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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Daisy Loo on Saturday 25 April 09 22:01 BST (UK)
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Just thought I'd share about this amazing book I'm reading, called "The Winthrop Woman", set in the 1600's, and it is based on factual events regarding the Winthrops...it's by Anya Seton..
Most of the book is about the journey of how the Winthrops ended up in Boston, but the first part is about the time in England, under King Charles...it's fantastic reading, and gives great atmosphere of those times...and it's a delight to know that the people actually existed.
Anya Seton is a fanastic author, as she is renowned for doing years of research (4 years for this book!)
I'm definitely going to look for some more of her books, I just hope they are still in print, as the one I'm reading was printed in 1958 :(
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Anya Seton's family connections was mentioned on this old thread:
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,242570.0.html
Think at least some of her books might have been reprinted fairly recently as I noticed some new ones in my local library a year or so ago.
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Thanks Aghadowey...very interesting! I'm only a third of the way through this book, but it's keeping my attention! She's fantastic, manages to include so much detail of history, yet it isn't dry... She says she owns some of the Winthrop papers, and I wonder if she was connected to them at all...more than likely! But can you imagine owning papers that old?
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As far as I can remember Anya Seton was not connected to Winthrop family but she lived for many years in Greenwich, Connecticut in the area described in that book. At least one of her other books also took place in Greenwich (Smoldering Fires).
www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/anya-seton
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Other books by Anya Seton are
My Theodosia
Dragonwyck
The Mistletoe and the Sword
Green Darkness and
best of all in my view
Katherine which is about Katherine Swynford (nee Roet)who became mistress to John of Gaunt then his wife. Through her children by John O Gaunt (legitimised upon their marriage) she became ancestress to the Tudor Kings of England and the Stuarts of Scotland.
She lived much of her life in Lincolnshire and her tomb and that of her daughter Joan Beaufort are in Lincoln Cathedral.
Anya Seton's version of Katherine is a romantic novel.
Katherine and John of Gaunt is one of the greatest love stories of mediaeval England. Once read, never forgotten.
I have lost count of the times I have read it myself.
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and
best of all in my view
Katherine which is about Katherine Swynford (nee Roet)Once read, never forgotten.
I have lost count of the times I have read it myself.
I could not agree more - I cannot remember how many years ago I read that book - or how many times I have read it again since ....!!
Note to self - must dig it out and read it again ....!!! Maybe it is time to renew my very dog-eared paperback version; I think it must still be in print, because it was for sale in the Lincoln Cathedral shop when I went a few years ago!
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Hello united
I refuse to lend my copy to anyone in case I don't get it back :D
In case you might be interested, at the moment I am reading Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir. The review by the Daily Telegraph says..Gripping..immaculately researched.
I couldn't agree more.
Well worth reading if you love history as I do.
I live in Lincoln too.
kind regards
Su
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Thanks for that Su - I will look out for that one!!
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Thanks Su & United....
I have finished the Winthrop Woman, and it was just brilliant, so I am going to look out for the others.
I'll have a look at the other suggestion too Su, and if there are any other historical "novelists" you might recommend, I'd be grateful...it's so wonderful to get a kind of insight into our past isn't it?
Cheers,
Daisy Loo
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Another Anya Seton that I loved - and Su missed off her list! - was "Devil Water", set against the background of the Jacobite Rebellion ... in fact, in truth, I loved all her books ......!
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Interestingly, Anya Seton was practically forgotten until a few years ago when people were asked to name their favourite books of all time, and high on the list came 'Katherine', which I believe was out of print at the time, and which caused some of the organisers to cry "Anya who?". But I know it isn't out of print any longer because, having read the book donkeys years ago (and loved it to bits) I ordered another copy from the A* booksellers a couple of months ago, and have just enjoyed it all over again. Thanks for the recommendation of 'The Winthrop Woman' which I will certainly add to my list of intended reading.
Greensleeves
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I shall have to have a search around myself...and most certainly will be looking out in the libraries...
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The descendants of the Winthrops (who lived in the next village along from me) still contribute to the upkeep of the parish church and visit from time to time, mostly from the USA.
Why does the name Anya Seton sound so familiar?
Was she always a writer?
Must google her ;D
Pat ...
in south Suffolk
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Have googled!
Anya Seton was an American writer and many of her books have recently been reprinted, some with a foreword by Phillipa Gregory (who is a renowned British novelist specialising in Tudor and Elizabethan period).
Having looked at the list of Seton's novels, I think I read a couple of them many years ago (when I still had time to sit down and read - not just store up books to take on holiday ::)
Note to self - copy of The Winthrop Woman to take on holiday :)
Pat ...
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A few of her books were made into films years ago- Dragonwyck and My Theodosia (I think), possibly others. I loved all her books except Green Darkness (one of her last ones). I still have the copy of the Winthrop Woman that she autographed for my 16th birthday.
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Another great historical novelist is Eleanor Hibbert nee Burford who uses the pen names of Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, Phillipa Carr & a few others. I'm addicted to her books & have collected nearly all of them.
"Penmarric" by Susan Howatch is a great read too.
Vicki
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Can I add another author to the pot.
Elizabeth Chadwick - medieval fiction.
Just discovered her myself and am enjoying her books when I can find them in the library.
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These are great...may be should change the title of this post to historical faction?....
It's so hard to imagine life in days gone by, and brilliant when you have someone doing research, that brings it alive.
I'h heard of Jean Plaidy never read her though...must take a look :)
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Here's a link
http://members.tripod.com/jeanplaidy/id17.htm
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In case you might be interested, at the moment I am reading Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir. The review by the Daily Telegraph says..Gripping..immaculately researched.
Su - got this from the library - and could not put it down ....!!! Thanks for the recommendation!!
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Must agree with all you chatters about "Katherine", it must be one of my favourite books. Oddly enough, I had forgotten it when my daughter asked me for a list of my all time top 20 favourite reads. (Now that is a tricky task!)
I have also discovered Elizabeth Chadwick in our local library and am enjoying her books very much.
Just wondering, did anyone else start historical fiction with Georgette Heyer? I still love them. My favourite was "An Infamous Army"
p.s. Is this admission akin to owning up to loving Abba???
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Love Georgette Heyer novels!
"An Infamous Army" used to be an "A" level text book re: the Battle of Waterloo - bet you didn't know that!
"The Spanish Bride" is my all time favourite as it mirrors my gt gt gt grandfather, Stephen PALMER who fought at Badajoz, and who married a Portuguese girl, Maria DeSilva.
I can see what I'll be reading next!
Ann.