Netherlands, ahoy!

Netherlands, ahoy!

As I continue to trace my characters’ journeys, I discover new places or interesting new things about places I thought I knew—including the Netherlands.

Since many of us are limited in our travels now, it’s a perfect time to travel back in time to experience life in this part of the world in the late sixteenth century.

The Dove and the Rose, by Ethel Herr, cover image

I’m highlighting a historical novel with a history of its own:

The Dove and the Rose was written more than two decades ago by Ethel Herr, one of my early fiction mentors. I recently re-read this novel, whose success inspired me to write historical fiction dealing with the consequences of the Protestant Reformation in an often-overlooked part of Europe—in this case, the Netherlands.

Although romance is an important aspect of this story, the historical context is key to understanding the struggles of the main characters. The author does a commendable job of providing background information (maps, historical background, a glossary of Dutch terms).

Central to the plot are the many competing expressions of Christianity in the late 1500s. Conflicts between these groups escalated as rulers at all levels became involved. Often, common people suffered most.

This novel doesn’t sugarcoat the suffering produced by these conflicts, but it left me admiring the heroism of several characters (even though they were complex, flawed people). I enjoyed the story and being transported to this unfamiliar setting—an engaging, off-the-beaten-track read.

Do you have a hidden gem historical novel to recommend to other readers? 

Detour off the beaten track…to Wales

Detour off the beaten track…to Wales

Black Mountain, by LeAnne Hardy, front cover
LeAnne Hardy’s new novel, Black Mountain

Topics off the beaten track intrigue me, and a new novel, Black Mountain, fits the bill for its location as well as the story. Here’s why I enjoyed it:

  • It took place mainly in rural Wales (not London, Paris, Rome…)
  • Set in the early phase of the Reformation in England, it focused not on Henry VIII or his court, but on how King Henry’s Reformation affected the lives of common people
  • The protagonist was a witch
  • The suspense propelled me
  • The characters are well-drawn and unique

The author, Leanne Hardy, was kind enough to answer a few questions about her story, and my interview with her follows.


Black Mountain is the third book in your Glastonbury Grail series. Does this novel work well as a stand-alone, or do you recommend reading Glastonbury Tor and Honddu Vale first?
Leanne Hardy: Readers of the first two books will enjoy becoming reacquainted with old friends, but Black Mountain works fine even if you jump in here.
 
What led you to sixteenth-century Wales as the main setting for this novel?
LH: It started with visiting the museum at Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset, England, and learning about the dramatic events surrounding the closure of the abbey in 1539 under King Henry VIII. That became the setting for Glastonbury Tor. At the end of that book my main character, Colin, returns to his home in Wales, and the other books follow from there.
 
Major changes were going on in the world during the era of this novel. How did these changes impact the lives of peasants, nobles, and clergy in your story?
LH: You’re right; the changes were revolutionary. Most of the books I have seen set at this time concern themselves with events at court, including Henry’s multiple marriages. (Wolf Hall, The Other Boleyn Girl, etc) I was more interested in ordinary people.

This is the time of the early English Reformation, and the lines between Catholic and Protestant were not yet clearly drawn. Good people on both sides sincerely sought God; corrupt people on both sides took advantage of unrest for personal gain—not the least of which was Henry himself, who was more interested in justifying his divorce of Queen Katherine, who had failed to give him a son, than he was in biblical doctrine.

Henry closed down all the monasteries and appropriated their wealth for the crown, more accurately, he squandered it to win friends. Those monasteries ran the soup kitchens and travelers’ lodgings of the time. And now they were gone.

Peasants were expected to follow the lead of “their betters.” Owning a copy of William Tyndale’s English translation of the Bible could draw severe punishment, even death. As one of my readers of Glastonbury Tor commented, “It sounds like a police state!” It was.
 
Which historical figures did you include in your novel?
LH: Henry VIII, of course, although he never appears in person. Throughout the trilogy characters make reference to various historical characters and events at court. Those are “current events” for them. The officials Henry sent to dissolve the abbey in Glastonbury Tor are historical. I used the names of actual monks who were there at the time, including those who were arrested at the end. But the personalities I gave them were entirely fictitious, and by the time I got to Black Mountain all the characters were invented, although they seemed very real to me. 

Where did you discover the details of life in this time? 
LH: Thanks to inter-library loan, I read more than thirty books about the time, the setting, life in monasteries, etc. Even so, after the first book was published, I discovered information that revealed a geographical error that I had no choice but to carry over to future books.
 
The second book in the series was set in Wales. I was frustrated that all the books I found in the US lumped Wales in with England after the conquest in the thirteenth century. I was pretty sure the Welsh did not all instantly think like Englishmen.

When I traveled to Wales for research and stayed with college students in Cardiff (fabulous experience!), they arranged a library card I could use. The Cardiff library had two bookcases full of books on Wales from the Welsh point-of-view! Before I came home, I bought the history written by a raving Welsh nationalist. I figured he would give me the best perspective on how my characters would really feel.
 
By the time I started Black Mountain, I had a pretty good handle on sixteenth-century life in Britain, but when my beta readers asked for more information on Teg’s journey, I had to do a lot of digging about the places and cultures she passed through. Fortunately, the most significant were places I had visited and knew something about already.
 
What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?
LH: When I started, I was unsure about attempting to write first person of two different points-of-view, but then I realized that a bitter old woman and a blooming bride were enough different that it was worth a try. I think it worked. Other than that, the most challenging aspect was sticking with it through years of interruptions and distractions.
 
