she loves completely but is blind to her husband’s wrongdoings, she’s an heiress, a prisoner and a loving mother.
"A thief, a spy and a whore. And yet when I was young I used to be regarded as quite priggish." Eleanor speaking of herself before her proctor.
The author has this casual way of bluntly and quickly telling the reader what happened; the Battle of Bannock Burn or someone’s death, and then would follow this up by showing the reader how it all came to be. Painful and emotional events, like the capture and deaths of Edward II’s favorites, are handled first with shock, almost a brutal frankness, followed with a horror and sadness, and finally acceptance.
"Don't, it'd be a pleasure to have one generation of Dispensers with their heads intact. Edward, don't get yourself caught up in an endless cycle of hate. It'll waste you." Eleanor’s eldest son Hugh to his brother Edward.
Susan Higginbotham provides a character list, broken down by family and title, to help keep everyone straight during a time when naming children after the royal family or close relations was the norm. I admit I needed to refer to that list many times, otherwise all the surnames, first names and titles would be a jumbled mess. With the marriages and deaths, making everyone related a genealogical chart would look like a spiders web, which in many ways seems all too appropriate. I would have liked a map to help me keep track of the properties, royal progresses and events. I can see where these names and things may seem daunting for some but don’t let any of that discourage you.
This is a book for adults with sexual situations that may not be comfortable for everyone, same sex, and one scene of familial relations. Even though these scenes are tastefully handled and sparingly used, I wanted to mention them for those sensitive to these or looking for a clean read.
"Everybody tells me how beautiful she is. I can see it. But beauty is like a tapestry. What hangs well in one room may simply not in another. Sometimes I wonder if she was not hung in the wrong room.” Edward II talking to Eleanor about Queen Isabella.
When you finish this book, you will not want to leave these people and events behind. This was my first book about Edward II but it won’t be my last. There are so many I want to know more about, Queen Isabella, Zouche, Gaveston, Edward III and Eleanor’s eldest son Hugh. Fortunately, Higginbotham’s next book, Hugh and Bess carries on Hugh’s story and her web site has a nice list of historical fiction covering Edward II and his people. In her afterword, Susan explained the historically accurate aspects and explained her choice or direction for those events still debated today. I appreciate when an author goes to these lengths; it shows an appreciation for their reader.
Sit back and get ready for a transformative experience. I hope you enjoy the journey and education as much as I did, just be prepared to never want to leave.
January 19, 2015
Wow...my first five star book of the year and it was a free, relatively unheard of book that I was introduced to through my Kindle..and I loved it, not only did it introduce a entire of host of characters in a new dynasty equally as fascinating as the Tudors but seamlessly told the tale of an extrodinary woman, her life,loves against the backdrop of thirteenth century England constantly at war with Scotland and itself..This book was longer and way more detailed than I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists, descriptions, and changing locations, England with its royalty and estates and titles sounds so fabulous..So the story begins with young Eleanor, neice to the King, and extremely well off and her arranged marriage to Hugh le Despenser, a man revered in history for his brutal death..Eleanor and Hugh would remain married for over twenty years and bear numerous children and not one year of their life was uneventful. This book explores politics, friends, sexuality, marriage, childbearing and rearing and betrayal at its ugliest forms. I want so much to delve into one of the many fateful circumstances of her life but do not want to spoil for others just know it is a superb read to keep you well entertained and fascinated by King Edward, Isabella, Mortimer, Hugh Le Despenser, Gaveston and of course the lusty and enchanting Eleanor. Am looking forward to her next book Hugh and Bess as their children have their chance to tell their fascinating history.. loved it!
August 5, 2016
Dull as all hell. The plot, characters and situations are inherently interesting but the author's writing style drains all the life out of the proceedings. This book is written like a straight history or a teleplay: it is a 500 page list of events with no internal monologue from any characters and almost no discussion of feelings, motivations, reactions etc. There is a great story here waiting to be freed from such bone dry prose. Also, while the author can't help that so many of the characters have the same name, arbitrarily switching back and forth between using a character's name and royal title and back again made for a very frustrating reading experience.
October 11, 2012
Most people know the reign of Edward II to be filled with homosexual relationships, a “She-Wolf”, and a supposed murder with a red-hot spit. How much of this is true? Although we may never know precisely, Susan Higginbotham explores this topic in “The Traitor’s Wife” with the main viewpoint being of Hugh Despenser’s wife: Eleanor.
Disappointingly, “The Traitor’s Wife” begins with a rather slow kick and pace. Although the novel is from the perspective of Eleanor le Despenser (nee de Clare); a myriad of characters and background is introduced too quickly, reducing the connection to Eleanor with the reader. Although there may have been an early pressing need to set the political scene; Higginbotham should have let the plot speak for itself.
Furthermore, the initial portions of “The Traitor’s Wife” have identity issues meaning that they are inconsistent in format. One section is stylized like a scholarly work while then progressing into a fictional piece with the cycle repeating; which can cause issues with the flow. However, for those readers preferring strong historical accuracy and research (which I do); the meticulous research presented is interesting, satisfying, and accurate.
Eleanor’s characterization in the early parts of “The Traitor’s Wife” is neither likable nor hated because she lacks development into either realm. She displayed no personal ambition (except for sex, perhaps) and was bland in her behavior. The other characters comprised more personality and multiple layers to their qualities. In fact, Higginbotham successfully elevated figures whom are usually portrayed in one stereotypical way (such as Piers Gaveston) to be composed of both positive and negative traits, providing a well-rounded glimpse with a more realistic viewpoint.
As “The Traitor’s Wife” progresses, Higginbotham’s writing begins to find its niche which strengthens the plot, pace, and versatility of the characters. At this point, “The Traitor’s Wife” becomes much more readable. Although many historical fiction novels are more fiction than history, Higginbotham’s novel is pleasantly more history than fiction. The moments when Higginbotham does take historical liberties with facts or theories; they are creative, believable, and not overly conceived allowing the reader to truly “feel” the story.
“The Traitor’s Wife” opens up the analysis of Hugh Despenser in a much more evolved manner than any other work, causing the reader to rethink preconceived notions. The second half of the novel also boosts Eleanor’s character as she finally begins to mature and develop, resulting in a story which is much more alive and vivid, with a quickened pace. Pleasingly, the novel feels authentic and never too modern.
There were some eye-rolling moments in the second half such as artificial romantic (and masturbation) moments, allusions to future events (Shakespeare’s connection to Stratford on Avon), and Eleanor’s constant giggling even within her adult years. Personally, I found these to take away from the reading and break my bubble but this is me knit-picking. The last 100 pages of “The Traitor’s Wife” slightly drag and some of the events feel cyclical and repetitive.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy “The Traitor’s Wife”; especially in the second half. Higginbotham’s work is painstakingly researched, meaty, entertaining, and well conceived (albeit with some execution issues). Most importantly, it is quite accurate. “The Traitor’s Wife” is a good read for both history lovers and those new to the topic; while also providing a welcoming introduction to Higginbotham’s work. I do look forward to exploring her other works.
Disappointingly, “The Traitor’s Wife” begins with a rather slow kick and pace. Although the novel is from the perspective of Eleanor le Despenser (nee de Clare); a myriad of characters and background is introduced too quickly, reducing the connection to Eleanor with the reader. Although there may have been an early pressing need to set the political scene; Higginbotham should have let the plot speak for itself.
Furthermore, the initial portions of “The Traitor’s Wife” have identity issues meaning that they are inconsistent in format. One section is stylized like a scholarly work while then progressing into a fictional piece with the cycle repeating; which can cause issues with the flow. However, for those readers preferring strong historical accuracy and research (which I do); the meticulous research presented is interesting, satisfying, and accurate.
Eleanor’s characterization in the early parts of “The Traitor’s Wife” is neither likable nor hated because she lacks development into either realm. She displayed no personal ambition (except for sex, perhaps) and was bland in her behavior. The other characters comprised more personality and multiple layers to their qualities. In fact, Higginbotham successfully elevated figures whom are usually portrayed in one stereotypical way (such as Piers Gaveston) to be composed of both positive and negative traits, providing a well-rounded glimpse with a more realistic viewpoint.
As “The Traitor’s Wife” progresses, Higginbotham’s writing begins to find its niche which strengthens the plot, pace, and versatility of the characters. At this point, “The Traitor’s Wife” becomes much more readable. Although many historical fiction novels are more fiction than history, Higginbotham’s novel is pleasantly more history than fiction. The moments when Higginbotham does take historical liberties with facts or theories; they are creative, believable, and not overly conceived allowing the reader to truly “feel” the story.
