1066 Turned Upside Down
‘1066 Turned Upside Down’ explores a variety of ways in which the momentous year of 1066 could have played out differently. Written by nine well-known authors to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the stories will take you on a journey through the wonderful ‘what ifs’ of England’s most famous year in history.
“If you enjoy history and adore good writing, this collection will entertain – and make you think, just for a moment, what if…?”
~ Amazon Five Stars on 1066 Turned Upside Down
Available from Google Play, Amazon
I was thrilled to be part of this collection with amazing UK authors. My story ‘The Needle can Mend’ features Lady Godiva’s
grand-daughter, Queen Edith. I wanted to capture the strength and power of women and the tales they weave.
No more is this revealed than in the mysterious fabric of the Bayeaux Tapestry, a woman-made work of political art,
secret and imagination that has stood the test of time and is further embroidered in my tale … Enjoy!
~ Eliza Redgold
Historical Note on The Needle can Mend
For centuries, there has been dispute over the origins of the Bayeux Tapestry. Did French women make it? Did English women? Does it praise William the Conqueror or subtly mock him? Or is it King Harold who is mocked? And who is the ‘Mysterious Lady’ featured on the tapestry, with the name ‘Aelfgyva’?
In this tale, I knew I wanted it to include my personal heroine, Lady Godiva, the subject of NAKED: A Novel of Lady Godiva (St Martin’s Press, 2015). As she was the grandmother (or step-grandmother) to Edith, wife of Harold, it was easy to imagine she passed on some traits and skills to her grand-daughter. I wanted to capture the power of women in the tales they weave, and no more is this revealed than in the mysterious fabric of the Bayeaux Tapestry. It is a work of art, secret and legend that has stood the test of time.
In Lady Godiva’s lifetime, a popular Saxon saying was ‘Men wield weapon while women weave’. (In NAKED my heroine Godiva also wields a sword, but that’s another story.) Yet the needle, like the pen, has its own power. Before 1066 the word mend had two meanings. One was to repair, the other was to make right or remove a fault, to make ‘amends’. In the end, the needle may indeed be mightier than the sword.
Visit the 1066 Turned Upside Down site to find out more about the stories and authors!
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