Yesterday I was thrilled to share a review with you of a lovely historical fiction: Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift.
Today I am even more excited to have Deborah here at One Book Shy with a piece giving us an insight into the actual history behind the story. Welcome Deborah!
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The History and Legend Behind ‘Spirit of the Highway’ by Deborah Swift
The
wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
The
moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas…’
So
opens the Alfred Noyes poem, The Highwayman.
I
loved that poem at school, and have remembered the opening lines ever
since I was nine years old! So when I read about Lady Katherine
Fanshawe – the noblewoman who was also a highwaywoman, I could
hardly resist researching her fascinating life! Whilst
uncovering Katherine’s story I found that the real history and the
legend did not always agree. For one thing, there are discrepancies
about Katherine’s date of death and place of burial, and little
survives of hard-core evidence as to her activities during the
English Civil War.
Despite
the legend, there is actually nothing of substance to link Lady
Katherine with any sort of highway robbery, although it is likely
that there was robbery and plunder on the roads at this period
because of civil unrest; crimes that could have been attributed to
her.
The
legend however is irresistible. Two films have been based on the
idea, both called ‘The Wicked Lady’, in 1945 and 1983. There was
also another novel; The
Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton,
loosely based on Katherine’s life. The fact that the legend has
survived so long is a testament to its appeal.
But
could I re-imagine it, paying attention to the facts whilst keeping
true to the interest of the legend? Could I keep her exploits as a
highwaywoman?
For
my story I have drawn on both her real life, and aspects of the
legend. Nowhere in the real history is Katherine’s lover, Ralph
Chaplin, traceable, although he always features in the retelling of
the legend as the person who persuaded her to robbery in the first
place. For a novelist, these gifts of mysterious characters with no
background fuel the imagination, and Ralph features in my novel and
Spirit of the Highway is his story, told from his point of view. Of
course I have tried to make him as real as possible, and, as many
young men were at that time, excited to try new idealistic ways of
living, following the break-down of the established order.
Unfortunately I cannot escape the fact that he comes to a tragic end,
although his restless spirit still wanders to protect his one true
love!
I
was concerned however, to pay attention to the real evidence, and –
without giving too much away, to supply likely scenarios which could
have led to the interpretation we have today. John Barber, on
his excellent website on
Lady Katherine, poses the idea that her life may have accrued some of
the story of ‘Maude of Allinghame’ (1833), a Victorian
ballad that tells the story of a noblewoman who robs a young suitor
and later the Mayor of Redbourne. This seems to be a likely
possibility, although parts of Katherine’s legend are undoubtedly
true. She was forced
to marry tragically early; her stepfather did squander
her fortune; the real Markyate Manor does have a secret passage.
 |
| ©http://www.petes-walks.co.uk/Chiltern%20Hills/Redbourn/redbourn1.htm |
Suffice
it to say, there is plenty of highway action in Spirit on the Highway
– muskets, moonlight and a restless ghost.
About the Author
Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists. She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District - a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.
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Thank you so much for sharing this with us Deborah. It is fascinating to see where the characters and tales are rooted. I also loved "The Highwayman" when I first heard it as a kid!
Readers, if you missed the review and spotlight yesterday, you can check it out HERE. You also still have plenty of time to enter the giveaway below - it ends tonight!!
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Along with the first book in the series:
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, October 26 Guest Post at Passages to the PastTuesday, October 27 Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight & Excerpt at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, October 28 Review at History From a Woman's Perspective
Thursday, October 29 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Monday, November 2 Review at The Maiden's Court
Tuesday, November 3 Spotlight & Excerpt at Brooke Blogs
Thursday, November 5 Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Friday, November 6 Review at Bookramblings
Review at Just One More Chapter
Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Giveaway
To win a signed paperback of Spirit of the Highway please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Three copies up for grabs!
Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
enter here: >>>>> Spirit of the Highway
~~~~~ Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own. I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links. I may receive books in order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one. Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