“The Traitor’s Wife” opens up the analysis of Hugh Despenser in a much more evolved manner than any other work, causing the reader to rethink preconceived notions. The second half of the novel also boosts Eleanor’s character as she finally begins to mature and develop, resulting in a story which is much more alive and vivid, with a quickened pace. Pleasingly, the novel feels authentic and never too modern.
There were some eye-rolling moments in the second half such as artificial romantic (and masturbation) moments, allusions to future events (Shakespeare’s connection to Stratford on Avon), and Eleanor’s constant giggling even within her adult years. Personally, I found these to take away from the reading and break my bubble but this is me knit-picking. The last 100 pages of “The Traitor’s Wife” slightly drag and some of the events feel cyclical and repetitive.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy “The Traitor’s Wife”; especially in the second half. Higginbotham’s work is painstakingly researched, meaty, entertaining, and well conceived (albeit with some execution issues). Most importantly, it is quite accurate. “The Traitor’s Wife” is a good read for both history lovers and those new to the topic; while also providing a welcoming introduction to Higginbotham’s work. I do look forward to exploring her other works.
February 19, 2014
This book had so much promise.
When I got this book I was flipping out with joy. I started it right away and didn't even put it down.
Sadly.... I never finished it because when I reached page 400 I couldn't continue.
I was really pissed because the beginning was great and so much shit happened that ruined the book.
I was really confused. The author made everyone Eleanor magically fall in love with her. Seriously, even the gay ones! Like the author kept dropping hints about some kind of secret love between King Edward and Eleanor? Like when one of the maids told the royal family of Gaveston's abduction by the Black Dog of Arden. The maid was wondering why Eleanor was comforting and touching him in an intimate way when his wife was like ten feet away. Idk, like she would write how they acted so lovingly and intimately and that he would give her grand jewlery. It really confused me because Edward was with Gaveston....
I was confused. Because the author practically made Edward II in love with Eleanor even though he was with Gaveston and Isabella.
The thing that pissed me off was that everyone around Eleanor stated how smart and clever she was. But when push came to shove, she acted like a dumb shit. Eleanor also really annoying. She kept running back to Hugh when he didn't deserve it. Love can only go so far...
I hate how the characters deemed Eleanor as "nontraditional". The only non graditional thing she did was when she was with Hugh (because he told her to it) and when she confronted the Edward of Lancaster.
Eleanor wasn't the only shitty developed story. I really wanted to take a brass bucket and smash it against King Edward II's face. Holy shit, why is it so hard for him to act like a freaking KING!!! He literaly cried throughout the whole book. Don't even get me started on Hugh....
The only character who was pleasantly developed was Queen Isabella. She's known has a heartless bitch and he characterization was spot on in the book.
The book was also REALLY long. At page 200ish I had to force myself to try and finish the book.
Seriously though, there were TOO many characters. The character index was like 5 pages long filled with characters. It was very confusing.
I just "finished" the book and I'm so pissed at the book because it was such a let down. One day I'll finish the remaining 99 pages...
There were some great things, though. The story line was honestly great. The historical references were great and the imagery was vivid and magical.
I was really let down. So if you like subpar writing and a really annoying protagonist then read it.
When I got this book I was flipping out with joy. I started it right away and didn't even put it down.
Sadly.... I never finished it because when I reached page 400 I couldn't continue.
I was really pissed because the beginning was great and so much shit happened that ruined the book.
I was really confused. The author made everyone Eleanor magically fall in love with her. Seriously, even the gay ones! Like the author kept dropping hints about some kind of secret love between King Edward and Eleanor? Like when one of the maids told the royal family of Gaveston's abduction by the Black Dog of Arden. The maid was wondering why Eleanor was comforting and touching him in an intimate way when his wife was like ten feet away. Idk, like she would write how they acted so lovingly and intimately and that he would give her grand jewlery. It really confused me because Edward was with Gaveston....
I was confused. Because the author practically made Edward II in love with Eleanor even though he was with Gaveston and Isabella.
The thing that pissed me off was that everyone around Eleanor stated how smart and clever she was. But when push came to shove, she acted like a dumb shit. Eleanor also really annoying. She kept running back to Hugh when he didn't deserve it. Love can only go so far...
I hate how the characters deemed Eleanor as "nontraditional". The only non graditional thing she did was when she was with Hugh (because he told her to it) and when she confronted the Edward of Lancaster.
Eleanor wasn't the only shitty developed story. I really wanted to take a brass bucket and smash it against King Edward II's face. Holy shit, why is it so hard for him to act like a freaking KING!!! He literaly cried throughout the whole book. Don't even get me started on Hugh....
The only character who was pleasantly developed was Queen Isabella. She's known has a heartless bitch and he characterization was spot on in the book.
The book was also REALLY long. At page 200ish I had to force myself to try and finish the book.
Seriously though, there were TOO many characters. The character index was like 5 pages long filled with characters. It was very confusing.
I just "finished" the book and I'm so pissed at the book because it was such a let down. One day I'll finish the remaining 99 pages...
There were some great things, though. The story line was honestly great. The historical references were great and the imagery was vivid and magical.
I was really let down. So if you like subpar writing and a really annoying protagonist then read it.
January 7, 2024
4.25 stars
This is fiction during the times of Edward II and Edward III. It is told from the point of view of Eleanor, the wife of Hugh le Despenser, who was a favourite of Edward II for a while. Eleanor was only 13 when she married Hugh, but she seemed to be completely in love with him. However, he was often away, and apparently committed piracy (among other bad things). Still, he loved Eleanor and their children. He also may have “loved” the king. Later in the book, once Edward II is gone (he was likely murdered), and a teenage Edward III is ruling, it is really his mother and Roger Mortimer (her new lover) who rule through him. But they were ruthless, and when Edward was older, he was not going to go along with this.
This was really good. I think I’ve only read one other book (nonfiction) about this time period and these kings. (The focus of that book was on Mortimer.) It took a bit to get “into” this one since I was unfamiliar with the time period and the people, so I spent a bit of time at the start figuring out who everyone was. Also, there are so many people with the same name! The author tried to distinguish most of the time, but it was still sometimes a bit confusing. But still very good, I thought.
This is fiction during the times of Edward II and Edward III. It is told from the point of view of Eleanor, the wife of Hugh le Despenser, who was a favourite of Edward II for a while. Eleanor was only 13 when she married Hugh, but she seemed to be completely in love with him. However, he was often away, and apparently committed piracy (among other bad things). Still, he loved Eleanor and their children. He also may have “loved” the king. Later in the book, once Edward II is gone (he was likely murdered), and a teenage Edward III is ruling, it is really his mother and Roger Mortimer (her new lover) who rule through him. But they were ruthless, and when Edward was older, he was not going to go along with this.
This was really good. I think I’ve only read one other book (nonfiction) about this time period and these kings. (The focus of that book was on Mortimer.) It took a bit to get “into” this one since I was unfamiliar with the time period and the people, so I spent a bit of time at the start figuring out who everyone was. Also, there are so many people with the same name! The author tried to distinguish most of the time, but it was still sometimes a bit confusing. But still very good, I thought.
July 13, 2013
Susan Higginbotham seems to have a propensity to write the stories of those much maligned figures from history and redressing the myths surrounding them. And you know what, I like that. I’d much rather have an accurate portrayal than another tired round of dragging up every juicy salacious crumb of rumour just to make a novel interesting. Because it’s not interesting. It’s cliché and boring and seems to me it does a disservice to the actual historical people. Plus, it’s always fun to read the story from the other side, from the perspective of a person who has been branded a villain by later histories.
The Traitor’s Wife tells the story of Edward II’s disastrous reign through the eyes of his second favourite, Hugh le Despenser, and his wife Eleanor de Clare, Edward II’s niece. I loved the attention to detail and accuracy of the setting, the detail of events... As anyone who reads Susan's blog knows, she's impeccably thorough in her research. Getting the small things right is less important than other points in writing a good novel - like writing well-rounded characters, a clever compelling plot, and so on - but it just adds so much. The tiny details weave an authentic world for those characters to move in and that plot to take place. And, having read all of Susan's novels now, I can safely say that this is something she does tremendously well as an author.
