The War Within Me
a novel of
Jeanne d'Albret
Tracy Ryan's
FRENCH RENAISSANCE
NOVEL WRITING PROJECT
FRENCH RENAISSANCE
NOVEL WRITING PROJECT
Book 1 in the Queens of Navarre trilogy is out now with Transit Lounge in Australia, and available elsewhere as an ebook. You can read about it on the blog that charted the writing and research of this first historical novel of mine, The Queen's Apprenticeship, drawing on the life of Marguerite de Navarre.
Book 2, The War Within Me, about her daughter Jeanne d'Albret and the French Civil Wars, will also be published by Transit Lounge. This blog charts the writing and research that led to my second historical novel, sharing some snippets of interest found along the way. The two novels can be read as stand-alones or in order...
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There's a widespread perception that much of (women's) historical fiction, or historical fiction about women, is historical romance, or more precisely historical romantic fiction. Sometimes that is the case, but, particularly with characters from the nobility or royalty, romantic "love stories" are pretty rare -- marriages are arranged, forced even, for dynastic reasons, for the purposes of political alliances, and so on. Jeanne was unusual, in her second marriage, in making what was -- at first! -- a "love match". I've been reading letters between Jeanne and Antoine, who were mutually infatuated early in their marriage but... without too much spoiling the (true) plot... things don't continue that way. They were often separated by his having to go on military campaigns, and some of the letters extracted from below were written for that reason. They begin soon after the marriage and continue, in these instances, over several years through the early 1550s. Unless you know how severely infatuation can flip the other way, you will hardly believe what later happens in this marriage. How "love" can become its opposite! (Not quite as bad as Henry across the Channel in their parents' generation, and what happened to Anne Boleyn; lots of love letters there too. But still.) You can look it up online -- or wait to read the story in the novel I'm working on, The War Within Me... Side note: The lovestruck couple were married the year before Jeanne's mother Marguerite died, and they feature as newlyweds in one tale of her fictional Heptaméron... From Antoine to Jeanne (various letters)
Although I left you rather late yesterday, I made such good speed that I arrived at the end of the supper of Madame my mother, who allowed scarcely time for me to dismount before asking for news of you, and whether it was true that I was married, and that she would not believe it unless she saw us together in bed. I assured her if that was all it took for her to believe, she would see it as soon as she liked. I shall leave off that story to assure you that the great distances I covered yesterday were not so much a trial to me as being last night alone in bed without you. I beg you to send word of how you are and to tell me your news in great detail... ... My darling, even though I wrote to you at great length about everything by Palu two days ago, I did not wish to miss the chance of the despatch the King is making through my lord de Miossens, the present bearer, of writing you this letter and assuring you that I am in as good health as possible. The only thing lacking for the perfection of this is to see you a little; and if it seems good to you to hear from the King our father whether he and you are coming or not, and to let me know quickly, I will not fail to leave right away for the desire which I have to see you; nonetheless I’ll go to La Fère, at our place there, to await your news with much devotion. I would never have thought to love you as much as I do. I am really considering, another time when I have to do a long journey, having you always with me, because on my own I fret... ... I would not have thought to recognise so poorly as I do the court of ladies; and it seems to me they have all become ugly and annoying; I don’t know if it’s the sweet breeze blowing from Béarn [where you are] that causes this, or if it’s my own eyesight that has so changed, it can’t be fooled as it was before... ... I can assure you, my darling, that as soon as camp has broken up, I will not fail to come and find you with as with as much determination to have a good time as I ever had in my life. You will do well, you and my son, to put yourselves into good order to receive me, or else I will say a pu! like the cute little boy himself. ... Once you are with me, you will lack neither money nor anything else, so long as I have the power for it, for never a husband loved a wife as I do you. I have hope, my darling, that with time you will know it, and better still than you have already known it. I’ll end on that note, after assuring you that none of the demoiselles of the court nor of anywhere else will ever have power over me, unless to hate them and not to love them, but on the contrary, all that I have I wish to keep for my companion, praying that you do likewise... ... Now for certain I know that I can as little live without you as the body can entirely without the spirit; for which reason, so far as I can, I beg you to come straight to Cognac, where I shall await you with the intention that you find there the host and the chamber as prepared to receive you and give you a great welcome as any place you were ever in. ... I assure you that you are more my darling than you ever were, and more in my good grace, which makes me want to send war to the devil... Antoine often signs off: Your good and loyal husband. Or: Your affectionate husband and perfect friend. Loyal he was not. Small spoiler: he had at least one child by another woman. That's her below (nickname: La belle Rouet)... He didn't manage to "keep it all for his companion" after all. From February 2022, I am undertaking the research, planning and drafting of a new historical novel to follow my earlier one on Marguerite de Navarre.
This new novel is the second in a trilogy called Queens of Navarre. Jeanne d'Albret (1528-1572) was Marguerite's daughter, and had a tumultuous, eventful life in her own right. This blog will share research snippets, thoughts on process, and anything at all related to the project. |
About meAuthor of ten books of poetry and six novels, I live and work in wheatbelt Western Australia. This blog charts my ongoing venture into writing historical novels. Archives
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