This is the first novel I have read by Karen Brooks and I found it to be a very well-researched historical fiction that was perhaps just slightly too long for my liking. The Good Wife of Bath beings when Eleanor is just 12 years old and enters into her first marriage. Her epic journey through life and quite a few more marriages, has many highs and lows. Set in 14th century England, in a time where women were considered inferior to men, life for women of any class was generally challenging. Eleanor is a strong, defiant character compared to Alyson, Eleanor's humble, kindhearted companion. Overall this was a very interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy of this book. 4.5 Stars.

A well-researched, extremely well-written medieval retelling of the life of Chaucer's Wife of Bath. She was a saucy, entertaining, brash woman of five husbands. I was fascinated with the first half of the book, but by the time she got to the fourth husband it started to get somewhat frustrating. I wanted the character to start learning from her past, but she seemed to keep jumping into bad and then worse situations. The protagonist's blatant racism against Muslims when she reached Jerusalem frustrated me even further, and while I understand that a white Christian woman in her circumstances in medieval times would have been likely to have exhibited such racism, I found that I couldn't take much more of it from that point onwards and wanted it all to end. But if you're looking for an entertaining retelling of Chaucer's Wife of Bath set in medieval England, this is for you.

This tale was completely new to me! I didn't grow up with the Canterbury tales so everything was new to me. I really enjoyed reading this retelling.. but it was;t a retelling for me.. hahaha. Highly recommended.

Great characters, a wonderful imagining of a literary figure. The core relationship between Eleanor and Alyson was just wonderful, as was the enduring friendship of Eleanor and Chaucer. Perhaps a little overlong.

Dear Ms. Brooks,

I couldn’t resist finding out what you were going to do with this famous character. Way back in the dark ages of my youth, I had to learn and recite the prologue of “The Canterbury Tales” in class (and can still manage a couple of the verses) but if I ever actually read the “Wife’s Tale” I didn’t remember much of it beyond that it was not thought to be a flattering view of women. Or was that incorrect and Chaucer was turning the common viewpoint on its head?

At times funny, frank, and written in first person, Eleanor tells it like it is and dares to call out the inequality between men and women, especially about what got her into enough trouble to be packed off, at the age of twelve, to her first husband – a man much older than she. It might take two to do what she’s accused of but why is it always the woman who pays the price while the male goes free? Then when her first husband dies, she marries again to, as she thinks, protect her interests. Only she finds a new type of oppression she must fight against before needing to marry a third time to protect herself as well as those who depend on her. The fourth husband is one she’s strongly warned against but after three elderly husbands, she wants a young, lusty husband as she freely admits she enjoys the pleasures of the flesh. She thinks she’s got it all figured out with husband number five only to fall prey to another danger faced by women. What will she do when this marriage is over? How will she fight the restrictions against women and an old adversary she never thought to see again?

“The Good Wife of Bath” is mainly about women reclaiming their voice and power but, after a while, not quite how I expected. Eleanor initially tries to work within the framework of acceptable behavior, only to have to step outside of that when needs must and she has no other options. Some of her marriages were good and while the husbands weren’t what she might have dreamed of, they were kind, thoughtful, and not only recognized her talents and business acumen, they let her loose to take full advantage of them. One husband she very cleverly manipulated into letting her have her way. One caused her grief because she wanted him and refused to see him for what he was and another had a side she never saw before it was too late.

The historical details are woven into the story without turning into an opportunity to over display copious research. Harsh times sometimes called for harsh ways to survive. But even living a medieval middle class life didn’t insulate one from stink, disease, fleas, and cold. A person who was on the lower end of the socio-economic scale had it even worse. Women had to fight all this and the beliefs and laws aimed at keeping them under the control of the men in their lives. There is much that is dark and watching Eleanor hurl herself against injustice again and again only to often still suffer for that got wearying. Eleanor is brave but also often foolhardy and naive – banging her head against a wall as if this time she’ll crack the wall rather than it hurting her.

I hate to admit but there were sections of the book that while interesting, seemed to meander a bit. In the second half, events repeat as if Eleanor must have lessons made clear to her more than once in order for her to finally grasp them. When a second person pays a high price for Eleanor’s actions, I sighed and thought yes, Eleanor grieves for this person but if she’d only thought a bit, this might not have happened. I also found that many of the secondary characters weren’t fleshed out well and given the length of the book, there was plenty of room for it.

