Hugh and Bess: A Love Story in Q&A With Susan Higginbotham

Jul 21, 2009 Misfit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Hugh and Bess are Hugh le Despenser, son of the infamous traitor "Hugh the Younger" and Bess, daughter of William de Montacute Earl of Salisbury. After Hugh's father is executed for treason (drawn and quartered) he is imprisoned for several years, and even when released he is still tainted with the "sins" of his father. Hugh must eventually marry, although the very young Bess is none too thrilled with her parent’s choice of an older groom and a son of a traitor to boot.

The rest of the book deta ...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Not to be over dramatic, but this book came at the PERFECT time in my life. I literally JUST finished “Three Day Road” by Joseph Boyden, and while not being a BAD book, it was not an overly HAPPY one. And from the first sentence of Hugh and Bess I knew that it was going to be a delightful read. Which it totally WAS. I LOVED IT.

I really do not know much about Edward II, but interestingly enough I DID know about the standoff at Calais so parts of the book were very cool for that reason. What I LO Not to be over dramatic, but this book came at the PERFECT time in my life. I literally JUST finished “Three Day Road” by Joseph Boyden, and while not being a BAD book, it was not an overly HAPPY one. And from the first sentence of Hugh and Bess I knew that it was going to be a delightful read. Which it totally WAS. I LOVED IT.

I really do not know much about Edward II, but interestingly enough I DID know about the standoff at Calais so parts of the book were very cool for that reason. What I LOVED about the novel is that each of the characters had a very distinctive VOICE. And Bess’s voice is so endearing, I liked her immediately. She is only 13 when we meet her, and she is a widow (thaaaat’s right.. I said WIDOW) and her parents have figured she had been widowing around long enough and it was high time for her to be married off.. again. Bess is not impressed, to say the least, especially when she finds out that her dear friend Joan is marrying her brother Will who is around their age, and Bess has to marry this old guy who is a whole 32 years old for heaven’s sake!
Eventhough this novel is set in the 14th century Bess's character is, in many ways, very typical of a any thirteen year old girl. For example how she is secretly annoyed at the fact the Joan has developed breasts long before she has.

"So why didn't you tell me? Don't you want to marry Will?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I have my reasons."
This had become Joan's favourite saying since she had started her monthly courses and developed those breasts of hers.

She is feisty, and outspoken, but also self conscious. All completely endearing qualities. Hugh, although relatively handsome, has a dark family history which horrifies Bess. But since she has no choice in the matter agrees to marry him.

Flashbacks to Hugh's past help us to understand his character and how it is vastly different to that of his distasteful and cruel father and Grandfather. He is a respectable and lovely man who is always trying to "do the right thing". We also learn of Emma, Hugh's first real love whom he will never be permitted to marry. A very respectable woman in her own right, who knows the rules of the court well enough to know she will never be married to Hugh, the only man she has ever really loved.

Throughout the story we are gently taken along as Hugh and Bess's feelings for one another grow, and we learn that their love is the stuff of fairy tales. That, which is to say, is not without its nightmares.

"Hugh and Bess" is a love story, and it is very well written and lovely to read. Personally, I could not put it down and read it in two days. And I will be ordering Higginbotham's other book "The Traitor's Wife" and then "The Stolen Crown" when it comes out. If this book is any indication of the story telling ability of the author than I know I will LOVE her other books as well. Historical fiction can be tricky. You need to have enough HISTORY to frame the story in it's place in time, but not TOO much and not TOO DRY to make it like a text book. Higginbotham's historical fiction blends the "historical" and the "fiction" perfectly. In fact, in my opinion, the mark of a great historical fiction novel is that you want to go on after you finish it and devour anything having to do with the family or historical persons portrayed in the book. Higginbotham's novel made me want to do that very thing. Also, the mark of ANY good book is at the very very end, when you finally close its cover , you actually sigh audibly as in "that was SUCH a great book."
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Aug 21, 2009 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

After reading and loving The Traitor’s Wife, I eagerly anticipated Higginbotham’s sequel of sorts, Hugh and Bess. When it finally did arrive, I became so wrapped up in the soapy romantic drama that I dropped everything and finished it in a day. The story centers on a young Elizabeth de Montacute or Bess, the daughter of favored Earl and the much older, Hugh le Despenser, a wealthy (yet disgraced) Lord. Hugh’s grandfather and father were executed as traitors, and Hugh’s father was accused of adul After reading and loving The Traitor’s Wife, I eagerly anticipated Higginbotham’s sequel of sorts, Hugh and Bess. When it finally did arrive, I became so wrapped up in the soapy romantic drama that I dropped everything and finished it in a day. The story centers on a young Elizabeth de Montacute or Bess, the daughter of favored Earl and the much older, Hugh le Despenser, a wealthy (yet disgraced) Lord. Hugh’s grandfather and father were executed as traitors, and Hugh’s father was accused of adultery and sodomy with the former King. Hugh himself was imprisoned missing a near execution himself, but is now working hard to restore his family’s honor. Bess is understandably horrified at marriage into a family with such a reputation, and Hugh is honored by the match in theory, but he is in love with another woman. Can they find happiness in a marriage that neither sought and both are entering with reluctance?

At the heart of Hugh and Bess is a love story. Higginbotham manages to give Hugh and Bess an electric chemistry that compels throughout the historical drama. What makes the plot successful is Higginbotham’s tendency to ground the story in known facts then realistically elaborate the humanistic elements. For example, Bess begins the story at 13, and she reads and feels—13. This is a refreshing change from the tiny calculating power hungry seven-year-old cliché that dominates the historical fiction genre. Those who have read The Traitor’s Wife will be pleased as we get a few more glimpses of favorite characters. And this story takes care to fill in gaps in time, and show that story from different perspectives. You’ll want to read the Traitor’s Wife if you haven’t not because it is necessary for Hugh and Bess, but because it’s a great novel.

