Tag: Wendy J. Dunn

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘The Duty of Daughters’ by Wendy J. Dunn

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Wendy J. Dunn to my blog today to share a snippet from her novel “The Duty of Daughters” as part of the blog tour for her omnibus “Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology.” I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Snippet:

“Josefa, you mistake my meaning.” Beatriz stared at the coverlet of Josefa’s bed. “All of us must walk our own roads, but ’tis wrong to prevent women from walking so many roads just because we’re women. Even Plato said, ‘Nothing can be more absurd than the practice of men and women not following the same pursuits with all their strengths and with one mind, for thus, the state instead of being whole is reduced to half.’ I so agree. Our world cuts off its nose to spite its own face by insisting the only purpose for women is to bear children and perpetuate the human race, as also said Plato. Surely ’tis far too hard a view to forever blame women for Eve’s sin.”

Blurb: 

In the Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology, readers are transported to the rich historical tapestry of 15th and 16th-century Europe, where the lives of remarkable women unfold against the backdrop of political upheaval and personal struggles.  

In the first book, beginning in 1490, Castile, Doña Beatriz Galindo, a passionate and respected scholar, serves as an advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile. Beatriz yearns for a life beyond the constraints imposed on women, desiring to control her own destiny. As she witnesses the Holy War led by Queen Isabel and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, Beatriz dedicates herself to guiding Queen Isabel’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon, on her own path. Beatriz’s role as a tutor and advisor becomes instrumental in shaping Catalina’s future as she prepares to become England’s queen.  

Fast forward to the winter of 1539 in the second book, where María de Salinas, a dear friend and cousin of Catalina (now known as Katherine of Aragon), pens a heartfelt letter to her daughter, the Duchess of Suffolk. Unable to make the journey from her London home due to illness, María shares her life story, intricately woven with her experiences alongside Catalina. Their friendship has endured through exile and tumultuous times. María seeks to shed light for her daughter on the choices she has made in a story exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, hatred, and forgiveness. Through María’s narrative, the eternal question Will love ultimately triumph? 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bax5n6  

Author Bio: 

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian writer 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, which narrated 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 very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.wendyjdunn.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorwendyjdunn 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyjdunnauthor/  

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@wendyjdunnauthor  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004FRTZFA  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn

Book Review: “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn” by Wendy J. Dunn

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The light in the labyrinthThe year is 1535 and a young girl whose mother was a shining light at court, dreams of getting away from her family and joins her aunt at court. Her name is Kate Carey, the daughter of Mary (Boleyn) Carey, and her aunt is Queen Anne Boleyn. Little does Kate know that the court life she desires is full of danger and enemies around every corner. In the labyrinth of court life, Kate must navigate it successfully to come out alive, even as her aunt’s reign is coming to an end and a secret is revealed that will radically change her life forever. Wendy J. Dunn tells Kate Carey’s story in her young adult novel, “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn.”

I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn for sending me a copy of this novel. I do love a good young adult novel and so when I heard about Wendy Dunn releasing a new edition of a young adult Tudor novel that she had written previously, I knew I wanted to read it.

We begin with a dispute between Kate and her mother Mary. Kate is upset with her mother after she remarries William Stafford when her father William Carey dies. She wants to get away from home and go to the court of Henry VIII where her aunt, Anne Boleyn, sits as queen. Reluctantly, Mary agrees to Kate’s request and allows Kate to join her brother Harry Carey in court.

Kate’s entrance to the glittery Tudor court comes at a crucial point. Anne Boleyn is pregnant with what she hopes will be the son she and Henry desire. Kate is surrounded by her cousins including Meg Lee, her uncle George, and of course her aunt Anne. Along the way, Kate falls head over heels in love with Francis Knollys and learns a secret about her father that will rock her small world forever. However, Kate learns that love in court is a double-edged sword that can have deadly consequences.

When King Henry VIII had his jousting accident, Anne suffered a miscarriage and lost her son who would have been her savior. The fall of Anne Boleyn was nothing short of tragic, but to see it from her young niece Kate’s perspective added layers of depth and emotion that I was not prepared to read. I have read so many different accounts of the death of Anne Boleyn, both fiction and nonfiction, but Kate Carey’s version hit me emotionally that I was almost in tears by the end.

Dunn has not only shown that she is a brilliant author of historical fiction but also a fantastic young adult historical fiction writer. It is not just the main story, but the poetry and the two short stories that show how much love Dunn has for Kate Carey. A true triumph of a novel that I did not want to end. I do hope she will write more young adult historical fiction novels set in the Tudor era. If you want a heartbreakingly spectacular novel set in the Tudor age, I highly suggest you read, “The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn” by Wendy J. Dunn.

Book Review: “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters” by Wendy J. Dunn

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

the duty of daughtersA young Spanish princess sits with her close friend, sisters, and brother as their beloved tutor, Dona Beatriz Galindo, tells them a story. As the children of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, they must marry and create alliances to strengthen their kingdoms, while Beatriz must ensure they are ready for the challenge. Childhood ends rather quickly with a holy war against the Moors, the expulsion of the Jews from the kingdom, and death around every corner. In her novel, “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters,” Wendy Dunn transports readers into a world of hope and sorrow, life and death.