Eleanor can frustrate those who love her – and read about her – as well as make them proud of her. She can make horrible mistakes due to her pride and contrariness and often pays a dear price for it. Despite the fact that her actions often lead to “Fortune’s Wheel” changing on her and causing her own downfall as well as that of those dependent on her, she has surprisingly (well, she admits she’s surprised) loyal workers. But then she rose from the working class, treats her workers well, and does try to provide a way for them to earn a working wage. By the end of the book, she does finally appear to have learned some hard truths. She tries to live life on her own terms in a time and world in which women were not allowed to do so. And she sometimes managed to succeed. B-

This is an epic re-telling of The Wife of Bath's Tale from The Canterbury Tales. Don't let the size of the book scare you into thinking this is just another ye old English classic novel, it is almost anything but.

In a time when men ruled both the world, home and women, Karen Brooks takes great care and detail in creating Eleanor and her life of five husbands (good and bad), friends, family, home, work, and faith.

The Good Wife of Bath is a compelling read that will leave the reader feeling like they are with Eleanor every step of her journey, laughing, crying and cursing with her.

I loved this book!
The characters were flawed and relatable.
The stories were interesting and full of historical details.
The writing style was engaging and kept me wanting to read more.
I would highly recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction.

What an interesting read! I went into this story with minimal/no background in Chaucer’s tale or the Wife’s story. That was not necessary as this story took you straight to those days, with the use of some old English Language when needed (but easily understood). I loved that this woman was given a name and her own story. A Strong female character and the challenges she faced made for an interesting and engaging read. If you are hesitating, don’t! I
Would highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed previous reads such as “The Dictionary of Lost Words”.

Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Review run date was set for publication but life and studies was just as important as writing a book review on 07 July 2021 so now 04 October 2021 the review was written and posted on NetGalley,

Eleanor Cornfed at such a young age of 12 years old she is taken away and married off to an old farmer. It takes quite awhile for young Eleanor to adjust to her new life and more difficult to forge friendships and relationships with her new family and staff. Young Eleanor similar to being a feminist not a known thing for her era which portrays she’s born ahead of her time because she stood her ground, not fearful of her elders and seeing on how to make money to improve the farm. She is a head strong, stubborn and tends to make her own decisions and firm on how she will lead on her own terms.
As a reader who loves to read many genres more so Historical fiction. I have enjoyed reading about Eleanor the Good Wife of Bath, her five marriages, her journey through life and where she ended up. It is a great version of the story of Eleanor and I certainly recommend to other Historical Fiction readers. The book is a page turner, funny yet astounding life journey of a Bath wife found in the Middle Ages.

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Set in 14th century England, The Good Wife of Bath is a retelling of “The wife of Bath’s Tale”, one of 14 tales published by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Middle Ages called The Canterbury Tales. It was a fictional insight into women and social structures at that time and her tale reveals the double standard and the widely held belief that women are inferior to men.

The main character of The Good Wife of Bath is Eleanor, who is twelve as the book opens with her fighting off a priest who is trying to rape her. They are caught but the priest convinces everyone that Eleanor came on to him. As punishment she is married off to a much older, much despised widower who stinks to high heaven and has a daughter who is six years older than Eleanor. Her new husband is a gentle and kind man despite his reputation and Eleanor manages to turn his household around and becomes fast friends with her step daughter and life is good. Sadly her much older husband dies and as women cannot own their own land, she has to marry. This is the start of her many marriages, and how Eleanor manages to survive each one.

Author, Karen Brooks, had brought the Middle Ages to life. Her main character, Eleanor, lives through the plague, endures physical abuse, accumulates wealth and makes close friends. Unlike her husbands she is smart and manages to build up wealth through trading prowess, only to lose it when she marries a new husband. Smart, intelligent and loving women are trampled by society’s belief that women are inferior to men. Eleanor is down many times - but never out.

I really enjoyed how Karen Brooks managed to give voice to Chaucer’s woman of Bath. Her side of the story is a little naughty, often funny, and sometimes heart wrenching until Eleanor works out how to be her own woman.

This was a fantastic, hilarious read.

Our protagonist is a handful and I think that was what was so endearing.

4.5 stars

I came into this with absolutely no knowledge about The Canterbury Tales, or really even Geoffrey Chaucer - unless his portrayal by Paul Bettany in A Knight's Tale counts? My mother claims this is not an accurate representation, but I choose to disagree. Regardless, I absolutely loved The Good Wife of Bath.

There are two parts in this story. In the first, Eleanor is a captivating and scandalous narrator. She runs us through her multiple marriages, all while maturing (her first marriage takes place at a hard-to-stomach 12 years of age) into the woman she will become. Her marriages run the gamut from loving and supportive to domineering and abusive. Still, Eleanor maintains her scintillating and gossipy tone as she grows business after business under her husbands' names and consistently works to improve her standing in the world.

