Review: The Duty of Daughters by Wendy J. Dunn
The Duty of Daughters
Falling Pomegranate Seeds, Book #1
Wendy J. Dunn
Review:
This novel has been on my TBR list for a few years, and I'm delighted I finally had the chance to read it. And what a fascinatingly educating journey it turned out to be!
The Duty of Daughters focuses on the childhood years of Katherine of Aragon РSpanish princess, English queen, reluctant divorc̩e.
Catalina, as she was known as a girl, is only five years old when the story, told by her tutor, Do̱a Beatriz Galindo, begins. A curious child, she has a hunger for learning Рsomething that is appreciated and encouraged in the bustling household of her illustrious parents, Queen Isabel I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Beatriz delights in teaching the royal children, alongside her professional vocation at the university in Salamanca. A truly amazing lady, and sadly forgotten like so many women in history, she makes for a compelling narrator of Catalina's story.
Beatriz is intriguing. She has her own ambitions and dreams, and although they are deemed unladylike, she is keen to pursue them. Highly intelligent, she doesn't want to hide her thirst for knowledge. And she is determined to follow her path. An advisor to the queen, she exerts the kind of influence few women enjoyed.
But whilst we learn about Catalina's childhood, it is the court and politics that drive this novel. This, for me, overshadows little Catalina a bit, but it shows us the world, which forged her, in compelling detail.
Her mother, Isabel la Católica, is a powerful lady in her own right, and alongside ambitious Ferdinand, she spins a web of intrigue and plots. Determined to forge a thriving dynasty, she goes through one pregnancy after another, but tragedy is never far away. Their dream of a large Christian empire witnesses persecutions and bloodshed, whilst at the same time, they promote art, sciences, and learning. In their eyes, these go hand in hand with their religious fervour.
This is the world into which Catalina is born.
Religion and duty (of daughters) feature large in her family's royal life, so she accepts her betrothal to the English Prince Arthur, even though leaving will break her heart. Being taught alongside her friend MarÃa de Salinas deepens the girls’ friendship that will endure over many decades.
In Doña Beatriz, Ms Dunn has chosen an intelligent narrator, who brings the Castilian court vividly to life. Exquisitely researched, we walk the corridors of the magnificent palaces with her, rejoicing in the cool shadows and sweet fragrance of sunshine, flowers, and fruit. We learn about daily life at this vipers’ nest of a court ruled by an ambitious power couple. Yet, this novel doesn't hide the king's dark side or the queen's ruthlessness, and we have to admire their stoic resilience in view of unexpected heartbreak and loss.
Does all this prepare young Catalina for her role as Queen of England? Oh yes, and more.
What this novel leaves us with is a deeper understanding of Katherine of Aragon's reaction a few decades later, when she was confronted by an irate husband seeking a divorce – not only from her, but also Holy Mother Church. Her perceived 'arrogance', her deep faith, and her stubborn perseverance in face of cruel threats all have their roots in her childhood, raised by one of the most fearsome royal couples of the time.
But before we get to the great tragedy in Katherine's later life, make sure to enjoy the eventful childhood Catalina enjoyed, surrounded by family, in a place of excellent learning, binding friendships, duty, loss, and sunshine – in The Duty of Daughters!
Highly recommended.
~~~
Castile, 1490.
Doña Beatriz Galindo is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war pushing the Moors out of territories ruled by them for centuries.
Beatriz does not want a life like other women. She desires power over her own destiny. Even if this means walking a far harder road.
A passionate and respected scholar, Beatriz serves her friend Queen Isabel of Castile as her advisor. She also tutors the queen’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon.
Dedicated to Queen Isabel and her children, Beatriz guides the young Catalina of Aragon to walk her own hard life road.
But can she prepare Catalina to be England’s queen?
Finalist in the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.
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About the Author:
Award-winning Australian author of Tudor historical fiction, specialising in Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon novels.
Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and poet fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel narrating the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.
Her second novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, set during final days of Anne Boleyn's life, revisits the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of her niece Catherine Carey. The Duty of Daughters and All Manner of Things tells the story of Katherine of Aragon. Shades of Yellow tells the story of a woman writing a novel about Amy Robsart.
All Dunn's award-winning works weave together the lyricism of poetry with the pulse of history, creating stories of love, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.
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