However, I have to hold my hands up on this one and say "you got me" to Susan. I haven't taken a particular interest in the life and times of Edward II, but I've read a few non-fiction histories and avidly follow the blog of Edward II expert Kathryn Warner, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen in The Traitor's Wife. Without giving away any spoilers for people who haven't yet read the book, let's just say there were two events which had my eyebrows shooting up in surprise and saw me furiously thumbing to the author's note at the back to check that this was indeed right and Susan hadn't accidentally been scraping the dregs of the scandal barrel (she hasn't! phew!).
One thing I've found with Susan's books, and which I mentioned above, was that I love her characters because they're so subtle and so very human. However, there was one point which I found odd in The Traitor's Wife, and that was the sheer level of Eleanor de Clare's gullibility. It's rare, I feel, to come across someone who is quite that naive, and it's simply that I had some trouble connecting with and identifying with Eleanor because of that particular personality trait.
The Traitor's Wife is definitely an epic, I would say. Which is surprising because from the outside it's doesn't look like the chunksters of Margaret George or the breeze-block tomes of Jean Auel. But it takes us from Edward II as a prince right through his kingship and past the point where Edward III has come into his own and taken control of his reign, and when I finished the book I sure felt like the story had taken me through so much, a really sweeping tide of history. I must admit, The Traitor's Wife didn't quite evoke as much emotional connection or feeling from me as The Queen of Last Hopes did, and that's because I didn't quite identify with or root for Eleanor and Hugh as much as I did Margaret of Anjou and Henry Beaufort. But highly recommended, as with all of Susan's books!
9 out of 10
The Traitor’s Wife tells the story of Edward II’s disastrous reign through the eyes of his second favourite, Hugh le Despenser, and his wife Eleanor de Clare, Edward II’s niece. I loved the attention to detail and accuracy of the setting, the detail of events... As anyone who reads Susan's blog knows, she's impeccably thorough in her research. Getting the small things right is less important than other points in writing a good novel - like writing well-rounded characters, a clever compelling plot, and so on - but it just adds so much. The tiny details weave an authentic world for those characters to move in and that plot to take place. And, having read all of Susan's novels now, I can safely say that this is something she does tremendously well as an author.
However, I have to hold my hands up on this one and say "you got me" to Susan. I haven't taken a particular interest in the life and times of Edward II, but I've read a few non-fiction histories and avidly follow the blog of Edward II expert Kathryn Warner, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen in The Traitor's Wife. Without giving away any spoilers for people who haven't yet read the book, let's just say there were two events which had my eyebrows shooting up in surprise and saw me furiously thumbing to the author's note at the back to check that this was indeed right and Susan hadn't accidentally been scraping the dregs of the scandal barrel (she hasn't! phew!).
One thing I've found with Susan's books, and which I mentioned above, was that I love her characters because they're so subtle and so very human. However, there was one point which I found odd in The Traitor's Wife, and that was the sheer level of Eleanor de Clare's gullibility. It's rare, I feel, to come across someone who is quite that naive, and it's simply that I had some trouble connecting with and identifying with Eleanor because of that particular personality trait.
The Traitor's Wife is definitely an epic, I would say. Which is surprising because from the outside it's doesn't look like the chunksters of Margaret George or the breeze-block tomes of Jean Auel. But it takes us from Edward II as a prince right through his kingship and past the point where Edward III has come into his own and taken control of his reign, and when I finished the book I sure felt like the story had taken me through so much, a really sweeping tide of history. I must admit, The Traitor's Wife didn't quite evoke as much emotional connection or feeling from me as The Queen of Last Hopes did, and that's because I didn't quite identify with or root for Eleanor and Hugh as much as I did Margaret of Anjou and Henry Beaufort. But highly recommended, as with all of Susan's books!
9 out of 10
December 1, 2018
The Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higginbotham is a strong and pleasing read. From the moment you start you are captivated by the strength of its characters. The author’s descriptions are so telling you can imagine even the tiniest detail of every page. This is a book difficult to set down and one that is not easily forgotten.
August 12, 2014
Rating: 3.5 stars
This book was incredibly well researched. Before reading it, I knew nothing of the reigns of Edwards I, II and III, and as I was reading, I was sure a lot of it was made up by the author; there was so much plotting, scheming, betrayal, greed, power, adultery, manipulation, revenge, murder and general downright crazy, that it could dwarf even the maddest American daytime soap! But no, almost all of this book is true. As a regular Tudor and War of the Roses reader, I’m not shocked by the treachery and brutality of the times, but I am surprised that these early Plantagenets aren’t as well known as their descendants; they have just as gripping a story to tell.
I do have a few niggles with this book though. At times, it reads like a dry history lecture, while at others, it felt very simplistic, particularly in the conversations, where characters overused the name of the person they were speaking to ('...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Eleanor.' '...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Eleanor,' etc etc, all on the same page; it drove me crackers!). A better edit could have taken out fifty or so pages, and still leave the story complete.
The good outweighed the niggles though, and I'll go on to read it’s sequal Hugh and Bess: A Love Story, although I’m already braced for the endless '...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Bess' conversations!
This book was incredibly well researched. Before reading it, I knew nothing of the reigns of Edwards I, II and III, and as I was reading, I was sure a lot of it was made up by the author; there was so much plotting, scheming, betrayal, greed, power, adultery, manipulation, revenge, murder and general downright crazy, that it could dwarf even the maddest American daytime soap! But no, almost all of this book is true. As a regular Tudor and War of the Roses reader, I’m not shocked by the treachery and brutality of the times, but I am surprised that these early Plantagenets aren’t as well known as their descendants; they have just as gripping a story to tell.
I do have a few niggles with this book though. At times, it reads like a dry history lecture, while at others, it felt very simplistic, particularly in the conversations, where characters overused the name of the person they were speaking to ('...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Eleanor.' '...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Eleanor,' etc etc, all on the same page; it drove me crackers!). A better edit could have taken out fifty or so pages, and still leave the story complete.
The good outweighed the niggles though, and I'll go on to read it’s sequal Hugh and Bess: A Love Story, although I’m already braced for the endless '...blah blah, Hugh.' '...blah blah, Bess' conversations!
dnf
July 23, 2012THOUGHTS WHILE READING:
If I weren't reading this for book club, I would have stopped already. I wish that I had gotten this from the library rather than paying the $7.99 for the Kindle version because it was a total waste of money.
From the very first chapter, I knew that this would be a difficult read for me. I am not a fan of Higginbotham's prose, her lack of description, or the characters. She writes in passive voice, which is something that I don't like seeing in fiction, or in any type of writing, really. The lack of description is really bothersome because she is writing about a period of time that no one living today can tell us about; instead, she should be providing description about the setting, costumes, customs, food, etc. It's just lazy research in my mind that she didn't include these details. On one page she mentions an instrument that I have never heard of before, and provides no description or context for it whatsoever. My Kindle's dictionary couldn't even tell me what it was. Fail!
Writing historical fiction cannot be easy; there are only so many facts that are known. My historian friend provided me with some background on this family after researched them; she read this book as well, and felt a few things were off about it. I was shocked to learn from her how horrible Eleanor's husband, Hugh, really was. I actually *like* him and think he's a nice guy, but then I haven't gotten to the part where we learn otherwise.
(currently have read 19%)
FINAL VERDICT:
I made it 80% of the way through, tried to finish the last bit of it before book club tonight, and decided to just screw it. The book wasn't getting any better, anyway! My advice? SKIP this one.
If I weren't reading this for book club, I would have stopped already. I wish that I had gotten this from the library rather than paying the $7.99 for the Kindle version because it was a total waste of money.
From the very first chapter, I knew that this would be a difficult read for me. I am not a fan of Higginbotham's prose, her lack of description, or the characters. She writes in passive voice, which is something that I don't like seeing in fiction, or in any type of writing, really. The lack of description is really bothersome because she is writing about a period of time that no one living today can tell us about; instead, she should be providing description about the setting, costumes, customs, food, etc. It's just lazy research in my mind that she didn't include these details. On one page she mentions an instrument that I have never heard of before, and provides no description or context for it whatsoever. My Kindle's dictionary couldn't even tell me what it was. Fail!
Writing historical fiction cannot be easy; there are only so many facts that are known. My historian friend provided me with some background on this family after researched them; she read this book as well, and felt a few things were off about it. I was shocked to learn from her how horrible Eleanor's husband, Hugh, really was. I actually *like* him and think he's a nice guy, but then I haven't gotten to the part where we learn otherwise.
(currently have read 19%)
FINAL VERDICT:
I made it 80% of the way through, tried to finish the last bit of it before book club tonight, and decided to just screw it. The book wasn't getting any better, anyway! My advice? SKIP this one.
