Fuzzy History: Learning History through Fiction

The third novel in Penman’s Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy covers the last years of Henry II’s reign from 1172 to 1189. Opening immediately prior to the first rebellion of Henry’s sons, the one that eventually lead to Eleanor’s imprisonment, the story offers an in-depth look into the lives of a dysfunctional family.

Hal, the Young King, who lives in the shadow of his father, expects his due to come easily and never learns to stand on his own two feet. Richard, distrustful of his father, ineffectual in the protection of his mother, grows angrily possessive of Aquitaine, his inheritance. Geoffrey, enigmatic and more like Henry than Henry would care to admit, takes advantage of his brothers’ discontent to further his own ends. John, the son Henry fatally underestimates, lives in their shadows, growing increasingly malcontent. Eleanor, wife, mother, queen, gives 16 years of her life for one mistake, and yet rises above them all in the end.

I enjoyed Devil’s Brood, as I enjoy most of Sharon Kay Penman’s novels. She is a gifted storyteller with the ability to make you like – or at least sympathize with - historical characters you might otherwise disdain. The history is never a mere backdrop, but a full course meal of authenticity, romanticism and imagination. The author’s historical note at the end helpfully explains where she embellished or changed historical fact.

If you like Elizabeth Chadwick, especially the William Marshal novels, you’ll like Devil’s Brood, in which Marshal appears throughout. Rating: Excellent! Note: This review is based on the Advanced Reading Copy.