Description
Patricia Lennan, author of ‘Owl at Midnight’.
Owl at Midnight
a story of Gwenllian
the lost Princess of Wales
by Patricia Lennan
Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, daughter of the last native Prince of Wales, was born in Abergwyngregyn, North Wales, in 1282, a tumultuous time when King Edward of England was determined to take Wales for himself.
Nanhysglain, a secret place in a bog by Bera Mawr, North Wales, where baby Gwenllian was snatched by King Edward’s men.
After Edward had killed Gwenllian’s father, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, and her uncle, Dafydd, and had imprisoned her boy cousins, he must have felt some compassion for the infant Gwenllian for he ordered her to be hidden away in Sempringham Priory, her name changed, to live out her days in anonymity.
A drawing taken from an old etching of a church near the site of Sempringham Priory.
Taking these known historical facts, Patricia Lennan has brought the young Welsh Princess Gwenllian to life in a story that expands from the minutiae of prayers, service and fasting in a Gilbertine nunnery, to a quest caught up in the wide sweep of extraordinary events in 13th century Britain.
In Patricia’s own words: ‘Wales has a reputation for being a land of myths and legends. She harbours magic in the hollows and hills, in secret places, the rivers and valleys echo with ancient tales. I invite you to step into the living history and share an adventure.’
The familiar contours of the mountains of Eryri, now known as Snowdon.
9780993507830
Siân-Angharad Tovey –
Siân-Angharad Tovey – Welsh language translator
‘I greatly enjoyed reading this novel about a period in Welsh history we know very little about and the mystery surrounding Gwenllian. Although there are several story lines, that of Gwenllian obviously dominates, but this is a novel which is full of tension and excitement and attempts to throw light on the disappearance of one of our Welsh princesses. An excellent novel from beginning to end!’
Joy Evans –
Owl at Midnight is a great read. THANK YOU. Wish u every success.
Joy Evans, member of The Princess Gwenllian Society
Squirrel –
Review by Squirrel (Amazon) – 9 Dec 2017
Lovely story about an obscure Welsh Princess
This imaginative novel features the story of the only child of Prince Llewellyn, the last true Prince of Wales. Named Gwenllian, she was captured as a baby and sent to live in the Convent of Sempringham in Lincolnshire. King Edward I wanted her as far as physically possible from her homeland of Wales. She may have never known who she really was.
The story is beautifully written and really evocative of what life might have been like in a 13th/14th century Convent. I enjoyed it a lot. I have a special interest because I had a Welsh grandmother and my mum lives quite near Sempringham in Grantham (where one of the book characters lives). I am hoping to visit Sempringham church soon to see Princess Gwenllian’s grave. Also, we had a beloved pet rat called Gwen, and I have always been fascinated by medieval history.
So all in all an excellent book for me. I hope it does well and could maybe be sold through the group The Princess Gwenllian Society.
Patricia Morris –
Review by Ms. Patricia Morris (Amazon) – 29 Nov 2017
What Happened to Gwenllian, the last and lost Princess of Wales?
A really interesting read about a little known Princess. An intriguing story woven in with Welsh Celtic history, magic and romance. The author explores how the life of Gwenllian, the last and lost Princess, may have been.