Set in the mid-15th century, this is a fictionalised version (first part of two) about the life of Catherine de Valois, daughter of Charles VI (the Glass King) of France and Queen Isabeau. The tale is told through the eyes of Guilluamette (Mette), who was brought in to the Royal Court on the death of her own first baby, and appointed Catherine's wet-nurse.
Mette stays with the royal children, in the nursery where they are neglected and poorly fed, until the children are removed by their mother to further royal and political ambitions. Mette and Catherine are reunited later, when Catherine returns to the Royal Court as a teenager. Her future prospects veer from poor to excellent and back again as her parents arrange various alliances, and prospective marriages, using Catherine as a pawn and bait. Eventually, however, she is married to Henry V of England.
Fiction can always only be imagination but, built on the wealth of historical fact that we have about this period, this story brings vibrancy to a rich period of English and French history.
Joanna Hickson was originally captivated by Shakespeare's history plays and began researching the story of 'fair Kate' as a result of that infatuation. Part 2 of this story is called 'The Tudor Bride'.
At 559 pages, I thought this was book was a tad longer than it really needs to be and there are patches where the author seems to have either lost her way a little or has spent longer building bridges between key parts of the story than were strictly needed. However, it flows quite nicely and provides an insight into the Court of France, at this time, from a French angle rather than the more common English viewpoint.
Recommended to historical novel readers, the book is published by Harper Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-744697-1.
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