I was not prepared for part two. After a horrific, unpredictable (by me at least) tragedy, Eleanor's life is completely changed. Being forced to flee, change her name, and make her own way in the world leads to some dark and depressing chapters. You can see Eleanor trying to maintain her lighthearted tone as she takes what she's learned and works to provide for herself and her companions, but the 13-1400s are not a palatable time for a single woman trying to make a living.

Every single character in The Good Wife of Bath is well-written and believable. I cannot comprehend the amount of research it must have taken to write a historically accurate story in this time period, especially with real historical figures like Chaucer included. While the narrative took many unexpected turns, it was always believable, and by the time I got to Eleanor and Alyson's fight in the shit pile, I was totally hooked.

I expected to enjoy this book. I did not expect to love it so much! An excellent retelling of Geoffrey Chaucer's most well known tale from The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath. Karen Brooks has done an excellent job of fleshing out a character from the poem and addressing the inequality and injustice the women faced in the period. It made for fascinating reading in Eleanor/Alyson tale and was meticulously researched. Brooks draws you into Eleanor's world in the 1300's and the plight of the poor, the working class, the gentry and all the challenges that Eleanor faced being a women and held to ridiculous and double standards in a funny and clever way. I felt a part of Eleanor's family and I found it hard to say good-bye to this funny, strong and intelligent character. Like all good literature, this was thought-provoking, challenging, utterly immersive and very enjoyable.

Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Review to come whilst I contemplate what this book meant to me.

I loved the title of this book The Good Wife of Bath: A (Mostly) True Story. Why 'Mostly True' I thought. Hmmmm!
And so I realised it was the retelling of Chaucer's 'The Good Wife of Bath' from the Canterbury Tales and therein lied the interest for me.

This was the story she wants to tell and so is a different slant on the original. A bit dark, which is not unusual for the times it is a well written story, well research and took me on an adventure through injustice, the strength of women and the hardships of the times but with a bit of humour and lots of bawdiness.

It was fun to read a different view and perspective of a previously told tale.

‘I’m merely a wife.’ I lowered my eyes and tried to appear demure. Master Mervyn stood. 'Ha!' he said and drained his drink. You may be a wife, but there’s nothing mere about you.’

‘The Good Wife of Bath’ is the fictitious story of The Wife of Bath from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales - something I am not overly familiar with. This is not a quick or light-hearted read (page numbers aside). However, what I can tell you is that Karen provides her readers with an absolutely epic tale of love and loss, heartbreak and hope from the Middle Ages and it is not to be missed.

‘You’ve said it before. Many times. Lest you’re forgetting, I'm also an ugly little bitch. It’s not slipped my memory.’ Did he flinch? ‘I’ll have you know’, I said softly, ‘I’ve been called worse.’ (Just for the record, I hadn’t - not then.) He glanced at me. ‘They’re just words.’ (I was yet to learn the power they had to inflict injury.)’

This is a one woman’s tale and it is filled with everything life can throw at a person. It will call on strength and understanding but gosh … there will be a few laughs along the way. Karen has surely provided the perfect balance in this all engaging story. Starting off as a cheeky, young twelve year old, Eleanor ends up having five husbands and each brings with them a story within itself. Towards the end, when it would seem life and circumstance has worn her down, Eleanor still retains her staunch ambition and fierce loyalty towards her ‘family’.

‘Philippa is accustomed to being her own woman,’ he said stiffly. 'I’m sure you of all people understand.’ Did I? I was hardly my own woman, I belonged to Turbet, and before him, Fulk, and before him, Papa. What woman could really be called ‘her own’? What did that even mean?’

Medieval daily living leaps off the page, testament to Karen’s impressive research. You will witness everything from plague to trade, physical abuse to unbreakable friendship bonds. Each of the books Karen has written (and I have read them all) are amazing in their attention to detail and the rich historical fact and fiction provided - right down to the swearing! This makes for incredible storytelling and an unputdownable story. The authenticity of everything from dialogue to social mores of the day, is richly detailed and leaves the reader needing to know more.

‘I’ll tell you what,’ I said, before she could answer. ‘It makes me a fool, enslaved to my heart --- and my c---’ ‘It makes you a good wife,’ she interjected. ‘Prepared to give your husband the benefit of the doubt.’ ‘Good wife?’ A dry, bitter laugh escaped. ‘I should be by now. I’ve had plenty of practice.’

Life is certainly not easy for Eleanor and she is the representative for all women, strong and most certainly forthright in her views and opinions. It is crushing at times to see what she endures but her determination to do right by those she loves is beyond admirable. It’s courageous. And I believe that is what Karen wants you to recognise and be inspired by.