September 10, 2009
I ventured into uncharted territory picking up this book. I had never gone back this far in either fiction or non fiction. The farthest I ever went back beforehand was the 1600s. And I'm not very educated in English history before the 1800s, so I learned a lot. One of the things that is great about historical fiction, is that you end up wanting to learn more about the people and events you're reading about. That's what happened here, I learned about a period of history I wasn't educated in before.
The Traitor's Wife was vastly researched, there is no doubt about that. That is much appreciated.
The story itself got better as it went along. Once Eleanor got older, she got more wiser and her character developed and I liked her very much, while at the beginning of the story I wasn't sure. Her children: Hugh and Edward I ended up liking very much. Both of them vastly different from each other, and you could see their distinct personalities. I'm glad we got insight into the children, that was one of my favorite things about The Traitor's Wife, so I'm just itching to read Hugh and Bess.
One thing I can appreciate, is when you end up hating a character because there isn't any other feeling you can attend to them. They're just evil. It's easy to write a likable character, but to write one so horrible in nature such as Roger Mortimer, is harder than it seems. I loved that (I inwardly went "Yay!" when he met his fate).
In the end, I ended up loving this book and can't wait to read more by the author.
The Traitor's Wife was vastly researched, there is no doubt about that. That is much appreciated.
The story itself got better as it went along. Once Eleanor got older, she got more wiser and her character developed and I liked her very much, while at the beginning of the story I wasn't sure. Her children: Hugh and Edward I ended up liking very much. Both of them vastly different from each other, and you could see their distinct personalities. I'm glad we got insight into the children, that was one of my favorite things about The Traitor's Wife, so I'm just itching to read Hugh and Bess.
One thing I can appreciate, is when you end up hating a character because there isn't any other feeling you can attend to them. They're just evil. It's easy to write a likable character, but to write one so horrible in nature such as Roger Mortimer, is harder than it seems. I loved that (I inwardly went "Yay!" when he met his fate).
In the end, I ended up loving this book and can't wait to read more by the author.
January 3, 2011
Ugh. I made it through 47% of the book before I gave up, and frankly, I'm surprised I lasted that long. I'm a fan of historical fiction but the writing in this book simply wasn't good enough to keep me engaged. Switching constantly between names, nicknames and titles for the same people was tough to follow (especially when titles change so often as they do with this group). The relationship between Eleanor and Hugh seemed too good to be true in the beginning and not in a, "Uh oh, I hope nothing goes wrong with this lovely couple!" kind of way. More in an unbelievable, false kind of way. I was willing to put up with it all until Eleanor finds out that her beloved and supposedly devoted husband has been sleeping with her favorite uncle, whom she then confronts. The kicker? Out of nowhere, the pair (uncle and niece) declare their long-held attraction and love for each other (where the hell did THAT come from???) and fall into the sack. Really?? I mean, REALLY?!?!?! Yes, there were a couple of quick hints from the uncle character - just a couple - but for Eleanor to suddenly appear before her like-a-brother uncle after finding out he's been secretly banging her husband, and eagerly drop her drawers...well I just had enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2008
This is a fascinating tale of treachery and intrigue, focusing on the life of Eleanor De Clare who married Hugh le Despenser. Hugh's ambitions embroil him in the life of Edward II of England and eventually lead to his downfall. As several reviewers have already summed up the story, I need not recap it again.
This is a complicated tale, with many characters with the same names so you do have to pay close attention, although the author does provide a list of characters at the front of the book. This is not a period of English history I have read before and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in Eleanor's tale. Side note, having recently read Nigel Tranter's The Bruce Trilogy it was an extra treat seeing that part of the story from the English perspective.
Although I found Eleanor to be an engaging topic, I like other reviewers found her to be a tad bit too perfect -- I mean really she should have known what Hugh was up to! Or maybe not, we'll never know. All in all a very enjoyable read and one I would recommend for any lover of historical fiction or those interested in this time period.
This is a complicated tale, with many characters with the same names so you do have to pay close attention, although the author does provide a list of characters at the front of the book. This is not a period of English history I have read before and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in Eleanor's tale. Side note, having recently read Nigel Tranter's The Bruce Trilogy it was an extra treat seeing that part of the story from the English perspective.
Although I found Eleanor to be an engaging topic, I like other reviewers found her to be a tad bit too perfect -- I mean really she should have known what Hugh was up to! Or maybe not, we'll never know. All in all a very enjoyable read and one I would recommend for any lover of historical fiction or those interested in this time period.
September 4, 2015
As a general rule, I try not to leave books unfinished; for the twenty five years that I've been steadily reading, there's a handful of them I just couldn't manage to continue with, and this is one of them.
I can't say that the story is awful, because it's not. It was actually interesting, which is why I can't give it less than 2 stars; it was interesting in a High-School-history-textbook-kind-of-way though. That's it's greatest strength... and greatest weakness.
This story was incredibly well-researched, so kudos to the author for that. There was so much I learned about Edward II and the people he was surrounded by in only 40% of the book, not to mention all the events that occurred due to his personal relationships. He seemed to be a bit, shall we say, "biased" towards certain people?
However, the great problem with the book is that I JUST DIDN'T CARE. Why didn't I care? Because there was no connection with any of the characters. Nobody was particularly likable, nobody enabled me, the reader, to continue reading to see about his/her outcome. Nobody seemed to be very deep, they were pretty much caricatures throughout (almost half the book... I don't know if later on there was change).
-Eleanor only cares about herself, her husband, HAVING children (not particularly the children themselves), and pleasing the King (in that order).
-Hugh cares about himself, becoming powerful, there's a tie between Eleanor and the King, and then SEEING his children every once in a while.
-Edward II cares about himself, his current lover, HAVING children, his realm, and maybe his wife (he has no other choice).
-Isabella cares about herself... and I think that's about it.
I think I see a pattern here.
I have to confess that when I'm reading historical fiction, I HAVE to know what the outcomes for the characters are so I give them a quick look up (yes, I cheat) and then I get even more intrigued about HOW they ended up that way so I read even more. It just didn't happen this time. Because I DIDN'T CARE. I didn't care that Eleanor was being humiliated , that Hugh is going to end up having a traitor's death (I'm like, how can Eleanor be so BLIND about her sleazy, power seeking husband?), that the King was going to be deposed and then murdered (he deserved it for letting his lovers do whatever they wanted with the country), and that the Queen might have this spectacular romance (I got to the foreshadowing part of her eyeing Mortimer from afar).
Reading this was similar to reading a textbook, just narration of fact after fact, event after event. Once in a while the author remembered there had to be some kind of interaction between the characters (which was when the story picked up), then the narration continued for pages on end.
I honestly believe that the gift of the historical novel writer is to intertwine the historical data into the action, to pull the reader into the story so much that he/she is not even aware that facts and events are being presented... that they just happen to occur within the plot. In this case, unfortunately, it was the plot that just happened to occur within the historical data.
I know many people truly enjoyed this and I have to say that I really wanted to love it too. But I guess it just wasn't for me.
I can't say that the story is awful, because it's not. It was actually interesting, which is why I can't give it less than 2 stars; it was interesting in a High-School-history-textbook-kind-of-way though. That's it's greatest strength... and greatest weakness.
This story was incredibly well-researched, so kudos to the author for that. There was so much I learned about Edward II and the people he was surrounded by in only 40% of the book, not to mention all the events that occurred due to his personal relationships. He seemed to be a bit, shall we say, "biased" towards certain people?
However, the great problem with the book is that I JUST DIDN'T CARE. Why didn't I care? Because there was no connection with any of the characters. Nobody was particularly likable, nobody enabled me, the reader, to continue reading to see about his/her outcome. Nobody seemed to be very deep, they were pretty much caricatures throughout (almost half the book... I don't know if later on there was change).
-Eleanor only cares about herself, her husband, HAVING children (not particularly the children themselves), and pleasing the King (in that order).
-Hugh cares about himself, becoming powerful, there's a tie between Eleanor and the King, and then SEEING his children every once in a while.
-Edward II cares about himself, his current lover, HAVING children, his realm, and maybe his wife (he has no other choice).
-Isabella cares about herself... and I think that's about it.
I think I see a pattern here.
I have to confess that when I'm reading historical fiction, I HAVE to know what the outcomes for the characters are so I give them a quick look up (yes, I cheat) and then I get even more intrigued about HOW they ended up that way so I read even more. It just didn't happen this time. Because I DIDN'T CARE. I didn't care that Eleanor was being humiliated , that Hugh is going to end up having a traitor's death (I'm like, how can Eleanor be so BLIND about her sleazy, power seeking husband?), that the King was going to be deposed and then murdered (he deserved it for letting his lovers do whatever they wanted with the country), and that the Queen might have this spectacular romance (I got to the foreshadowing part of her eyeing Mortimer from afar).
