Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Weir Alison

Author:Weir, Alison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BALLANTINE BOOKS

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This novel has been based on a true story. Lady Jane Grey is an intriguing and tragic figure, and readers of my historical works will know that I have already written about her in two previous books: her childhood is documented in The Six Wives of Henry VIII, and her nine-​day reign—the shortest in English history—in its horrific sequel, Children of England.

Most of the characters in this novel really existed, and most of the events actually happened. However, where the evidence is scanty or missing, I have used my imagination. For example, we do not know the identity of the female quack who was called in by Northumberland to administer arsenic to Edward VI, but I have spun a tale around her. There is no evidence that Jane witnessed the burning of Anne Askew in 1546, but I have used it as the catalyst for her conversion to the Protestant faith.

Some parts of the book may seem far-​fetched: they are the parts most likely to be based on fact, such as the discovery, by one of Katherine Parr’s ladies, of the death warrant that had been dropped in a corridor. This story is related by John Foxe in his Book of Martyrs, and most historians now accept it as the truth. However, there is no historical evidence that it was Jane who found the warrant, although she was in Katherine Parr’s household at the time. And my account of the fate of Edward VI’s body is not as incredible as it sounds, for what happened to that body is described in a letter written by the Earl of Warwick, Northumberland’s son.

Above all, I have tried to penetrate the minds of my characters, which is something that serious historians attempt only at their peril. Writing this book has therefore been something of a venture into the realms of psychology, as well as a foray into the past, because history does not often record people’s motives, emotions, and reactions, and I have had to make some educated—and occasionally wild—guesses, to ensure that they sound credible within the context of the known facts.

After having published ten historical nonfiction books, writing this novel filled me with a heady sense of freedom. No longer was I focusing only on the available source material and the strict disciplines of historical interpretation, but I could allow my imagination free rein. It has been wonderful to be this creative, and even provocative, while at the same time striving for historical accuracy.

Lady Jane Grey’s story is compelling and shocking. Although she was the product of her age and its prejudices against women, within the constraints of her time she remained true to herself and her ideals and beliefs. Precocious, highly gifted, and intelligent, she was educated to an unusually advanced standard for a girl and realized that there was more to a woman’s life than just marrying, having children, and running a household. Never one to compromise, she was outspoken, feisty, and unafraid to challenge the received wisdom of her day.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.