‘It’s time you trusted who you are and stand up to anyone else who would try to belittle you. And that includes me. Do you hear me? Use your voice, woman, use it for yourself and for those who don’t have one. And use it well.’

‘The Good Wife of Bath’ is an exploration of the treatment of women in a time so far removed from what we know today. At times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, this book is sure to speak to many with Eleanor’s efforts to overcome the many adversities that arise throughout her eventful life. I highly recommend this book to not only lovers of history and literary classics, but also readers who love stories involving strong and complex women.

‘I’ve been with this woman since she was just a wee bit older than Lowdy. She’s been through more than you can imagine and, guess what? It’s never stopped her trying, nor giving folk a chance. She never says anything she doesn’t mean and she certainly wouldn’t be making offers if they weren’t genuine.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Karen Brook’s The Good Wife of Bath is a historical fiction novel, premised on the prologue and tale of the Wife of Bath in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English just as people were becoming more literate (whatever literate actually means). This novel gives the Wife of Bath the opportunity to tell her own story, and it’s a raucous hoot of a read.

There’s a lot to enjoy in the novel, from its bawdiness and wit, to its attention to historical detail. It also seems to interrogate both Alyson’s relationship to the Poet himself, particular because in the original Tales, her voice is given to her by a man. One can read the Wife of Bath in both ways—as Chaucer’s sexism, or as his feminism—and of course, many a scholarly debate has been had over this very issue (though of course a writer is not necessarily reflected directly in their work). But ultimately history is more about the questions asked, and who is asking those questions, rather than to the answers that we may be able to uncover from the historical record. After all, the questions will always be somewhat unanswerable.

I absolutely loved Eleanor’s lewdness and how she rails against Medieval patriarchal society, but I also appreciated how she’s portrayed as a complex woman who does not always have laudable qualities—she’s boastful (particularly of her sexual conquests), cunning (especially in her various marriages), vain (in looks and social position), and materially-focussed (as opposed to spiritually, considering her several pilgrimages). But she’s also got a softer side, looking out for those who are loyal to her, and wanting children of her own.

By the end of the novel, it seemed to me that it is not necessarily vindictive power over the men in her life that Brooks' Eleanor wants in the novel, but rather power over her own destiny.

The Good Wife of Bath

I've not read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, so I don't know the original story of the Wife of Bath, but this is a fantastic story that is able to stand alone without the original.

Told from the perspective of Eleanor, the Wife in the story, this is a witty, feminist tale of the Middle Ages. Eleanor, poor but blessed with a clever brain, takes what the Fates throw at her and turns them into opportunity. She marries multiple times - shocking behaviour at that time - and weathers plague, poverty, pilgrimage and abuse as her fortunes rise and fall.

Throughout all of it, though, she strives for equality. To have a voice in a time when women were chattel.

The Good Wife of Bath is a witty period novel filled with engaging characters. Eleanor and Alyson are a formidable pair, the villains are truly villainous, and Chaucer himself has a recurring cameo. I love the language used throughout: the syntax and colloquialisms of the time mixed with more contemporary ideas. And I even learned a bit about farm management.

Those who have read the original Tale may enjoy this even more, but as said previously, this works well as a tale in its own right.

This has been an intriguing story on so many levels. There’s the obvious link with the Canterbury Tales, which helps immeasurably in setting the scene for this story. For me though, it is Eleanor, who makes this such an interesting book. If you’ve read The wife of Bath’s Tale then you’ll have a broad idea of her life but in this book, Eleanor is a living breathing person with about as many flaws as there are reasons to love, admire and respect her. One thing I adored about her was her wit. She had a way with words when describing some of her husbands’ appendages.I couldn’t help but chuckle. Eleanor’s life is not an easy one, though she is a strong woman with a sense of the injustice done to women in terms of their perceived place in English society in the late fourteenth century. This was a slow read for me as there was so much detail to absorb, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Wow!!! Thanks NetGalley for my copy of this magnificent book. I don’t usually read historical novels but it was the cover that attracted my attention (covers are so important - that is always the first attraction for me). But once I started to read I felt myself transported back in time. How awful life was for women in those days. I am a strong headed woman and I could see myself in her dogged determination to make something of herself and use her amazing abilities to better herself and others. Her ups and downs, amazing wins and tragedies were page turners. I have never read Canterbury tales but this has made me very interested to seek it out and read it - nay see if it is available as an audiobook so that I can here it how it was meant to be read.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I am just sad I finished it!!