What did you enjoy about writing this novel?
LH: The surprises. By this time I knew my characters pretty well. They directed where the story should go, and that is always so much fun.
 
What do you hope readers will take away after reading Black Mountain?
LH: Teg thinks she knows what Christianity is about. After all, her father was a priest and prior of the local abbey. (Yes, you read that correctly.) She is bitter and wants nothing to do with the church, but she has never met Jesus Christ, the owner of the mysterious cup whose power she wants to control. My hope is that readers will put aside what they think they know and meet Jesus.

Readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey to 16th-century Wales! Can you share an experience or knowledge of Wales?

Who saved England from Spanish conquerors?

Who saved England from Spanish conquerors?

Spanish Armada galleass
Spanish Armada galleass

What if the Spanish Armada had invaded England in 1588?

If Spain had conquered England and deposed Queen Elizabeth I, our lives would surely be different today:

  • The Protestant Reformation probably wouldn’t have endured
  • Spanish explorers would have claimed much more of the world for Spain
  • Science, philosophy, and literature would have developed very differently.

Many people credit Sir Francis Drake with defeating the Spanish Armada. But without ordinary people, Drake couldn’t have succeeded. How did ordinary people help ?

  • Spies (often civilians in the right place at the right time) passed on important military information to England, and codebreakers interpreted it.
  • Merchants and even pirates supplied 192 of the 226 ships the British navy assembled to face the Spanish Armada in 1588—only 34 ships belonged to Queen Elizabeth I. Civilian ships carried supplies and troops, as well as battling to defend themselves or others.
  • Shipbuilders (shipwrights) designed and built ships that could function both to carry cargo and defend themselves or battle hostile ships.

Even after the defeat of the Armada, England still faced danger.

Here’s a dramatic true example of the power of an ordinary person in England in the early 1600s:

One lit fuse could blow up a king and all his Parliament members. BUT one brave man could save all those lives by speaking up about a letter he received.

This was the Gunpowder Plot, which took place in England in 1605. Religious divisions had fractured the English nation for decades, and now a group of unhappy Catholics wanted to rid England of King James I.

One of the plotters—his identity is still debated—wanted to protect his friend, Lord Monteagle, who would normally attend Parliament meetings.  The plotter sent Monteagle a letter warning him to stay far away on November 5th, because Parliament would receive “a terrible blow.”

Letter to Monteagle
Letter to Monteagle

Lord Monteagle took the letter to Robert Cecil, England’s Secretary of State, who instructed his officers to search the upper and lower levels of the House of Lords.

On November 4th, the night before King James and Parliament gathered, Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellar of the House of Lords with barrels of gunpowder and fuses—just in time to prevent the plot from succeeding!

One man’s courage and effort saved King James I and many others.

What examples can you share of other situations where ordinary people changed the course of history?

Heretics and bunny trails

Heretics and bunny trails

Readers of my debut novel, Lucia’s Renaissance, have insisted it needed a sequel “yesterday.” My apologies if you’re among those frustrated souls!

What’s taking me so long?

Research! I’ve been on a quest to pursue the trails of Italian followers of Martin Luther, and my penchant for getting the historical details right slows down the writing considerably.

Rome’s Inquisition kept its eyes and ears on those 16th-century Italian heretics, so they did their best to conceal their beliefs and activities (which makes it all the harder to track them down 500+ years later). But I’ve found breadcrumbs (heresy trial records, journals, histories) along the trail!

What happened to Luther’s Italian followers?

Here’s what I’ve found so far:

  • Some managed to hide in place (concealing or abandoning their beliefs)
  • Some were arrested by the Inquisition, tried, and executed or imprisoned
  • Some fled to (temporarily) safer parts of Italy
  • Some emigrated to northern Europe: Switzerland, Germany, England, France
  • The Waldensians, a group living in the mountains and valleys near the French border, held reformed beliefs long before Luther and survived longer than any other Italian followers of the Reformation. Their story of persecution and resistance fascinates me, and I’ll talk more about them in my next post.
Map of Europe in the times of Luther and Calvin, By Merle d'Aubigné, Jean Henri
Map of Europe in the times of Luther and Calvin, By Merle d’Aubigné, Jean Henri

With so many trails to pursue, I’ve been busy deciding which way my characters will go.

What would you have done if you’d lived in Italy at that time?

Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora

Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora

Katharina von Bora, by Lucas Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia

Katharina von Bora, by Lucas Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia

Martin Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora, was once a nun about whom most people knew little. In the months leading up to the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, she has become a major focus for scholars and historical novelists. I’ll mention just a few of the recent books:

Katie Luther, First Lady of the Reformation: The Unconventional Life of Katharina von Bora, by Ruth A. Tucker. This sympathetic biography presents the results of research as well as conjecture and opinion when facts are scarce. For a recent review, see:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/november-web-only/other-lord-of-martin-luthers-life.html

Luther and Katharina, by Jody Hedlund. An entertaining and imaginative historical romance about this famous couple.

Katharina: Deliverance, by Margaret Shea. The author describes her novel as biographical fiction and works hard to stay close to the known facts and avoid imposing her modern perspective on Katharina’s life. Shea wrote an article, “The Footsteps of Katharina,” about her research and writing of this novel. See: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/the-footsteps-of-katharina-margaret-skea-on-the-wife-of-martin-luther/

Do you have a favorite book about Katharina?