On the death of Henry the fifth, a nine-month-old baby is made King of England. Ambitious men surround the baby king, including his two uncles, the Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester. Shrewd and clever, Bedford seeks to uphold all his late brother had won and preserve it for young Henry the sixth. Gloucester, a man of poor judgment, greedy for wealth and power, has other ideas. In Lancastrian England and war-torn France, there are three women whose lives are to have a marked effect on the future. Katherine de Valois, haunted by an unhappy childhood, finds love in an unexpected quarter and founds the Tudor dynasty; Joan of Arc leaves her village pastures on the command of heavenly voices; and Eleanor of Gloucester is drawn into a murder plot and becomes the centre of a cause celebre. Murder, greed and ambition flourish alongside sacrifice, dedication and courage. These are turbulent times as the defeated become the victorious...
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama New York Times These books are page-turners; they offer a wonderful way to learn about history, their heroines are smart, strong and in control of their destinies and their stories will remain with you for ever...They are a celebration of women's spirit throughout history. Daily Express Far and away my favourite writer Wendy Holden
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About the Author
Jean Plaidy, one of the preeminent authors of historical fiction for most of the twentieth century, is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also know as Victoria Holt. Jean Plaidy's novels had sold more than 14 million copies worldwide by the time of her death in 1993.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
should be epitaph for 2 women and 1" just desserts",
By Lorna Doone "Lorna - member of Book Readers A... (Prairieville, LA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Epitaph for Three Women (Plantagenet Saga, Book 12) (Hardcover)
This had to be the saddest so far of the Plantagenet Saga - even all the earlier story were sad nothing is as sad as Joan of Arc and Katharine of Valois. I did not know that the English was responsible for the death of Joan of Arc. She was surely a remarkable young woman and very important to the French people trying to win the war. Her life and death galvanized the French people. They couldn't lose after her saintly death. Shame on the English!
The second woman was Katharine of Valois who was the widow of Henry the 5th. When Henry died his son Henry (VI) was only nine months old. Katharine was happy being able to take care of the baby King but of course one day as it is with all boy Kings they must go and be trained by men. It made Katharine sad but she had a good friend, the Squire Owen Tudor, who helped her get through it. Of course they fall deeply in love and get secretly married. They are left alone happy for a long time, long enough for them to have 4 children. When it was found out that Owen and Katharine were married, Owen was arrested and the children were taken away and Katharine was sent to a convent, supposedly for her health. She is so broken hearted that she eventually dies the same day that Owen breaks out of prison to come and get her. I cried for both women, it was so tragic. Now, the just desserts. The third woman was Eleanor of Gloucester who was married to Henry VI's uncle. He was second to the throne should Henry die without a heir. Eleanor was doing everything in her power to make sure that that was going to happen even going so far as seeking help from a witch and soothsayers. The witch and soothsayers eventually are arrested and the authorities find evidence that someone had hired them to help get rid of the King. It finally comes out that it is Eleanor of Gloucester - thus begins her downfall. All the accompliances are sentenced to death but because Eleanor is "royalty" she is sent away to a castle imprisoned for the rest of her life. Terrible for her because she lived for the intrigue and the Court. Hence, just desserts. This book was great, it can stand by itself but is better understood as part of the series.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three women...ambitious, virtous and serene.,
By mayflower (BFE North, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Epitaph for Three Women (Plantagenent saga) (Hardcover)
Jean Plaidy never disappoints when she weaves her magic into the stories of long ago. Epitaph For Three Women is another of her fine works of art.
Katherine of Valois, married to Henry V, is a new widow with a the young Henry VI to bring to the throne. While she lives contented she soon finds love with a Welsh squire by the name of Owen Tudor. She and Owen have such a pure love and they wed in secret, just before a law passes stating that no woman of nobility can marry below her rank. And Katherine is with child. Her dreams of happiness have finally come true, until her secret is finally out... Joan of Arc...Wow! What a human being! She had such devotion to God that He gives her a task: to save France from the English. And Joan (or Jeanette in her native French) does so with great strife and struggle. She was visited by St. Catherine, St. Margaret and the Archangel Michael who gave her strength in her times of utter despair. And even when the French King turned his back on her (after she led the French army in a battle to have him crowned in Rheims) she was still devoted to him in every way. She was soon captured by the English and burned at the stake as a witch. But they clearly burned a saint. All this before she even reached 20! Eleanor of Gloucester was just a peasant girl who had high ambitions. The Duke of Gloucester fell under her 'love spell.' Eleanor was a great believer in witchcraft and with the help of a certain 'witch' she was soon married to the most powerful man in England, aside from the King. Unfortunately, her ambitions would in the end bring on her demise as well as others around her. She never would bear the child she so longed for and her hopes of doing away with the young King would amount to nothing. Epitaph For Three Women is an exceptional piece of work. Jean Plaidy was a master at bringing the early 15th century to life and once again, I was swept away!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jean Plaidy hhistorical fiction,
By Susan Shepherd "fanatic" (Scarborough,, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Epitaph for Three Women (Plantagenet Saga) (Mass Market Paperback)
Love this book which is part of the Plantagenet series by Jean Plaidy. I was so thrilled to be able to find and obtain this book to complete my collection through the used section of Amazon.
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