The Honey and the Sting - E.C.Fremantle

I’ve read six books by Elizabeth Fremantle/E.C.Fremantle now. I would read more but she has yet to write them! When she does, I’ll be there!

The Honey and the Sting sees a departure from the author’s usual style of taking a character, usually female, actually always female, from a period in history and creating a fiction around their lives. These books have invariably sent me googling to find out more. But I love it when a writer seeks some variety in their field. Yes, it’s still #histfic and in a familiar historical period but it demonstrates a broader depth to this author’s oeuvre. 

One of the strengths I find in Ms. Fremantle’s work is her ability to develop characters of substance and depth that leap off the page at you, even if they are characters from history who you’ve read about, feel you had some kind of knowledge and understanding of, but she brings them alive in a most exciting way. I remember being absolutely blown away by Queens Gambit because for the first time I felt I knew Catherine Parr as a person, and not just the wife who survived Henry VIII. She became a woman in her own right.

So I’ll admit I was a little bit concerned when I realised that the Honey and the Sting was not about an historical character. But it didn’t last long! A few pages in and I was completely transported into the world of these three sisters. Once again characters so well drawn, so palpable, you felt that if you came across them in the street you’d know them. A fine example of a character driven novel. Of course the main male characters, George Villers and Felton are historical figures but those aspects aren’t the dominant part of the story. That being said Villiers was reputed to be an unpleasant person which is crucial to the story. 

Another aspect of this writer’s work which I admire is the depth and quality of the research. It’s so good you barely notice it. If that sounds like a contradiction so be it. But it’s when the research is bad that you notice the glaring errors and anomalies. The problem when it’s good is that you sometimes have to step out of the book in order to appreciate just how good the research is. Here it’s less factual, in terms of political and court history, its more social history, practices and protocols according to class and situation. The setting and locations were familiar to me. I practically leapt out of my seat when I read that Felton was living in a room in Budge Row. That's because my mother lived in that street as a child. The street no longer exists so it has a greater impact when it is mentioned. I am also familiar with The Feathers inn as I have a brother who lives in Ludlow. If that information seems a little self-indulgent and irrelevant within the wider context of a book review it's because it further shows how impeccable the research is.

The themes are universal and have been explored many times in contemporary and historical settings. Sibling bonds, maternal love, the hunger to survive and protect particularly from the female perspective. I was transported back to seventeenth century England and found myself entwined in the world of Hester, Melis and Hope, my interest and sympathies engaged almost immediately. 

A sense of tension and unease is created, particularly through the middle sister Melis who is subject to visions. The narrative sparkles along at a cracking pace barely giving the reader time to breathe. I felt as stressed at the sisters must surely have been feeling! There are some heart stopping moments and some heart breaking moments! And the story veritably drips with deception, power and desire and how those states can weaken and corrupt. 

The independence of women is fundamental in this book. Their strengths, and their frailties, are what drives the story forwards. The bonds between them, existent or newly forged, tie in with the bee symbolism. A sense of community and industry together with a sense of personal power. And the paradox of the sweetness of the honey and the barb of a bee sting and what happens to a bee who loses its sting. 

My thanks to myself for buying myself a copy of this book!