Eleven-year-old Bess de Montacute is infuriated when she discovers that she is being forced to marry thirty-two-year-old Hugh le Despenser. Hugh comes from a family of traitors, and isn't very happy about the arrangement either. For the past several years, he has been having a love affair with a woman he would never be permitted to wed.
After being imprisoned after his father's execution, Hugh realizes he must accept this gift he has been presented. The two are forced to come together and perservere despite the challenges placed before them. Young Bess is allowed a reprieve of one year after she weds before she must share a bed with her husband. An appalling thought in the current time, but a very common practice in the 14th century.
Even though they eventually grow to love one another, their love is continually tested. A war separates them and threatens to systematically destroy those they love. And just when it appears as though it can't get any worse, they are faced to deal with an unforgiving and indiscriminate plague-pestilence. Just how much can their love withstand?
Hugh and Bess
is truly a coming of age novel. We watch each of the main characters grow and mature as their love blossoms and they become remarkable people. Higginbotham does an outstanding job of growing her characters. She makes this historical fiction/romance an interesting one. At no point was I overwhelmed or bored with the historical facts that were relayed. Higginbotham overcomes this by the incredible dialogue she creates between the characters. Most of the history is relayed by the characters themselves, and not some dull and dry narrator. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, but not typically historical romance. But I can't say enough about this powerful love story between two people forced together by marriage. I was so enamored by this love story that I read it twice! Those that know me understand that I can count on one hand the books I have had a desire to read more than once! Higginbotham is an author I will continue to follow.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of Hugh and Bess for review!