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THE WIDOW'S TALE
by Margaret Frazer
Berkley, January 2005
272 pages
$22.95
ISBN: 0425200183


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Cristiana Helyngton is brought to the St Frideswide's nunnery against her will. Her brother-in-law, Laurence, has declared that she is unfit to be a mother and has acted in a manner unbecoming a recent widow. The sisters at St Frideswide's take Laurence at his word and treat her accordingly.

But Cristiana's story is not as Laurence claims. Her husband Edward did recently die and she is now a widow; however, she has not behaved unbecomingly. The true problem is that she will not allow Laurence's son to marry one of her daughters. Laurence wants the marriage, as it would combine the family land under his control. Her unwillingness to give in to Laurence's demands is the true explanation for her imprisonment. Cristiana does not have the chance to tell anyone her story as the nuns have been instructed not to talk to her.

Several months after she is delivered to St Frideswide's, Laurence returns. Her daughter refuses to agree to the marriage and Laurence wants Cristiana to insist upon the marriage. If she is willing to force her daughter into the marriage, Laurence will allow her to leave with him. Cristiana agrees, as she needs freedom of movement to plan her revenge.

The nuns are not sure that Cristiana has been reformed so Dame Frevisse and Domina Elisabeth accompany her on her travel home. There chaos reigns. Laurence's plans are temporarily thwarted but one of Cristiana's supporters is murdered. Cristiana worries that this murder will stand in the way of her and her daughters' happiness. Dame Frevisse must find the killer before he strikes again.

THE WIDOW'S TALE is the 14th book in the Dame Frevisse series and like all the others has strong political overtones. The war with France and the political conflicts within the English nobility itself dominate the background. England and France spent a large portion of the 1400s battling over land and who had the right to rule. Within the country, there were battles between the Duke of York and the Duke of Suffolk as well as other battles among the minor nobility.

While these political conflicts do appear in the majority of the Dame Frevisse books, it is not necessary to understand the political situation of 1400s England to enjoy the book. An understanding of the political situation simply provides the book with slightly more depth.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, January 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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