Tudor adventures in Nottingham
Crocus Street is the first of a series of books by author Jessie Boteler, focusing on everyday life in Nottingham in Tudor times. There is sorcery and cookery, crime and punishment, faith and sin – all steeped in atmosphere and seen through the eyes of a former monk and a young woman making her way in a hostile world. Over the years to come Crocus Street will chart the development of the Meadows and its people, through times of plague, war, riot and revolution. Nathaniel Ruddock will be present throughout – a gentle soul who lives on through the centuries bringing the still, small voice of calm wherever trouble and misery prevail. The fortunate few may even see him, on a dark, quiet night, when they need him most. Crocus Street , the Tudor trilogy, book 1: Clutter is available through Amazon, Kindle and all other e-book services, at £4.99 (paperback) and £2.25 (Kindle). EDITORS NOTE
Please email for a review copy of the book. hilary.marson@gmail.com
The main character is Nathaniel Ruddock; a physician based on the real life person Andrew Boorde (c. 1490 – April 1549). Nathaniel’s medical knowledge and his background as a former Carthusian monk are accurate and based on historical records including Dr Boorde’s own manuscripts, lodged in the British Library. Nathaniel’s opinions of the people he meets on his travels are borrowed from Dr Boorde, too, and are not always flattering. However, Crocus Street is a work of fiction, where famous names and events appear the facts are dramatised for literary effect. Crocus Street: the Tudor trilogy will continue:
BOOK 2: the challenging life of Clothilde and her companions in Nottingham. As Nathaniel embarks on a pilgrimage to Rome, terror haunts the caves. BOOK 3: everyday life for Clothilde, her friends and families as they live – and die - through plague, disaster and social crisis. Nathaniel sets up Nottingham’s first real hospital, with far-reaching consequences. In due course there will be Crocus Street trilogies set in:
The Civil War
The Industrial Revolution
The WW2 era up to the1960’s
They will feature the descendants of the same cast of characters. Jessie Boteler is the pen name of Hilary Marson, a graduate of Nottingham University, with an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University.
