Joanna Hickson

I'm not certain why more novels about the life of Catherine de Valois aren't in existence, but they should be. Few medieval queens lived such an adventurous or romantic life as Catherine, a French princess who married Henry V of England following the battle of Agincourt and then later wed Owen Tudor (becoming grandmother to the famous Tudor dynasty). This novel, told from the perspective of Catherine's nurse, covers the first half of her life and takes place entirely in France. It's a story show more rich for a novelist - there are mad kings, epic battles, nefarious dukes, scheming queens, fallen castles, and hints of romance. At times, I felt the novel was constrained by the limited perspective of the narrator (Catherine's nurse, then attendant), but overall I loved it and I hope to read the follow-up book (The Tudor Bride) shortly. show less

The Agincourt bride is Catherine de Valois, daughter of Charles VI, the mad king of France. Her mother, Isabeau of Baveria, doesn’t care about her children and neglects them until she needs them for her plotting. So when Catherine is born, a wet nurse is needed immediately. Teen aged Guillaumette (Mette) has just had her first child, which does not survive. She is pressed into service to nurse the newborn Catherine. A bond is formed, like that between mother and child. Mette loves show more Catherine as much as she would her own child- in fact, sometimes it seems like she loves Catherine more than she does her own two children who are born later. She cares for Katherine- and two of her brothers- while she is a toddler, but they are split up when Catherine is sent to a nunnery to be educated. They do not meet again until Catherine is a teenager and is brought back to court to be used as bait for the English king, Henry V. Catherine has Mette brought back to court as her lady of the robes, giving her a post which allows her to be at court. As battles between Henry’s armies and the French forces rage (including the famous Battle of Agincourt where so many French knights were killed) and diplomacy goes back and forth, Catherine is one minute to be given to Henry and the next minute to have an uncertain future. She has to deal with her monstrous mother, and, worse, the Duke of Burgundy, a nasty piece of work if there ever was one. Catherine has few friends- everyone spies on each other- and Mette is the one person who knows everything about her.

The story is written in first person by Mette, who knows how to read, write and do arithmetic because she was brought up in the family baking business. It’s written with a sense of distance from the subject, both in time and proximity. We get to watch Catherine grow and mature and develop an inner self that is like a slim blade of steel. Her family is incredibly dysfunctional; her mother declares her own son a bastard, her father is psychotic, another son has an eating disorder that kills him, and her mother allows Burgundy to do what he wishes with Catherine. Mette looks on with her middle class sensibility that allows us to see the nobility with no varnish of adoration. Interspersed are letters that Catherine wrote but never sent, showing us her heart.

I enjoyed the book, although at times it seemed slow. I suppose that is necessarily so, as much of Catherine’s life is spent waiting to see what will be arranged for her. The book is dense with details that bring the time and people to life vividly, right down to the meals they ate and the clothes they wore. While this era – the early 1400s- is not as popular as the following Tudor era, the Tudors dynasty would have never existed had it not been for Catherine. show less

The Trouble Story of England's Queen Catherine of Valois' Dysfunctional Family

This book probably deserves 3.5 stars

Catherine of Valois is the youngest daughter of King Charles VI of France -- destined to become the wife of King Henry V of England, the hero of Agincourt. Her lonely childhood in France, with a mentally unstable father and distant, power-hungry mother, is heavily influenced by the deaths of several older brothers (heirs), difficult relationships with sisters, and shifting show more political alliances. The one constant is her nurse-governness-confidant Mette, who narrates the book.

How Catherine eventually weds Henry of England, despite years of obstacles, her sexually charged relations with the powerful Duke of Burgundy, and the difficult demands of royalty make this an interesting story. And along the way, Mette tells about her own family, so you also get some notion of life for the lower and middle classes in France during the Middle Ages.

My criticism of the book is two-fold. There were times I found myself losing interest - especially around battle scenes. And some of the very personal aspects to Catherine's marriage (like getting her sex life on a good footing) struck me as a bit farfetched. Nevertheless, I finished the book and am about to start the sequel. So I guess overall I liked it well enough. show less

The Tudor Bride turns out to be a better story than Hickson's book, The Agincourt Bride, because Catherine of Valois's life gets more interesting. The death of England's King Henry V, the hero of Agincourt and the warrior who unites the crowns of England and France, launches a period of intense military and political intrigue. And Catherine, as the mother of Henry VI has the perfect vantage point to witness the unfolding of history. Like the prequel, Catherine's former nurse and close show more confident, Mette, is narrating.

Catherine's on-and-off-again relationship with her brother Charles who is trying to regain the throne of France with the help of Joan of Arc, Catherine's flagging power to maintain a strong relationship with her son's Henry, her love match with Owen Tudor, and their joint efforts to keep their union secret from the court make for a suspenseful historical novel. Even if you know the story, this is a good way to understand part of the back story that sets up the Tudor dynasty. And even though I personally didn't find the first book as enjoyable as this one, I recommend reading them both, in order - to achieve a fuller understanding of Tudor history. show less