Katherine, The Classic Love Story of Medieval England

Book Talk #20

This novel by Anya Seton (1904-1990) is a sweeping historical romance novel. It’s a well-researched look into the life of the Plantagenets set in the 13th Century. It begins with beautiful Katherine Roet, fifteen years old and of very humble family joining the court of King Edward III. Her sister is one of Queen Philippa’s ladies in waiting and managed to secure a place for her younger sister. After the Prince, John of Ghent (Gaunt), rescues her from a brutal attack by his Knight, Hugh Swynford, nothing can stop the marriage between Hugh and Katherine. She is swept into it, unwilling and unhappy, by the kind of circumstances that were the lot of women in this era. However, this marriage, the children it produced, and the hardships of feudal life strengthened Katherine, as did her unrequited love for the Prince, John Duke of Lancaster.

After she is widowed, Katherine returns to court as governess to John’s young children after the death of his wife, Blanche. She remains as lady in waiting when John, Duke of Lancaster, marries Constance of Castile. Katherine and John carry on an open love affair, which is the scandal of all of England. The affair carries on for a decade before Katherine breaks it off and returns to her Catholic faith and feudal estate.

That’s not the end of the story; if you know your history, you know that she eventually marries John, and their four children, born during his marriage to Constance, were eventually legitimized by the Pope.

The novel paints a vivid picture of life in the Middle Ages, from descriptions of the black plague, peasant revolts, the politically charged royal court, and the importance of the clergy in those times. Details such as the food and drink, the clothes they wore, and the lives lived by serfs and tradesmen combine to make the time come alive. Seton weaves Geoffrey Chaucer and the mystic Julian of Norwich into the novel in a way that does not feel forced but naturally enhances the story.

John and Katherine’s great-grandchildren, the de Beaufort’s played an important part in the War of the Roses, and Margaret de Beaufort was the mother of King Henry VII and grandmother to King Henry VIII.

It is said that in this book, Seton set the bar to which historical novels should aspire. I have to agree. It’s a grand, absorbing book that is rich in history with an enduring love story, so if that is up your alley, I highly recommend.

What have you been reading lately?