St. Thomas's Eve [Paperback]

Jean Plaidy (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books (July 1966)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330105396
• ISBN-13: 978-0330105392
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,670,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Touching..., October 22, 2009

By 

Lucy's Reviews- Enchanted By Josephine (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Thomas's Eve (Paperback)

The story begins with Thomas More's decision to abandon his hopes of living the monastic life to opt for marriage and family life. He marries the very shy and less learned, Jane Colt. Together they have 4 children - the first-born, a daughter named Margaret (Meg), then Bessy, Cecily and finally, a son named Jack. They also adopt Mercy, who is Meg's age.

More's view on education was quite avant-garde for the times. More's home is open, but not limited to, intellectuals who love to spend time at his place for conversation and discourse. An extremely rare notion back then, More believed that girls should be taught literature and be able to enjoy the same scholarly opportunities as men. He particularly loved the fact that Meg was so much like him- intelligent and compassionate. The two had a wonderful father -daughter relationship which clearly is noted throughout the novel. More, however, never lets on to show any preference for Meg since he always treated all of his children with special love and devotion.

When More's first wife passes away, he shortly thereafter remarries a woman named Alice Middleton, who actually helped care for his dying wife. With the addition of Alice's daughter, theirs becomes a full house of merriment, learning, studying and literature. Although More was a lawyer by profession, much of his interests and studies were focused on the Catholic faith and its teachings.

More lived an exemplary life according to the scriptures and the reasoning of the Church. He was much loved by all who knew him. His openness to understanding based upon `the teachings' and his broad knowledge of the Law lead him to high places in the court of Henry VIII (then a staunch Catholic).

Along the years, all of his children married wonderful and respectable people. Alice enjoyed being the proud wife of Thomas More, Lord Chancellor. He was a favourite of the King. Known for his indisputably intact reputation, More's opinions were respected and chided by all. So long as the King was in accordance with these opinions, More and his family lived a very fine life. Trouble began when the King's views on a certain matrimonial matter did not match those of Thomas More.

From then on, the story of Thomas More and of his unfaltering and adamant stance for `doing what is morally right' becomes a nightmare for him and his family. This much loved man was reduced to living in the lowest of conditions until he met his tragic fate.

I really enjoyed reading about such a fine man. Thomas More represents all that is wonderful and heroic in the fatherly sense. His morals and obligations towards a higher cause and the elevation of man through his spirituality and love of others are seen throughout the novel. I enjoyed everything about this novel and especially the More family life. How incredibly fortunate was this family to live in such unity and with so much love and kindness. Thomas More was a real life hero and role-model of the times.

This is the first Plaidy novel I read that has more to do with moral integrity rather than intrigue and royal complexities. A very different and reflective read- Loved it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Look into St Thomas More, April 25, 2009

By 

Burton Book Review "Marie" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Thomas's Eve (Paperback)

This was a pleasure to read about Sir Thomas More, a notable figure among the prolific Tudor court of Henry VIII. Thomas More was a brilliant scholar and wrote "Utopia." You can't read a Henry VIII book and not have mention of the infamous Thomas More. Yet, we never get to see him in a personal tone until you read "St. Thomas's Eve" by Jean Plaidy. This novel does not focus on Henry VIII, it follows Thomas More's personal life as he marries, has children, remarries and becomes a grandfather. His star rises in the courts, albeit unwillingly, because of his talented way with words, and as a lawyer King Henry enjoys his unique intellect. Thomas is portrayed as very religious and honest to a fault. He opened his home to others, housing an orphan and then a step-child, and taught several gentlemen on site as well.

There were several poignant scenes that I enjoyed that involved More's children. The novel features all of them quite well: the eldest Meg, Mercy Gigs (the orphan), Elizabeth, Cecily, Jack and the step-daughter Alice Middleton (Ailie). The story is about how this quaint little family evolves and grows, and even when the girls marry they all live under one family roof. There is emphasis placed on the bond between Thomas and his eldest daughter, Meg, who becomes a Mrs. Meg Roper. There are a few introductions to some of the other notable figures of the times, such as Erasmus, Hans Holbein, the Howards of Norfolk and the Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and many of the other names are mentioned in passing in a gossiping nature. We hear about the problems with Catherine of Aragon to the "Frenchified" and deformed Anne Boleyn and "The King's Secret Matter".

Plaidy seemed to be on a mission to make the novel not read like a book of the Court Life, but truly focused on the travails of this family who struggled to control the way the vengeful court affected it. The More family wanted for nothing but each other and the freedom of learning. Thomas More did not want to be a courtier but you cannot say no to a King. As the children grew, Thomas was away more and more at the beck and call of the King. His children had their premonitions that all would not be grand for long, one false step and tragedy would be theirs.
Once things were set in motion in Henry's love life, Thomas disapproved. He tried to step away, but the King did not want any of his towns people to flock to More's views. All Thomas had to do was to acknowledge King Henry as the Head of the Church, after the break with Rome due to the Pope's not allowing the divorce of Catherine and Henry. Thomas stayed fast to his virtue, would not sign the Act of Supremacy, and also would not condone the marriage of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Plaidy successfully demonstrates the sadness the family feels when they realize that the humble happiness that they crave will not come to fruition.

Although history tells us what fate befell Thomas More, I was still emotional as Plaidy spelled it out for me. The love that his family had for him is palpable and heartbreaking, and I am glad to have had a glimpse of the personal side of Sir Thomas More. Plaidy shows us the family behind the martyr, and I feel much more enlightened about one of the greatest scholars of our time.