That said; the last few chapters seem to drag. We’ve moved on from a lot of the action, and not to spoil and plot lines, but the climatic challenges that face the couple, and the ensuing chapters read like and after thought. It was almost as if Higginbotham had fallen in love with her characters and was unwilling to let go. Also, having read The Traitor’s Wife, and other historical works of the time, I still found it hard to place some of the minor characters. It doesn’t help that the English nobility of the time only used a couple of family names repeatedly, ie, Elizabeth, Hugh, Edward, Isabella, Joan, William, etc… A little more guidance and more thorough introductions would have been helpful.

However by focusing on the romance, Higginbotham delivers a relatable historical fiction piece that transcends generations. If you (like me) just can’t get enough of these English court novels, I’m certain you’ll love Hugh and Bess.
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Jun 19, 2009 Alaine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This books does have a link to Susan Higginbotham's previous release The Traitor's Wife but it is not necessary to read it first. I've got both books but decided to read Hugh and Bess first, primarily because it is smaller and I don't have a lot of time on my hands at the moment. It was very easy to slip into the 1300's and the difficulties of life during that time.

Hugh Le Despenser's father and grandfather where executed when Hugh was a young man. He spent months in prison but eventually was re ...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed "Hugh and Bess" by Susan Higginbotham as much as her first novel "The Traitor's Wife". Writing about real people who are less well known (or not really known at all) very much appeals to me. I appreciate learning about how they might have lived, what their relations might have been with the more well known people, and how they might have viewed the time period they lived in. Another plus for me is that" Hugh and Bess" has continued the Despenser family saga since the Hugh in the title ...more

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May 14, 2010 Lauren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Hugh and Bess is the sequel to The Traitor's Wife. It is a much lighter novel than The Traitor's Wife however, focusing on the efforts of Hugh Le Despenser to overcome the stigma of being the son and grandson of traitors. After years of striving to prove his loyalty to the crown, Hugh becomes engaged to the teenaged Elizabeth de Montacute (Bess). Bess is horrified to learn about her betrothed's family history and is forced to marry him against her will. Against the odds, Bess learns to love her Hugh and Bess is the sequel to The Traitor's Wife. It is a much lighter novel than The Traitor's Wife however, focusing on the efforts of Hugh Le Despenser to overcome the stigma of being the son and grandson of traitors. After years of striving to prove his loyalty to the crown, Hugh becomes engaged to the teenaged Elizabeth de Montacute (Bess). Bess is horrified to learn about her betrothed's family history and is forced to marry him against her will. Against the odds, Bess learns to love her husband and to forgive him for his unsavory family history.

To me, the biggest strength of Hugh and Bess is Higginbotham's excellent characterization of the main characters. Higginbotham created a believable response to the trauma that Hugh experienced as the son and grandson of traitors and the difficulty he faced in simultaneously mourning his family while also seeking to re-enter English society after a long imprisonment as a person worthy of status and respect - i.e. proving that he is nothing like his grasping father. Hugh is a very real character - both deeply connected to his time, but also highly introspective and passionate. Similarly, Bess is a very real character too. Like Hugh, she is well rooted in her time period, but also has very realistic emotional responses and insecurities to her position as the wife of Hugh Le Despenser.

Hugh and Bess is definitely a historical romance but is also well rooted in historical fact. Higginbotham strives to remain true to the factual record and provides a comprehensive author's note to detail deviations. The main characters are not particularly important, but they are interesting nonetheless and provide a good window into medieval society.

I recommend this book for its romantic appeal and as a character study. While none of the main characters were particularly historically important (compared to The Traitor's Wife, which centered on the downfall of Edward II, the ruthless Queen Isabella and Mortimer, and King Edward's favorites) it was a worthy sequel and an interesting novel in it's own right. While Hugh and Bess can be read as a stand alone novel, I think it is best appreciated when read along with The Traitor's Wife. Four stars. ...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Amy Bruno rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2009, arcs

Elizabeth de Montecute (Bess) is not a happy camper when she learns she is to be married to the son of the notorious Hugh le Despenser, lover to King Edward II. The fact that the son is nothing like the father does nothing to assuage her displeasure.

Now, Hugh is no more thrilled about the arrangement than Bess, but he’s a realist and when the king offers you an heiress and daughter of his closest advisors, you take it!

After the grisly execution of his father, the third Hugh le Despenser was imp ...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Carla Nayland added it · review of another edition

Bess de Montacute, pretty, sharp, wealthy and thirteen, is not at all happy when she is told she is to marry Hugh le Despenser, aged 32 and the son and grandson of disgraced traitors. For his part, Hugh has mixed feelings - marrying into Bess's family is highly desirable, but Hugh is already in love with another woman of lower social status. Can this seemingly ill-matched couple forge a successful marriage together? Charming short tale of life and love in aristocratic fourteenth-century England. ...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Elysium rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, historical, read-in-2010, medieval

4.5 stars

Elizabeth de Montecute (Bess) is not happy when she hears that she is to marry Hugh le Despenser, son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger.A man twice her age and not to mention horrible family history. Hugh is not thrilled either but the king himself offers the marriage, he won’t say no.

After the executions of Hugh’s father and grandfather and his own time in prison, he is trying to restore the family name and shows himself loyal to the King.

I loved the relationship between Bess and Hugh ...more

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