On a personal level, this week my family and I have or will celebrate our wedding anniversary, our daughter’s birthday, Mother’s Day and the launch of my latest book Lucy on Sunday. It’s been a busy week and watching the interactions of a close family who enjoy each other’s company, playing games together, and sharing their special moments is heart-warming. I love it all, but it’s hardly novel material, but it is family history making.
From the world’s perspective, dedicated fans and lovers of history (like me) would have watched the historic coronation of King Charles III, admiring all the tradition, the pomp and ceremony dating back centuries, and recording every nuance for avid watchers to leap upon.
For centuries, the Royal family has had many a good tale to tell, both good and bad; the current generations included. In the future, I am sure many more stories will be told. They are, without doubt, the story-makers.
The one thing that is guaranteed in life is people love gossip
The Royals have generated enough of that through the centuries. Journalists and critics alike seek the whispers of tittle-tattle and encourage us to take sides, to shun the unworthy and admire the deserving, which puts into question the distinction of who is good and who is bad. They all have their secrets, their back-stories and their moments in time.
But, when it all comes down to it, people love the bad guys,
which puts me in a quandary.
I write about the women of the past, who are usually the lesser characters in history. Women who do the ordinary things in life: the child-rearing, the house-keeping and charitable work with nothing remarkable about them at all. Except for their tenacity, their strength, and their determination in the face of every adversity life could throw at them.
Frequently, these women found themselves in situations they had little say in: the maids assaulted, raped or bullied by ‘the master’ (someone who had more authority than them) and becoming pregnant. Or those who became mistresses to men of power, and thus whores, when for the men it was seen as not only acceptable but preferable to have a mistress. I never did work how how one is acceptable and one is deplorable. To be divorced (or worse if you married Henry VIII) because they would not bear a son, and the list goes on.
But when women stand up for themselves, when they complain about the unfairness of life, or the way they are disrespected, they suddenly become evil troublemakers. They are blamed, decried and shamed, by the men, the media and the haters. It’s been the same for centuries.
Who are these people who decide who is worthy, I wonder? Because from what I see it is always the woman who gets the blame in the end.
a compelling tale of the courageous women who fought for their right to vote
Emma’s curiosity is piqued by a gutsy young climate change campaigner with an antique trinket box full of women’s rights badges, but Emma is torn between untangling the mysteries of Paige’s legacy or saving herself
Book 3 of 3: The Art of Secrets: Dual-timeline family sagas about finding your roots
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