Strongbow's Wife

by Frank Parker

Overview

Promised in marriage to the man who led the Norman invasion of Ireland, what were her thoughts as she approached the altar in a city sacked by her future husband?

The activities of Strongbow, and the other Cambro-Normans who took part in the occupation of Ireland in the twelfth century, have been written about extensively. Of Aoife we know only that she accompanied her father on his year long search for assistance; that, when Strongbow eventually arrived, the marriage took place days after a massacre in Waterford.

This account of those events is presented through her eyes. First as a teenager trying to understand the politics behind her father's downfall. Then as a young wife caught up in the rivalry between her husband and the other leaders of the invading army. Finally, as a widowed mother worried about her children and the future of her native land.

Revised and updated to take account of recent archaeological discoveries, this new edition is released to mark the 850th anniversary of the wedding.

"Like having history come alive . . . one of those hidden gems just needing to be read!" Dianne at Tome Tender book blog.

"Thoughtful phrasing and descriptions" Author Jennifer Young on her blog, Reading, Writing, Wandering

"An interesting and thought-provoking take on a tumultuous episode in Anglo-Irish history" Fiona Mayes at Amazon.co.uk

"Joins the likes of Ian McEwan and D.H. Lawrence, in telling a great story from a female viewpoint." Janet Cameron, Author of The Minx, about a lady in waiting in Edward II's court.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781386556466
Publisher:	Frank Parker
Publication date:	07/09/2020
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Frank is a retired Engineer. He spent most of his working life in England where he was employed by UK based multi-national companies. His interest in the shared history of Ireland and the Welsh Marches was aroused by a visit to a ruined castle near his home and the discovery of the connection with the Mortimer's of Wigmore in Herefordshire. This lead to the realisation that many of the leading participants in the Norman occupation of Ireland in the twelfth century already had well established land holdings in Herefordshire and adjacent counties. He lives with Freda, his wife of 50 year since 1963, in Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland.

Frank Parker has two other novels available as Kindle e-books:

Honest Hearts. Two people of Irish descent fall in love in North America at the start of the twentieth century. What is the secret from her past that ensures the failure of their relationship? What if they meet again twenty years later? And how will either react to the discovery of the daughter she gave up for adoption all those years ago?

Summer Day. At the start of a long hot day in July 1947 a young boy shoots his father. How will he cope with the consequences? How will the rest of the family and their friends in the small rural community they inhabit?