Reading this was similar to reading a textbook, just narration of fact after fact, event after event. Once in a while the author remembered there had to be some kind of interaction between the characters (which was when the story picked up), then the narration continued for pages on end.
I honestly believe that the gift of the historical novel writer is to intertwine the historical data into the action, to pull the reader into the story so much that he/she is not even aware that facts and events are being presented... that they just happen to occur within the plot. In this case, unfortunately, it was the plot that just happened to occur within the historical data.
I know many people truly enjoyed this and I have to say that I really wanted to love it too. But I guess it just wasn't for me.
June 23, 2010
Loved it, loved it, loved it! I'm so glad I finished it because I was getting absolutely no sleep and my husband has been grumbling about how he had been ignored over the past several days.
The story of Eleanor and Hugh le Despenser was magnificent. Full of real alive characters, humor, sadness, skullduggery, romance, and more political twists and turns than the Clinton/Bush administrations!
Anyone can read the book description so I'm not going to bother with a synopsis. It would be a waste of your time and mine. But, Susan Higginbotham, through hard core research and knowledge of what makes a great story, deftly weaves one romantic and chock full of historical detail. And the depth and breadth of the history in what seemed to be a relatively easy read was staggering. I thought I knew a fair amount about this period but I now realize I knew nothing.
The best historical fiction leaves you wanting to know more so I guess I am now off to the library to get more books about Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Queen Isabella, Roger Mortimer, Robert the Bruce, the Welsh (all of them), and many of the other primary and secondary characters. What was also amazing was how well the author is able to write in a manner so that I had absolutely no trouble keeping all of the Hughs, Joans, Eleanors, Edwards, etc., etc. straight. Not once, was I confused.
It really is too bad that they don't teach history very well in this country. If I had been taught this stuff when I was in high school or college instead of discovering it myself later in life then (a) I may have enjoyed history more and (b) I may not have been so bored and quit college!
The bad news now is that my husband will probably be ignored for several more days because I've just started Hugh and Bess!
The story of Eleanor and Hugh le Despenser was magnificent. Full of real alive characters, humor, sadness, skullduggery, romance, and more political twists and turns than the Clinton/Bush administrations!
Anyone can read the book description so I'm not going to bother with a synopsis. It would be a waste of your time and mine. But, Susan Higginbotham, through hard core research and knowledge of what makes a great story, deftly weaves one romantic and chock full of historical detail. And the depth and breadth of the history in what seemed to be a relatively easy read was staggering. I thought I knew a fair amount about this period but I now realize I knew nothing.
The best historical fiction leaves you wanting to know more so I guess I am now off to the library to get more books about Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Queen Isabella, Roger Mortimer, Robert the Bruce, the Welsh (all of them), and many of the other primary and secondary characters. What was also amazing was how well the author is able to write in a manner so that I had absolutely no trouble keeping all of the Hughs, Joans, Eleanors, Edwards, etc., etc. straight. Not once, was I confused.
It really is too bad that they don't teach history very well in this country. If I had been taught this stuff when I was in high school or college instead of discovering it myself later in life then (a) I may have enjoyed history more and (b) I may not have been so bored and quit college!
The bad news now is that my husband will probably be ignored for several more days because I've just started Hugh and Bess!
May 9, 2011
This is, as it were, the prequel to Higginbotham's book "Hugh and Bess." I rather prefer the latter, but this volume is also well written. At one level, it is the story of the marriage of Eleanor de Clare to Hugh le Despenser (the younger). Eleanor's uncle, Edward II, is also a key player as well as Edward's Queen--Isabella.
The dangers of the royal court are displayed, as well as the secrets of Edward II. One key line, the words of Hugh le Despenser to Eleanor (Page 38): "What nonsense! You are all I want in the world. . . .
And on that day he meant it."
What comes later? The twist in the life of Hugh and Eleanor and Edward creates a crisis. It also sets the stage for "Hugh and Bess."
The book goes beyond the tangled fates of Hugh, Eleanor, and Edward II. It takes us to the tangle of Eleanor's marriage to William la Zouche, her relationships with her sisters and her children.
A complex work. I am not sure that it woks as well as the sequel--"Hugh and Bess." But it is a nice work of historical fiction. My preference would that there have been more history. Nonetheless, this book works well as it stands.
The dangers of the royal court are displayed, as well as the secrets of Edward II. One key line, the words of Hugh le Despenser to Eleanor (Page 38): "What nonsense! You are all I want in the world. . . .
And on that day he meant it."
What comes later? The twist in the life of Hugh and Eleanor and Edward creates a crisis. It also sets the stage for "Hugh and Bess."
The book goes beyond the tangled fates of Hugh, Eleanor, and Edward II. It takes us to the tangle of Eleanor's marriage to William la Zouche, her relationships with her sisters and her children.
A complex work. I am not sure that it woks as well as the sequel--"Hugh and Bess." But it is a nice work of historical fiction. My preference would that there have been more history. Nonetheless, this book works well as it stands.
October 7, 2009
Hmmm. What to say. Basically, this story follows Eleanor de Clare, in 1300s England, married to Hugh le Despenser. She is the niece to King Edward 2. It is very well researched, very detailed, but to me, pretty boring. And really gross. Here's how it went:
A. The King's male lover is executed.
B. The King takes up Eleanor's husband as his lover.
C. Eleanor gets mad when she finds out, so she begins to have an incestuous relationship with the King. Did I mention that's her uncle? The one already having "relations" with her hubby?
That's pretty much where I quit reading. It's one cheesily steamy book. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling as every single man that walks by Eleanor desires her womanly assets. Give me a break. I won't be reading the sequel.
A. The King's male lover is executed.
B. The King takes up Eleanor's husband as his lover.
C. Eleanor gets mad when she finds out, so she begins to have an incestuous relationship with the King. Did I mention that's her uncle? The one already having "relations" with her hubby?
That's pretty much where I quit reading. It's one cheesily steamy book. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling as every single man that walks by Eleanor desires her womanly assets. Give me a break. I won't be reading the sequel.
April 26, 2012
Ugh. I don't usually stop reading books once I've started, but this one was intolerable after about 150 pages (I think--reading it on my iPad so I am not sure). The characters have absolutely no depth, and somehow the author makes it impossible to really engage in all of the intrigue and drama going on at court. It seems like a huge laundry list of "things that happen" during Charles' reign, punctuated by descriptions of ridiculous sex. Really disappointing.
January 24, 2013
This is killing me - slow! I keep putting it down.
The author spends WAY too much time on historical who's who (titles and lands), just to show she's done her research when it has nothing to do with the story or main characters. I hate this 'tmi' with historical fiction.
I love tid-bits of facts and history, but you have to make it interesting and a good story with well developed characters.
The author spends WAY too much time on historical who's who (titles and lands), just to show she's done her research when it has nothing to do with the story or main characters. I hate this 'tmi' with historical fiction.
I love tid-bits of facts and history, but you have to make it interesting and a good story with well developed characters.
March 6, 2016
Reading this book made me realize I read a ton of historical fiction set in England. I probably know British (and by extension French and general European) history better than I know American history. That being said, so much of what I’ve read has been set during the Tudor or Elizabethan periods and this book was dense with rich historical detail and various happenings during the reign of Edward II and Edward III. It ended up being a slower read than I anticipated but only because I kept falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes reading the known history for the various people involved. I thought some of the more salacious goings on were perhaps more fictional than fact, but most of them were solidly based on rumors and writings dating from the time period. If you love historical melodrama, this book has it in spades – love, lust, folks being executed as traitors right and left and lots of scheming for the crown. Every time I’d pause to fact check, I’d end up confirming whatever detail I was sure was made up and I’d end up laughing “You seriously can’t make this stuff up – this story really WAS made for a Showtime or Cinemax “bodice ripping and sword play” frothy miniseries”. The writing made some jarring transitions at times from the intensely personal narrative focused on Eleanor de Clare to the larger whirl of historical events and battles, but I found the plot gripping, all the more so for being true. There were some passages I had to read more than once but I can hardly blame the author for the fact nearly everyone in here is named Eleanor, Joan, Isabella, Hugh or Edward (seriously, there are at least three to four of each floating around in here). I appreciate her small nods to, as she put it, “reader sanity” in changing the names of a few secondary characters to something other than five or six most popular names for early 1300s England. For example, Eleanor’s main lady in waiting was renamed “Gladys” because there were already at least five other people in the story named “Joan”. Thank you, Ms. Higgenbotham for that kindness. Long story short (too late!) – Great book and the historical facts of this time period are way more fun (and R-rated) than the War of the Roses.
