by Anne O'Brien
It is also an area of “history,” with visual remnants of the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War. It was once land owned by the great families of Mortimer and Plantagenet. Today there are ruined castles and battlefields and manor houses that keep the past alive.
I love it. It inspires me. I can think of no better place to live.
Q. Have you traveled much in the United States? What do you think of it? Are there any pieces of our history that you find particularly interesting?
A. In 2011, I traveled for two weeks in the southeast of the USA. I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Charleston and Savannah and, of course, New Orleans. I realized how limited my knowledge of U.S. history is, and was particularly drawn to the events of the Civil War, partly through the enthusiasm of our very well-informed guide. I had read Gone with the Wind, but otherwise my knowledge was very patchy. I am determined to do something about that!
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What do you think of Alice? What appeals to you about her, and what doesn’t?
2. Aside from Alice, who is your favorite character in the book and why?
3. Do you understand Alice’s need for financial security, which she seeks out by owning or controlling property? Do you see her as greedy or needy, or both? And do you know anyone like her in this way?
4. People call Alice ugly, and she considers herself unattractive. Is it possible that her beauty was simply unconventional for the time? Talk about how our notions of what is beautiful change through history, and from one culture to another.
5. Alice and William de Windsor have an unconventional relationship for the mid–thirteen hundreds. What makes their union so unusual? Does it appeal to you? Do you find their romance satisfying?
6. What do you think of Philippa for indirectly arranging for Alice to become her husband’s mistress? If you had a long-term illness or disability that made lovemaking with your husband painful or impossible, would you want him to take another lover?
7. Discuss the mothers in the book—Alice, Philippa, Joan of Kent, etc. Who do you think is the best mother, and why? Compare child-rearing practices back then and now.
8. Alice lives through a period of plague. Can you imagine how you would react to an incurable disease that strikes as indiscriminately and as swiftly? Would you give up or fight tooth and nail to survive?
9. If Alice were born in the United States today, illegitimate and abandoned, what do you think might happen to her?
10. How does Alice compare to other famous women from British history whom you might have read about?
