Isabella: Braveheart of France (Famous Women)
12 year old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England – only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair – does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death – or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself?
Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight – but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage – and England apart.
Who is Piers Gaveston – and why is his presence in the king’s court about to plunge England into civil war?
The young queen believes in the love songs of the troubadours and her own exalted destiny – but she finds reality very different. As she grows to a woman in the deadly maelstrom of Edward’s court, she must decide between her husband, her children, even her life – and one breath-taking gamble that will change the course of history.
This is the story of Isabella, the only woman ever to invade England – and win.
Worth Dying For (The Bruce Trilogy #2)
Traitor’s Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II
“The dialogue is excellent, the characters are well formed and vibrant.Higginbotham’s talents lie not only in her capacity for detailed genealogical research of the period, but also in her skill in bringing these historical figures to life with passion, a wonderful sense of humor, honor, and love.”-Historical Novels Review Online
A bewitching tale of treachery and betrayal set in fourteenth-century England, The Traitor’s Wife tells the story of Eleanor de Clare, a young woman who becomes entangled in a twisted web of royal affairs.
Young Eleanor, niece of King Edward II, is delighted with her marriage to Hugh le Despenser and her appointment as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabella’s household. But before long, Eleanor realizes that her beloved Uncle Edward is not the mighty ruler his kingdom-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. However, her allegiance may cost her dearly.
From the battlefield to the bedchamber and through hope and despair, treachery and fidelity, The Traitor’s Wife is a tale of an extraordinary woman living in an extraordinary time.