June 2, 2015
Ugh. What a book. It’s a fictionalized account of Eleanor de Clare, the wife of Hugh Despenser and the niece of Edward II. Despenser was an ambitious and ruthless noble whose actions led to a rebellion by Edward II’s wife Queen Isabella and Edward’s eventual loss of the throne. I read half of it over the holidays and kept meaning to come back to it, but I just can’t. In retrospect, it’s a slightly more respectable romance novel. Everyone seems to be in love with, or lusting after, Eleanor. There’s a weird triangle in which Eleanor is in love with her uncle Edward and her husband Hugh, Edward is in love with Hugh and Eleanor, and Hugh is in love with Edward and Eleanor. Huh? But worse than that is the fact that the character Eleanor is very unsympathetic. She is just clueless as to all the trouble her husband is creating by usurping power and seizing lands. Plus, the author paints Edward and Hugh as just poor, misunderstood men. Please. Edward II was an unsuccessful king and Hugh Despenser was an extremely ruthless man. I get the sense of a writer trying to rehabilitate these historical persons rather than creating well-rounded characters with both good and bad sides. Very irritating book and I’m not reading another by this author.
July 6, 2010
This book was somewhat difficult to get into at first because of the plethora of characters given the same name. An index of the names was in the front of the book which helped to keep me on track. The heroine lives at a time when men were hungry for power and once they got it, became greedy for more. Written in the time of Edward II Of England, a personality too gentle, thoughtful and careless of the jealousy shown to ward those he favored to be a strong leader in these violent times, he also had a power hungry Queen to contend with. She proves to be a stronger personality than her husband but only until her son, an equally strong personality comes into his own. The heroine, Eleanor, her children and the women of her class with their children all suffer the consequences of this thirst for power. Once I got into it, I kept reading!
December 27, 2009
This was NOT an easy read! With 5 Isabella/Isabel's, 4 Hugh's, 4 Joan's, 4 Edwards, 4 Eleanor's and the largest cast of characters I've ever encountered between the pages of one book - it was enough to put my reading sanity on edge. I finally started to get the characters straight about 2/3 of the way through (thank goodness for the Character index in the front of the book).
This story basically starts where the movie Braveheart left off during the reign of Edward II. Everything unfolds through the perspective of Eleanor le Despenser, King Edward's favorite niece. Rich with history, scandal, passion, treachery, a she-wolf queen, and a bisexual king; the author does not fail to deliver entertaining historical fiction. I've ordered the sequel from the library.
This story basically starts where the movie Braveheart left off during the reign of Edward II. Everything unfolds through the perspective of Eleanor le Despenser, King Edward's favorite niece. Rich with history, scandal, passion, treachery, a she-wolf queen, and a bisexual king; the author does not fail to deliver entertaining historical fiction. I've ordered the sequel from the library.
December 15, 2010
A very very enjoyable read for me. Tells the tale of Eleanor, daughter of England's Edward I, and her marriage to Hugh le Despencer. Excellent writing, convoluted plot, believable characters, all of which leads to a keeper for me. Susan, keep 'em coming!
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...
January 15, 2018
This is a time in the history of England that I know very little about (except the obvious regarding Edward II). This book has made me want to learn/read/study more about this time period. I love the history of the British Isles, and I'm always amazed at the operatic true stories that are part of its tapestry. Truly, you couldn't make this sh*t up if you tried. I've come out of this book with so many questions! And I know that I will never have the answers. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if people kept detailed journals and diaries! (Or they survived) Though really, what right do I or anyone have to get so all up in the personal business of anyone - even historical figures? But, really a diary would have been great. This is the story of the reign of Edward II, told mainly through the eyes of Eleanor le Despenser. You'd think by now that the human race would have learned the lessons of the past about greed - but no - we haven't. I rarely cry while reading a book, and I was getting rather annoyed by the pollyana telling of this narrative, but I did find myself tearing up, and not necessarily at the fate of Hugh or Edward II (which was horrible and disgusting), but at the fall out their actions caused to so many innocent people - specifically Hugh le Despenser's children, and Edward III. It was like watching a train wreck, and I literally found myself in tears. And I'm sure Hugh le Despenser was probably a wonderful husband and father. Especially before he got ideas about climbing the social and financial latter. I liked him in the earlier parts of the book. Then later he reminded me of that Friend we all have (male or female) who is married or involved with the biggest asshole. Everyone knows the person is a jerk except the person they are involved with who thinks they are marvelous! - but they are put up with because their partner is just lovely. Also, they actually treat their partner and kids wonderfully; it's just the rest of the world that they have a problem with. That was who Hugh reminded me of; that and the guy who doesn't know when to stop going after fame, and fortune. He had Pierre Gaveston's fall from power/grace to learn from, and he put on blinders and dug himself such a hole - there was no chance of escaping. Also, may I just add that French princesses in the history of England knew how to bide their time, and then kick ass. I'm not saying that I liked Isabella, because I didn't, but she, like descendants before and after her came over as little girls barely out of childhood, and then proceeded to cause havoc as they grew up and got their barrings. Also, I think it's safe to say that medieval women weren't as docile, and submissive as some would like us to believe. Again and again, girls married at 12, 13, 14, end by being key players in not only their husbands lives, but in the politics of the time too. I think it was tragic that Edward II was king, I think he would have been far happier being the "Uncle" in this. Living quietly on his estates, and loving whom he wanted, how he wanted, without the eyes of the world on him because clearly he was not discreet about it - and because he was homosexual or bisexual and didn't seem to know how to be discreet with his affection(s), he and others paid big time. If he had had female mistresses, no one would have batted an eye (Well maybe Isabella would have). Again, the story itself isn't new, but the fact that it actually happened, just adds an element for me, that made it that much more tragic. If you are curious about this time period I would highly recommend reading this book. As I stated above, it has peaked my curiosity, and I am definitely going to read more/learn more about this time period and all the players involved.
And on a side note it was so lovely to get a small glimpse of Gwenllian, daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffyd, Prince of Wales and his Eleanor. Another place in the book that I teared up.
And on a side note it was so lovely to get a small glimpse of Gwenllian, daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffyd, Prince of Wales and his Eleanor. Another place in the book that I teared up.
February 21, 2018
The Traitor’s Wife largely concerns itself with the story of Eleanor de Clare, the favourite niece of Edward II and the wife of Hugh le Despenser, known to history as a traitor and Edward’s lover. As Edward proves himself to be a poor, easily-led king and his reign unstable, unrest stirs in the country before his queen, Isabella, rises up against him and deposes him.
You know, I had such high hopes for this one. I even predicted – before I’d read a single page – that this would be a 4-star read at the least. Why? Well, I’d become newly interested in the life of Edward II and the novels of Susan Higginbotham had been on my to-read list for years, thanks to a number of reviewers who’d unreservedly praised them as being quality historical fiction – well written and not at all spurious to the real historical figures.
I appreciate that Higginbotham is a novelist who is dedicated to historical accuracy, I really do. I prefer historical fiction that has made an effort to be accurate, where it’s clear that the author has done a lot of research and has made decisions that feel intelligent or just plain interesting as opposed to smearing certain figures or inserting something (real magic, rape, incest, whatever) just for the shock factor. So I’ll take a moment to praise Higginbotham for making the effort to write The Traitor’s Wife as accurately as possible. I don’t know enough about the time period to really get into the nitty-gritty, but Higginbotham is noted for her fidelity to the historical record and her author’s note explains some of the more out-there choices she made, showing that there is some basis for all of them.
But man o man was this book dull. And badly written. This is going to be harsh, so if you love this book – brace yourself.
It took me over a week to get 100 pages into the story, and I’m a quick reader. I read a book 70 pages longer than this in two days. I came so close to abandoning The Traitor’s Wife that I actually wrote a whole review before I decided I’d try just to speed-read through it. And then it was around about page 280 that I actually got into the book.
Largely, I think, because that was when everything in the story hit the fan and the sheer drama of the history came to the fore. We saw personal cost, we saw the pay-off of all the tedious set-up that occurred at that point.