After I read the second book in the Falling Pomegranate Seeds series, “All Manner of Things,” I wanted to read the book that started it all. There have not been many Tudor novels about Katherine of Aragon’s childhood, so I was curious what Dunn would bring to her story as a whole.

Our adventure into the house of Trastamara in Spain begins with Dona Beatriz Galindo being called to Isabel’s chambers. The two women deeply connected as Beatriz taught the queen Latin and tutored her children; Isabel, Prince Juan, Juana, Maria, and Catalina. Now, Isabel has given Beatriz the task of teaching her youngest daughter Catalina how to be Queen of England. Alongside Catalina, Beatriz would teach her companion Maria de Salinas, how best to serve Catalina in their new kingdom.

Beatriz’s relationship with her royal students throughout the novel evolves through trials and tribulations. Through the eyes of Beatriz, we get to see the fall of Granada and the treatment of the Jews during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel. We also get to see Beatriz’s relationship with the love of her life Francisco Ramirez through letters that she writes to him as he is away at war against the Moors. We are also introduced to Cristobal Colon, also known as Christopher Columbus, as he begs permission to travel to the New World.

At the heart of this novel are the children of Ferdinand and Isabel as they grow up and marry, sometimes moving away. Marriage does not always provide happy endings, as we see with Alfonso, Prince of Portugal, and Margaret of Austria. Death and grief run rampant in the once glorious court as the children grow up quickly. Secrets tear the foundations of this family asunder, but love still overcomes sadness.

Dona Beatriz Galindo may have been just a tutor to the royal family, but Dunn has elevated her tale to one of great significance. Beatriz is a strong, independent woman who fights for those she loves. This sensational novel brilliantly gives Tudor readers a better understanding of what Katherine of Aragon’s childhood might have been like through the eyes of her royal tutor. If you want a novel showing how Katherine of Aragon became the strong queen she was and the women who raised her, I highly recommend you read “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters” by Wendy J. Dunn.

Book Review: “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: All Manner of Things” by Wendy J. Dunn

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

48815162._SY475_A journey to a foreign land for a long-promised marriage that will unite the royal families of Spain and England. Two friends caught in the middle far away from their beloved Spain. One is Princess Katherine of Aragon, who will marry Prince Arthur. The other is her cousin and close confidant, Maria de Salinas. Their journey like their friendship will last for decades, full of loyalty and love. Katherine’s story has been told many times in different ways, while Maria de Salinas has remained faithfully in the shadows. That is until now. In Wendy J. Dunn’s continuation of her Katherine of Aragon story, “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: All Manner of Things”, Maria de Salinas is the protagonist telling the tragic tale of love and heartache from her perspective.

I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn for sending me a copy of her latest novel. I have heard wonderful things about Wendy’s novels from my friends. When I heard that Dunn was writing a novel about Maria de Salinas, I was intrigued by the concept. I only knew about Maria de Salinas through brief mentions of her in biographies and other novels about Katherine of Aragon, so I was excited to read her story.

Dunn’s novel begins as a letter that Maria de Salinas is writing to her only daughter. It is the story of her life with Katherine with the intention that her daughter understands the tough decisions that she made throughout her life and how unbelievably loyal she was to her queen, Katherine of Aragon. By having Maria recalling the story, Dunn adds another layer of depth to Katherine’s story. Maria knew Katherine her entire life so she knew how Katherine was feeling even when Katherine hid her emotions from the rest of the world. Her initial reactions to her new home, England. The love she had for Arthur and what happened on their wedding night. Katherine’s opinions of her father and her father-in-law. And of course, her tumultuous relationship with her second husband, Henry VIII.

Maria’s personal story is full of love and tragedy as well. Her love story with the man of her choice, who will be her husband, is gut-wrenching yet so beautiful. You will root for Maria to get her happily ever after. There were so many points in this book that I was on the brink of tears. I did not want this novel to end. Dunn created a protagonist with her own strength and a story that is nothing short of remarkable. The vivid descriptions that are in this work of art create a realistic Tudor world that you never want to leave.

This novel was a masterpiece in Tudor historical fiction. Maria’s story and how she helped Katherine of Aragon is riveting you will find yourself wanting to know more about Maria de Salinas. I wish we did have more of the relationship between Maria and her daughter, but that is because I wanted more of the tale. I have read many historical fiction novels about the Tudors and their world and I have to say this novel is one of the pinnacle Tudor novels that I have ever read. This is the first time that I have read a novel by Wendy Dunn, but now I want to read her other works. If you want a sensational novel centered around the astounding friendship of Maria de Salinas and Katherine of Aragon, “Falling Pomegranate Seeds: All Manner of Things” by Wendy J. Dunn is a must-read for any Tudor nerd.