Diary of a Medieval Lady (Paperback)

In 1411, ten-year-old Elizabeth Courtenay, the intellectually precocious and lively daughter of the Earl of Devon, starts to keep a diary in a light-hearted fashion as a relief from household tasks and embroidery. Little does she realise then that as an adult she will go on, not only to record the difficult day-to-day life of a Lady of the Manor, but also an extraordinary series of misfortunes and disasters. From the moment she secretly marries William Bonville of Colcombe Castle, her long life becomes one of desperate love and grim endurance, interspersed with moments of beauty, hope and humour. Through her own family and that of her husband, Elizabeth becomes involved in a vicious local feud which leads into the ruthless bloody battles of the Wars of the Roses, culminating in a terrible personal tragedy.