Before then, there’s no real story, but an account of English royal life. We just follow the royal court around and stuff happens and it might or might not be a problem, but even when there are big stakes, the blows never seem to hit. This might be bearable if the characters themselves were interesting – or more than just paper cutouts amongst a sea of summarised action.
Higginbotham has been noted as being relatively fair to the various historical personages she writes about. The characters are not divided into a strict binary of good/evil, but there’s not a lot of depth and I fear they possess personality only in the vaguest sense – Edward is weepy and weak, Eleanor is boringly and perfectly plucky, Hugh is a dumpster fire (not going to lie, he is forever “Hugh Dumpster Fire” in my head, not Hugh Despenser) and Isabella is just plain awful. It’s not until that 280 page mark that I started caring about them and only because things are going so badly that it’s like “damn, that sucks” and “damn, you’re kind of a pain in the butt, but you don’t deserve that”.
(Edward, you don’t deserve that unintended pun either. Oh god, I am so sorry.)
Probably my favourite bit in the first section is when Eleanor talks to Piers Gaveston about his relationship with the king and he’s like “I know I’m bad for him, I’d leave him, but he won’t let me” and I’m like “!!!” That, right there, is so ripe for expansion. There’s a real story there. Give me the drama and angst of two people desperately in love with each other, one of whom knows he has to leave for the greater good and the other who can’t imagine living without the other no matter the cost. Give me the emotion behind that.
In other words, don’t just tell me that’s what’s going on, show me.
And probably my least favourite bit is when Gaveston dies and there’s no emotional fallout. Sure, there’s a line where Eleanor hears Edward screaming when he’s told and we get a couple of mentions of Edward being sad or going off to weep periodically, but we’re just told these things in the middle of another summary of the fallout. The scenes are written largely from the POV of Eleanor, but we don’t even get a sense of what she feels about it. We’re just shoved into another information dump about what happens next.
The writing is… okay, in places, decent at times and awful in others. I applaud Higginbotham for not beating around the bush and having the very first scene be Gaveston and Edward in bed together, but the actual scene was just overly expositional, “as you know, Bob” dialogue that had me cringing. Actually, a lot of dialogue in the novel tends to be a bit weak – it’s expositional, it’s bland, it feels too obvious and too formal to be natural. The prose is a lot of exposition, very much a precis of what happened, when, where and why. There’s no interior monologue and very little effort to depict basic character things like motivations, desires, and fears.
The prose features the overuse of epithets to get around the issue of having too many characters with the same name (there was repeated mentions of “her father-in-law” at one stage and I had no idea who that was and in early sections, I struggled to remember who she was married to in the first place). I don’t really know how to get around that problem – the idea of renaming everyone makes my teeth curl, but Higginbotham’s attempt to avoid that by using epithets was… not ideal. There is a list of characters on the first pages, which is helpful, but I kept wishing for a family tree, or that the 1-2 line summary of who each person was also included their most commonly used nicknames, epithets and titles.
This is something that doesn’t improve once the book hits its stride, but something that gets brushed aside because the story is finally becoming interesting.
In short, this really annoyed me because there is all this rich material to make a great story. The history is fascinating, the personalities and interrelationships are complex and so, so, so intriguing! There is so much treasure to mine here. But it’s nearly all squandered in a dull retelling.
You know, I had such high hopes for this one. I even predicted – before I’d read a single page – that this would be a 4-star read at the least. Why? Well, I’d become newly interested in the life of Edward II and the novels of Susan Higginbotham had been on my to-read list for years, thanks to a number of reviewers who’d unreservedly praised them as being quality historical fiction – well written and not at all spurious to the real historical figures.
I appreciate that Higginbotham is a novelist who is dedicated to historical accuracy, I really do. I prefer historical fiction that has made an effort to be accurate, where it’s clear that the author has done a lot of research and has made decisions that feel intelligent or just plain interesting as opposed to smearing certain figures or inserting something (real magic, rape, incest, whatever) just for the shock factor. So I’ll take a moment to praise Higginbotham for making the effort to write The Traitor’s Wife as accurately as possible. I don’t know enough about the time period to really get into the nitty-gritty, but Higginbotham is noted for her fidelity to the historical record and her author’s note explains some of the more out-there choices she made, showing that there is some basis for all of them.
But man o man was this book dull. And badly written. This is going to be harsh, so if you love this book – brace yourself.
It took me over a week to get 100 pages into the story, and I’m a quick reader. I read a book 70 pages longer than this in two days. I came so close to abandoning The Traitor’s Wife that I actually wrote a whole review before I decided I’d try just to speed-read through it. And then it was around about page 280 that I actually got into the book.
Largely, I think, because that was when everything in the story hit the fan and the sheer drama of the history came to the fore. We saw personal cost, we saw the pay-off of all the tedious set-up that occurred at that point.
Before then, there’s no real story, but an account of English royal life. We just follow the royal court around and stuff happens and it might or might not be a problem, but even when there are big stakes, the blows never seem to hit. This might be bearable if the characters themselves were interesting – or more than just paper cutouts amongst a sea of summarised action.
Higginbotham has been noted as being relatively fair to the various historical personages she writes about. The characters are not divided into a strict binary of good/evil, but there’s not a lot of depth and I fear they possess personality only in the vaguest sense – Edward is weepy and weak, Eleanor is boringly and perfectly plucky, Hugh is a dumpster fire (not going to lie, he is forever “Hugh Dumpster Fire” in my head, not Hugh Despenser) and Isabella is just plain awful. It’s not until that 280 page mark that I started caring about them and only because things are going so badly that it’s like “damn, that sucks” and “damn, you’re kind of a pain in the butt, but you don’t deserve that”.
(Edward, you don’t deserve that unintended pun either. Oh god, I am so sorry.)
Probably my favourite bit in the first section is when Eleanor talks to Piers Gaveston about his relationship with the king and he’s like “I know I’m bad for him, I’d leave him, but he won’t let me” and I’m like “!!!” That, right there, is so ripe for expansion. There’s a real story there. Give me the drama and angst of two people desperately in love with each other, one of whom knows he has to leave for the greater good and the other who can’t imagine living without the other no matter the cost. Give me the emotion behind that.
In other words, don’t just tell me that’s what’s going on, show me.
And probably my least favourite bit is when Gaveston dies and there’s no emotional fallout. Sure, there’s a line where Eleanor hears Edward screaming when he’s told and we get a couple of mentions of Edward being sad or going off to weep periodically, but we’re just told these things in the middle of another summary of the fallout. The scenes are written largely from the POV of Eleanor, but we don’t even get a sense of what she feels about it. We’re just shoved into another information dump about what happens next.
The writing is… okay, in places, decent at times and awful in others. I applaud Higginbotham for not beating around the bush and having the very first scene be Gaveston and Edward in bed together, but the actual scene was just overly expositional, “as you know, Bob” dialogue that had me cringing. Actually, a lot of dialogue in the novel tends to be a bit weak – it’s expositional, it’s bland, it feels too obvious and too formal to be natural. The prose is a lot of exposition, very much a precis of what happened, when, where and why. There’s no interior monologue and very little effort to depict basic character things like motivations, desires, and fears.
The prose features the overuse of epithets to get around the issue of having too many characters with the same name (there was repeated mentions of “her father-in-law” at one stage and I had no idea who that was and in early sections, I struggled to remember who she was married to in the first place). I don’t really know how to get around that problem – the idea of renaming everyone makes my teeth curl, but Higginbotham’s attempt to avoid that by using epithets was… not ideal. There is a list of characters on the first pages, which is helpful, but I kept wishing for a family tree, or that the 1-2 line summary of who each person was also included their most commonly used nicknames, epithets and titles.
This is something that doesn’t improve once the book hits its stride, but something that gets brushed aside because the story is finally becoming interesting.
In short, this really annoyed me because there is all this rich material to make a great story. The history is fascinating, the personalities and interrelationships are complex and so, so, so intriguing! There is so much treasure to mine here. But it’s nearly all squandered in a dull retelling.
April 7, 2016
Summary: One star because the cover is lovely, shame about the prose.
Also see: Sarah's review from 2015 -- mostly for the gif's
Review:
This is a weak romance done in a historical setting. In my opinion it does NOT qualify as Historical Fiction. I've managed 236 pages of this [just over a 1/3rd of the book] and finally cannot stand to read another page. While it is known that I don't enjoy romance novels, I don't object to romance and etc within a storyline - especially if it highlights and rounds out the story / plot.
