As an impetuous teenager, she escapes into a clandestine marriage in a bid for freedom, then must hide it for nearly a decade, as her guardians marry her off to another man. After her first husband's death, Joan--now a mother of four--enters into another scandalous relationship, this time with the heir to the British throne, Prince Edward, hero of Cr cy and Poitiers, who has loved her all along. But his devotion comes at a terrible price. Haunted by nightmares of her father's execution and the ruthlessness of her royal kin, Joan must reconcile her passion for the crown prince with the potentially tragic costs of a royal life."
A Triple Knot takes the reader on an amazing journey into a fascinating era in English history. Based on true events, this novel interweaves love, duty, and betrayal in the clandestine marriages of the infamous Joan of Kent. A Triple Knot is a riveting tale from start to finish.
As a young girl, Joan was quite ornery. Disillusioned of her Plantagenet bloodline after the execution of her father by the crown, Joan maintains a pretense of obedience while secretly promoting her own agenda. In this she is quite extraordinary and admirable as a heroine. Said to be one of the fairest maidens in the land, Joan, cousin to the King, is thought to be an excellent pawn for a prosperous marriage match for England. This is upsetting to her young cousin Ed, heir to the thrown, and nicknamed in history as the "black prince" due to his mercantile nature. The queen dislikes her son's interest in Joan and seeks to marry her off as quickly as possible. The King, with eyes for conquest, has his own plans for Joan's betrothal.
Joan, however falls quite in love with Thomas Holland of Upholland, Lancashire who is a victorious knight in service to the King. What follows is a mesmerizing tale of secret weddings, allegiance, deception, murder, loyalty, and desire.
The characters are richly developed and complex. The setting is described in exquisite detail and at a careful pace which builds suspense as Joan fights to claim the legitimacy of the marriage to her one true love. While history has conflicting accounts of Joan's affections, Emma Campion does an outstanding job to portray an image of Joan that will leave even non-historical readers clamoring for more.
The plot is twisting, clever, and as uncertain as a ship on rocky seas. The novel is gripping. The romance inspiring, heartbreaking and all consuming.
Heather Wilds does an outstanding job as narrator to the audio version of this story. Her voice is reminiscent of times past and she portrays the narration, dialogue, and emotion with precision and clarity.
This is a novel not to be missed!
NARRATED BY: HEATHER WILDS
LENGTH: 14 HRS AND 55 MINS
PUBLISHER: TANTOR AUDIO
RELEASE DATE: 7/29/2014