100 Pages A Day...Stephanie's Book Reviews

 I absolutely love historical fiction told from a female point of view.  A Triple Knot is no exception, telling the story of Joan of Kent, a Plantagenet in the court of King Edward the III.  Known as the Fair Maid of Kent, Joan catches the eye of several men at a young age.  Being of noble blood and a ward of the queen, she is meant to be a pawn, but Joan has other ideas.  Joan is betrothed to Will Montague by her mother's alliances, used as a pawn for power for the Stallion of Gascon, and her cousin, Ned, the prince believes they are meant to be together from childhood. Joan would rather be with Thomas Holland and will wait nine years in order to do so. 

I did not know a lot about this time in English history when I began A Triple Knot, but through the intense research done by Emma Campion, I feel like I have a much better idea.  Joan of Kent's world materializes through details taken from fact and brought to life through fiction.  Joan's character begins as a confused but strong willed twelve year-old, I loved watching Joan grow and stick to her will even though everyone around her wants something different for her life.  It was refreshing to read a story of a women in the 1300's following her own path and not getting severely punished.  I also enjoyed learning more about Edward the Black Prince from Joan's point of view.  He is painted as an incredibly charming but manipulative person throughout the story.  Covering a large period of time in Joan's life, I was also able to learn about other important events happening around Joan of Kent.  This part of the story could feel quite meticulous to some or incredibly informative to others.