Constance is a glittering character I will long remember. Her story of survival amidst so much grief and loss is so symbolic of women of this time and class. Constance's story symbolises too how women of her class were often falcons held within the fetterlock of their patriarchal society.
As with all Wainwright's characters, from the first page, Constance becomes real and vivid. With her beloved husband, family and then, when widowed, her lover under threat, we feel her pain and despair, her desire to remain loyal no matter the cost and her anger when she perceives herself betrayed.
Brian Wainwright's prose weaves a densely wrought tapestry of immense colour and life, setting the reader deep within Medieval England. In a time when a King's court moved constantly around his dominion, we experience this long ago England in all its seasons, entering a place where kin are prepared to kill one another if it means winning a blood-drenched throne.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Wendy J. Dunn's Tudor England topic, please visit the Discussions page.