Seton, Anya. Katherine. Houghton Mifflin, 1954
Reason read: I needed a book with a name in its title for the Portland Public Library reading challenge. Katherine was next in line.
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.
Author fact: Seton also wrote Green Darkness which is on my challenge list.
Book trivia: the 14th century of England is accurately portrayed in Katherine.
Audio trivia: I don’t think I have ever heard someone pronounce “joust” as “juiced.”
Setlist: there were lots of songs sung, but not many by name. “Here We Come a Wassailing” was the only one.
Nancy said: Pearl said Katherine is a good example of Seton’s ability to combine fact and fiction in her work.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the odd chapter called “Romance Novels: Our Love Is Here to Stay” (p 203). I would have thought it would be in a chapter about history.
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