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A Woman of Influence

The Spectacular Rise of Alice Spencer in Tudor England

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
This "engrossing, fast-paced, extremely well-researched biography" (Booklist) transports us to Tudor and Stuart England as Alice Spencer, the daughter of an upstart sheep farmer, becomes one of the most powerful women in the country and establishes a powerful dynasty that endures to this day. Perfect for fans of The Duchess Countess and Georgiana.
Alice Spencer was born in 1560 to a family on the rise. Her grandfather had amassed a sizeable estate of fertile grazing land and made a small fortune in sheep farming, allowing him to purchase a simple but distinguished manor house called Althorp.

With her sizable dowry, Alice married the heir to one of the most powerful aristocratic families in the country, eventually becoming the Countess of Derby. Though she enjoyed modest renown, it wasn't until her husband's sudden death (after he turned in a group of Catholics for plotting against Queen Elizabeth I) that Alice and her family's future changed forever.

Faced with a lawsuit from her brother-in-law over her late husband's fortune, Alice raised eyebrows by marrying England's most powerful lawyer. Together, they were victorious, and Alice focused her attentions on securing appropriate husbands for her daughters, increasing her land ownings, and securing a bright future for her grandchildren and the entire Spencer family. But they would not completely escape scandals, and as the matriarch, Alice had to face an infamous trial that threatened everything she had worked so hard for.

Now, in "this riveting tale reads more like a legal thriller than historical nonfiction" (Beth Morrison, coauthor of The Lawless Land), the full story of the remarkable Alice Spencer Stanley Egerton is revealed. A woman both ahead of and part of her time, Alice's ruthless challenging of the status quo has inspired future generations of Spencers and will change the way you view Tudor women.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 2, 2023
      In this engrossing and well-researched debut, historian Wilkie spotlights one of Princess Diana’s most remarkable female ancestors. Born into a family of prosperous sheep farmers determined to ascend to the aristocracy, Alice Spencer (1559–1637) wed Ferdinando Stanley, the fifth Earl of Derby. She and Ferdinando, who enjoyed an affectionate relationship, established themselves as patrons of the arts, becoming fixtures “in the vibrant literary and theatrical outpouring that was thriving in England at the time.” After Ferdinando’s death in 1594, his brother William challenged the will, and Alice spent years fighting to hold on to the property her husband bequeathed her. She prevailed because of her careful attention to legal and financial matters and because she made a strategic second marriage in 1600, to Thomas Egerton, a well-connected lawyer. Thomas died in 1617, leaving Alice a tremendously wealthy widow, and she used her fortune to prepare her 20 grandchildren to continue the family dynasty. She also put her power to use in the early 1630s, when she obtained royal pardons for her daughter, Anne, and granddaughter, Elizabeth, after Anne’s second husband, Mervyn Touchet, Earl of Castlehaven, was executed for sodomy and rape. Wilkie writes with focus and economy, weaving in fascinating information about Tudor-era nuptial contracts, medical practices, and dynastic intrigues. This biography fascinates.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Imogen Church does an exceptional job narrating this absorbing biography of a lesser-known yet no-less-colorful woman in Tudor England. Alice Spencer (1559-1637)--an ancestor of Diana Spencer, later the Princess of Wales--started life as the youngest of seven children in a minor aristocratic family and became, through two fortuitous marriages, a powerful woman in her own right. Her first marriage to the Earl of Derby rendered her a countess, a title she fought to keep throughout her life. Church delivers her narration in a strong, clear voice, a voice one might imagine the Countess using. A first-rate biography and a superbly detailed cultural history of the Tudor era, this audiobook is a pleasure to listen to. D.G.L. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby, was a Renaissance woman--both literally and figuratively. Born in the mid-16th century to an aristocratic family, she made a name for herself as a patron of the arts and a royal insider. In this engaging debut biography, Wilkie shows how Spencer rose from the daughter of a wealthy sheep farmer to a major player in both the Tudor and the Stuart courts. As was typical for women of the era, advantageous marriages helped her move up in society, but it was her determination and forceful will that cemented her enduring legacy. Faced with a crisis, she was a shrewd thinker able to outmaneuver her opponents, building her family's fortune and protecting their reputation. Narrator Imogen Church brings her trademark vibrant theatricality to Spencer's story, using varied intonation and volume to engage the listener and keeping the pace brisk. At times, listeners may wish for a bit more gravitas, but they'll be captivated nonetheless. VERDICT Listeners with an interest in the Tudor era or women's history will appreciate this well-researched biography of an iconic woman who was well ahead of her time.--Nanette Donohue

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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