Yesterday was the first day of fall. Appropriately, it was chilly, and I wore pants for the first time in months. As I write this, I'm wearing sweatpants. It was like someone flipped a switch and temperatures plunged with the new season.
Things will warm up starting with Jeff's birthday. This is my favorite time of the year.
I found this book through a library search for Elizabeth Woodville. Hollman examines the stores of four English royal women suspected of witchcraft.
The first woman is Joan of Navarre, who came to England as the second wife to Henry IV. After Henry IV's death, Joan was accused of plotting the death of King Henry V. This gave Henry V the excuse to confine Joan in order to access her riches to finance his ongoing battles with the French. Joan was never tried and Henry V ensured that Joan was comfortable in her confinement. Before he died, he released Joan and returned her property.
The next woman Hollman studies is Eleanor Cobham. She had
been living a fairy tale life. She and husband Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
were a true love match. Gloucester was the uncle to the boy king Henry VI, and heir to the English throne. But Humphrey's great power brought him strong enemies. It was easy to accuse Eleanor of witchcraft. Eleanor was imprisoned, her marriage to Humphrey was annulled, and Humphrey was ruined. They never saw each other again.
The last section of the book focuses on mother-daughter Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Elizabeth Woodville. I only heard of Jacquetta as Elizabeth's mother. How did I miss that she was part of the royal family in Luxembourg. She married John, Duke of Bedford, brother to Humphrey. Duke of Gloucester (Eleanor Cobham's husband) and uncle to the young King Henry VI.
Within a year of the Duke of Bedford's death, Jacquetta scandalized England by marrying the lowly knight Richard Woodville. Despite some lean years, Richard became a respected soldier and Jacquetta eventually grew close to Henry VI's wife, Margaret of Anjou.
When Elizabeth Woodville married King Edward IV, the Woodvilles flipped from supporting the Lancaster cause to supporting the Yorkists. The Kingmaker, Richard Neville, had been disgraced by the marriage; he had been negotiating marriage for Edward to a French princess. Neville's rebellion ended in failure, but not before he murdered Queen Elizabeth's father and brother and had Jacquetta accused of witchcraft. After the triumphal return of Edward IV, Jacquetta ensured that a judgement of innocent against witchcraft was entered into the records.
As Queen, Elizabeth Woodville was never officially accused of witchcraft, but rumors swirled around her ever since she secretly married Edward IV. The rumors live in the literature; I'm thinking specifically of Philippa Gregory.
All four women were related and have interacted with other. Eleanor and Jacquetta married Joan's stepsons. Each experienced accusations of witchcraft and worse for Eleanor. It was too easy to make accusations of witchcraft against women; they were vulnerable despite her social status. Cynical men counted on that.
I borrowed this book from Norwalk Library in 2019 and bought my own copy in 2023. I knew I'd reread it one day, and now's the time.
Jeff and I recently watched the series on Hulu and liked it. But I realized that I had forgotten many of the details. Of course, many details differ between the novel and the series. There are new characters and new developments. I don't have any problems with the changes.
Now, I want to rewatch the series. The Mets season will still be over--that will give me some time.
I look at September as a month of opportunity. I like these ideas. While I don't pressure myself much about New Year's resolutions, September goals are easier.
My main goal: return to a writing routine.
I really enjoyed this book until the last 50 pages or so. I became interested in Anne Neville after reading other Philippa Gregory novels and watching television adaptations of her work. Last year I read a biography about Anne.
This book begins when Anne is 11 and she is presented to the Edward IV's new queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Their marriage is an embarrassment and an affront to Anne's father, the Earl of Warwick who was negotiating a marriage between Edward and a French princess.
Gregory captures the thoughts of a young girl as she plays as being queen with her sister Isabel. Anne also calls Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI the bad queen and sleeping king.
But Anne has to grow up fast when her father decides to support another candidate as king and uses Anne and Isabel as his tools to make new alliances.
I disliked the emphasis on witchcraft especially at the end of the novel. Even after she is crowned queen to Richard III, Anne is haunted by fear of Elizabeth Woodville's curses.
I still enjoyed this book.