The main character is tepid, overly-naive, and deliberately ignorant of what is going on around her. Considering who and what she is this makes no sense to the story line. In the pages I've read there have been at least six (mostly vaguely described) sexual interludes. Not even well-written interludes. She and her husband go off to France for a half page or so and instead of hearing about their trip we get a half paragraph of how the King is upset and her father-in-law making a half-a**ed reason for why they are gone. Before moving onto other items. Character motivations and the general political dynamics are either hugely glossed over or completely ignored. I could go on and on and on about this but I won't subject you to the horror.
Here.. Excerpt from The Traitor's Wife - The "they went off to France and now the King will be mad" scene
This was a vibrant and complex period of history. There was a real opportunity to tell at least one of several incredibly good stories here in a true historical fiction context and from what I read every single one of them was missed.
One star because the cover is lovely, shame about the prose.
I finally decided to finish this in case it improved. It did not.
Also see: Sarah's review from 2015 -- mostly for the gif's
Review:
This is a weak romance done in a historical setting. In my opinion it does NOT qualify as Historical Fiction. I've managed 236 pages of this [just over a 1/3rd of the book] and finally cannot stand to read another page. While it is known that I don't enjoy romance novels, I don't object to romance and etc within a storyline - especially if it highlights and rounds out the story / plot.
The main character is tepid, overly-naive, and deliberately ignorant of what is going on around her. Considering who and what she is this makes no sense to the story line. In the pages I've read there have been at least six (mostly vaguely described) sexual interludes. Not even well-written interludes. She and her husband go off to France for a half page or so and instead of hearing about their trip we get a half paragraph of how the King is upset and her father-in-law making a half-a**ed reason for why they are gone. Before moving onto other items. Character motivations and the general political dynamics are either hugely glossed over or completely ignored. I could go on and on and on about this but I won't subject you to the horror.
Here.. Excerpt from The Traitor's Wife - The "they went off to France and now the King will be mad" scene
This was a vibrant and complex period of history. There was a real opportunity to tell at least one of several incredibly good stories here in a true historical fiction context and from what I read every single one of them was missed.
One star because the cover is lovely, shame about the prose.
I finally decided to finish this in case it improved. It did not.
March 29, 2011
My original review of this novel is on my blog; http://historicalfictionobsession.blo...
This is definitely one of my top ten historical fiction picks. I had never read a book that really gave you the dirty, DETAILED details of what was going on with Edward II of England. Yeah, I read Braveheart, and it hinted at the debauchery that was going on with Edward II and Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser, and there have been other books that mentioned that he was a homosexual, but this book really went into it! I think that's why I liked it so much. It didn't beat around the bush, or hint at certain activities, it went straight to the nitty gritty! Susan goes into detail on the homosexual relations between Edward II and Piers, and she also goes into detail about Edward II's relationship with Eleanor Despenser (Hugh's wife) as well as his relationship with her husband Hugh! There was somewhat of a crazy love triangle going on at one point in the novel! Edward II definitely gets around in this book!
The novel starts out with Hugh and Eleanor getting married, and having a bunch of babies. Edward II is portrayed in the novel as historians portrayed him in life, which was as a weak King who gave too much to his favorites, and made poor decisions for his country. The people hated him as King, and in return they also hated his favorites; and the fact that he bestowed so many gifts upon him. Susan tried to make Hugh seem like he was a decent guy, but it was a pretty impossible task, because Hugh Despenser was pretty much a villain while alive. His only redeeming quality in the novel is that he is shown as a good father and loving husband, well besides the fact that he was sleeping with the King behind his wife's back!
The book was pretty action packed, and it was hard to put down with the drama as well as the sexual misdeeds going on! After Edward II's affair with Piers ended (because Piers was exiled a couple of times and eventually ended up dead) Hugh and Edward started up their little affair. Of course none of this is proven, but it is believed that there was a sexual relationship going on between the King and Hugh, and historians seem to generally agree. In Susan's version, Hugh's wife Eleanor was unaware of what was really going on for the majority of the relationship, but who knows if she knew more than was let on in reality.
Towards the end of the book things come to a head. Isabel and Mortimer gather troops and rise up against the King to depose him. The people hate him, so they side with Isabel and her lover Mortimer (Isabel is Edward II's Queen, obviously not faithful), and the Queen and the people decide that they want to put his son Edward III on the throne and get rid of Ed the Second.
Hugh and Edward II make a desperate attempt to escape the country but end up getting captured and imprisoned. Hugh ends up dying a traitor's death with his guts being pulled out and all that nice stuff, and Edward abdicates the thrown in favor of his son Edward III in order to please the people. Edward II ends up dying mysteriously while under the care of some of Mortimer's men. Susan suggests that he was murdered by having a red hot fire poker shoved up through his ass into his innards (graphic, yes), but I don't think that anything about that was written down in a history book!
Overall, the book was great. I knew very little about Edward II before I read this novel. After reading "The Traitor's Wife" I felt like I had learned a great deal about that time period. Not only was I learning, but I was also being drawn in to all the crazy drama that was going on during that time, and in the character's lives. Since I wasn't very familiar with the time period of Edward II, there were some names of places and people that I had to look up, but other than that it was a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was the first book I had read by Susan Higginbotham, and I am hooked! I've ordered and read all of her available books, and i like them all. She's an awesome author, who obviously knows her stuff, and has a style of writing that keeps the reader interested, and also gives lots of detail without getting tedious. I'd definitely recommend this one!
This is definitely one of my top ten historical fiction picks. I had never read a book that really gave you the dirty, DETAILED details of what was going on with Edward II of England. Yeah, I read Braveheart, and it hinted at the debauchery that was going on with Edward II and Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser, and there have been other books that mentioned that he was a homosexual, but this book really went into it! I think that's why I liked it so much. It didn't beat around the bush, or hint at certain activities, it went straight to the nitty gritty! Susan goes into detail on the homosexual relations between Edward II and Piers, and she also goes into detail about Edward II's relationship with Eleanor Despenser (Hugh's wife) as well as his relationship with her husband Hugh! There was somewhat of a crazy love triangle going on at one point in the novel! Edward II definitely gets around in this book!
The novel starts out with Hugh and Eleanor getting married, and having a bunch of babies. Edward II is portrayed in the novel as historians portrayed him in life, which was as a weak King who gave too much to his favorites, and made poor decisions for his country. The people hated him as King, and in return they also hated his favorites; and the fact that he bestowed so many gifts upon him. Susan tried to make Hugh seem like he was a decent guy, but it was a pretty impossible task, because Hugh Despenser was pretty much a villain while alive. His only redeeming quality in the novel is that he is shown as a good father and loving husband, well besides the fact that he was sleeping with the King behind his wife's back!
The book was pretty action packed, and it was hard to put down with the drama as well as the sexual misdeeds going on! After Edward II's affair with Piers ended (because Piers was exiled a couple of times and eventually ended up dead) Hugh and Edward started up their little affair. Of course none of this is proven, but it is believed that there was a sexual relationship going on between the King and Hugh, and historians seem to generally agree. In Susan's version, Hugh's wife Eleanor was unaware of what was really going on for the majority of the relationship, but who knows if she knew more than was let on in reality.
Towards the end of the book things come to a head. Isabel and Mortimer gather troops and rise up against the King to depose him. The people hate him, so they side with Isabel and her lover Mortimer (Isabel is Edward II's Queen, obviously not faithful), and the Queen and the people decide that they want to put his son Edward III on the throne and get rid of Ed the Second.
Hugh and Edward II make a desperate attempt to escape the country but end up getting captured and imprisoned. Hugh ends up dying a traitor's death with his guts being pulled out and all that nice stuff, and Edward abdicates the thrown in favor of his son Edward III in order to please the people. Edward II ends up dying mysteriously while under the care of some of Mortimer's men. Susan suggests that he was murdered by having a red hot fire poker shoved up through his ass into his innards (graphic, yes), but I don't think that anything about that was written down in a history book!
Overall, the book was great. I knew very little about Edward II before I read this novel. After reading "The Traitor's Wife" I felt like I had learned a great deal about that time period. Not only was I learning, but I was also being drawn in to all the crazy drama that was going on during that time, and in the character's lives. Since I wasn't very familiar with the time period of Edward II, there were some names of places and people that I had to look up, but other than that it was a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was the first book I had read by Susan Higginbotham, and I am hooked! I've ordered and read all of her available books, and i like them all. She's an awesome author, who obviously knows her stuff, and has a style of writing that keeps the reader interested, and also gives lots of detail without getting tedious. I'd definitely recommend this one!
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