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Female Agency
Lady of Lincoln follows noblewoman Nicola de la Haye, who defies gender, betrayal, and political chaos to defend Lincoln Castle during one of England’s most violent and unstable eras. How did you balance staying true to the historical record while giving Nicola a vivid inner life?
I was first introduced to Nicola de la Haye’s story when I visited Lincoln Castle as a tourist, and they talked about their famous constable, ‘The Woman who Saved England,’ and the first ever female sheriff. I was determined to write about her, but realised fairly quickly that it would be a mammoth task.
I started by immersing myself into her story, that of England in the hundred years before her time (the Norman conquest, and ‘the Anarchy’ and her family’s involvement in both, as well as the history of England, Normandy, and the Angevin empire over the whole of her life and just after. I paid particular attention to her family, neighbours, the city of Lincoln, and the royal and church infighting at the time.
Having, after months of careful research, enough to go on, I mapped out the whole character story and arc that would fit with the known facts and that would explain her motivations for what she did.
Only then did I start to write. But with every chapter, there was the need for more research – what did the abbey it was set in look like? What was happening in the city England, or with the dispute with the church, at that exact time? How did the chroniclers describe the appearance (if at all) of the characters, and what personality traits did they assign to them?
I don’t believe I wrote anything that conflicts with the known history, and I tried to record that known history if it was relevant to the story. The art was to fill in the gaps, determine the personalities involved, and their motivations.
Nicola is both dutiful and defiant. What aspects of her personality felt most important to get right?
Nicola would be a woman who was considered exceptional by chroniclers. She defied conventions by ruling a castle, becoming the first female sheriff, holding out in important sieges, and commanding the loyalty of her vassals and her garrison. She also stayed loyal to a king who had been abandoned by most of his barons. She didn’t take the easy path, and she didn’t shirk her responsibilities. To me, that meant she needed a unique mix of loyalty, obligation to duty, and an ability to defy and stand her ground. That is the woman who Nicola became, and that is what the story in Lady of Lincoln, the first in the series about her, would help her become.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Female Agency in a Patriarchal World: The novel explores Nicola’s struggle to exert authority and make her own choices in a society where women are viewed as little more than property. Her journey from a girl who must be “taught her duty” to a woman who commands a castle siege exemplifies this theme.
Duty vs. Desire: Nicola is torn between her duty to her family name, her people, and the King, and her personal desires for love, freedom, and self-determination.
The Nature of Honour: The story contrasts different interpretations of honour. For Nicola’s father and Gerard de Camville, honour is tied to loyalty, duty, and justice. For characters like William FitzErneis, Ralph de la Haye, and Alured of Pointon, honour is a flexible concept, often sacrificed for personal ambition, wealth, or status. This conflict shapes Nicola’s understanding of true leadership.
How does this first book set the stage for the rest of Nicola’s journey?
In Lady of Lincoln, Nicola discovers her agency both as a baroness but also with her relationships. She is challenged by the effect of the Great Rebellion (a civil war) on her family, her people, and her inheritance. In the next two books she will be further challenged in terms of both her relationships (the middle years of a marriage, growing children, and widowhood) and the effect of significant external events (the Third Crusade, the plot by Prince John against King Richard the Lionheart, then Magna Carta, the Baron’s War, and the French invasion) that impact directly on herself and all that she holds dear. By the time she holds out against the French invasion, she has truly grown into the person who was ‘the Woman who Saved England.’
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12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.
Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.
Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?
In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.
Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale.
Buy Lady of Lincoln to celebrate ‘the woman who saved England’ today!
Lady of Lincoln: A Novel of Nicola de la Haye, the Medieval Heroine History Tried to Forget (The Nicola de la Haye Series Book 1)
Lady of Lincoln follows Nicola de la Haye across the turbulent decades of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. She grows from a spirited girl in a world designed to restrain her into a formidable woman who defends Lincoln Castle through riots, betrayals, and war. The story blends intimate personal struggles with sweeping political upheaval. It paints a vivid picture of a society built to ignore women and yet, wonderfully, shows how Nicola breaks through those limits with sheer will. The book traces her early life, the danger around her family’s lands, the rising violence against Jewish residents, and the complicated loyalties that define her fate. It ends by revealing her as a leader who stands firm when England itself seems ready to fall.
I was swept up by the writing. It carries a cinematic quality that shifts easily between tense action and quiet emotional moments. I loved how the scenes inside Lincoln Castle felt alive. The author’s choices made the world vivid without drowning the story in heavy historical detail. The conflicts felt real, especially the fear and confusion inside Aaron the Jew’s house during the riot, which is handled with a sense of urgency and sorrow drawn straight from the text. I was rooting for Nicola not only because she faces danger, but because she thinks and feels her way through it. Her frustration with the role forced on her, her longing for freedom, and her unshaken loyalty to the people under her protection gave the novel a beating heart.
Even more than the action, the emotional through line stayed with me. Nicola’s struggle against the constraints of her gender, her grief, and her desire to shape her own future felt honest and raw. The writing invites empathy without begging for it, and the characters around her carry their own weight. The novel does not hide the cruelty of the age. It does not soften the violence, the discrimination, or the smallness of the choices available to women. At the same time, it shows joy. Friendship. Humor. The warmth inside Bella’s home. Those bright moments made the darker ones hit harder. I appreciated the balance. It felt real.
Lady of Lincoln is emotional without turning sentimental, rich without turning dense, and dramatic without losing grip on the people at its center. I’d recommend Lady of Lincoln to readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction, especially those who like stories that highlight overlooked women. It will appeal to anyone who wants a tale of resilience and grit told with warmth, energy, and heart. A vivid, emotionally charged tale that turns a forgotten heroine into an unforgettable force.
Pages: 493 | ASIN : B0G1ZCJ4ZX
