Anya Seton (1904–1990)

This is a love story. A fourteenth century story to be exact. Katherine Swynford has loved John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster ever since she first laid eyes on him as a young girl of thirteen. As a commoner, predestined to marry a lowly knight, Katherine's standing in society is, at best, only to be a lady-in-waiting for the Duchess of Lancaster. That is as close as she can get to the man of her dreams. Yet, meeting the duke has sealed her fate. The saga that follows spans three generations of life and love. Seton does a fantastic job weaving true history with a fabricated backstory of romance. If you get the chance, listen to the audio version. It's fantastic.… (more)

I had not heard of Katherine Swynford, but I had heard vaguely of John of Gaunt. This 14th century English novel tells the story of their relationship and their love. John of Gaunt was the Duke of Lancaster and the son of King Edward III and the father of King Henry IV, I did get lost in the names at times, but to remain historically accurate, the names couldn't be changed. I got lost in all the Philipas! This book felt like it was true to the spirit and lives of the time period, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and learning about someone I had not known before. (While I listened to the book on audio, I had a printed copy also.)… (more)