Books and Benches: THEIR CASTILIAN ORPHAN by Anna Belfrage

Anna Belfrage visits Books & Benches for a Q&A on the beautiful fourth installment in her Castilian series, Their Castilian Orphan.

It is 1294 and Eustace de Lamont is back in England after five years in exile. He will stop at nothing to ruin Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor d’Outremer.

Robert’s half brother, Eustace de Lamont, has not mellowed during his absence. He is more ruthless than ever, and this time he targets Robert’s and Noor’s foster son, Lionel.

Lionel is serving King Edward as a page when Eustace appears at court. Not only does Lionel become the horrified witness to Eustace’s violent streak, Eustace also starts voicing his suspicions about Lionel’s parentage. The truth about Lionel’s heritage is explosive—should King Edward find out, all would be lost for Robert and Noor.

In October of 1294, Wales rises in rebellion. Robert must leave his family unprotected to fight the Welsh rebels on the king’s behalf, comforted only by the fact that Eustace too is called to fight.

Except that Eustace has no intention of allowing his duty to his king—or a mere rebellion—come between him and his desire to destroy Robert FitzStephan . . .

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“Ms. Belfrage does it again! She drags you down – willingly, of course – into the past and immerses you. She is a master at it: from the places and time, sights and sounds, the reader is there. Her historical research is impeccable and her characters – both the fictional (especially Robert, Noor, and Lionel) and the actual historical figures – have compelling stories to tell.” —CS, Amazon review

Discover The Castilian Saga

Q&A
with Anna Belfrage

I dare you not to want to travel through time in Their Castilian Orphan after reading these behind-the-scenes tidbits in a Q&A with author Anna Belfrage. Enjoy!

If you were on a pilgrimage in Their Castilian Orphan, what would you want to see first? What would you want to show a time-traveling companion from the present day first?

Not quite sure if there would be any pilgrimage involved in Their Castilian Orphan—beyond the fact that King Edward has made himself right comfortable in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s residence in Kent, seeing as said archbishop is in Rome, awaiting papal confirmation to his see.

Now, if I were to end up in 1294 with a time-travelling companion, I think the first stop would be London—and a somewhat horrifying and smelly experience that would be—before insisting we visit Westminster Abbey just to take in what a riot of colour the abbey was back then. After that, I’d suggest we ride off to inspect Portsmouth, where King Edward’s troops are mustering for his planned invasion of Gascony.

(B&B: The great thing about reading your books is they can experience all of that without the smelly part!)

Which character in Their Castilian Orphan would you most likely be friends with in real life? What about them makes you think so?

I think Father Alain and I would get on like a house on fire—even if we would have to agree to disagree on religious matters. Father Alain is educated, has travelled and seen quite a bit of the world. He has his own painful baggage, has never quite forgiven himself for sins committed, which makes him a man of substantial complexity. Imagine digging into all that over a goblet or two of red wine. French wine, of course, as Father Alain would scoff at anything else. . .

What are three historical tidbits from your research that did not end up in the book?

Well, I had planned to have a confrontation between Edward I and the Welsh rebel leader, Madog ap Llewellyn, the confrontation when Madog (to his relief) realises he will not be hanged, drawn and quartered while to his despair realising he will be locked up for life. I also toyed with the idea of having Edward’s physician recommend a baked owl for his gout (I found this listed as a medieval remedy for gout) but decided not to use it, because it sounds a bit insane, and Edward’s physician gave me a most disgruntled look when I suggested it. “Idiotic fancies,” he said. I also ended up totally derailed by a post from a Spanish blogger describing medieval underwear for women in Spain. Seeing as my protagonists aren’t in Spain in this book, I decided not to use that. 😊

(B&B: But how interesting that would have been! 😊)

Do you ever add any of your family’s own history or ancestry into your writings? If so, what from your own genealogy inspires your writing?

No. But I have a draft WIP where one of hubby’s ancestors—the first Belfrage to arrive in Sweden from Scotland back in the 17th century—plays a role. Not that I paint him particularly favourably. . .

(B&B: That sounds like the makings of a fantastic tale.)

What is your most-loved trait about Robert? Noor?

I think what I like the most about both Robert and Noor is how loyal they are to each other. Those two will always stand at each other’s side, even when they do not entirely agree with what their spouse might have said/done, they will always be there for them.

(B&B: I adore fictional couples who can get past differences and remain devoted to each other. They sound wonderful.)

“A haunting and poignant elegy to war, and those left behind, worthy of its Welsh heritage, Their Castilian Orphan is one of the most memorable novels I have read recently. Anna Belfrage is a favourite historical author; her narrative voice and powerful research combine for an immersive, melodic reading experience.” —HF Reader, Amazon review

Meet Anna Belfrage

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients.

Anna has recently released Times of Turmoil, the sequel to her 2021 release, The Whirlpools of Time. Here she returns to the world of time travel. Where The Whirlpools of Time had Duncan and the somewhat reluctant time-traveller Erin navigating the complexities of the first Jacobean rebellion in Scotland, in Times of Turmoil our protagonists are in Colonial Pennsylvania, hoping for a peaceful existence. Not about to happen—not in one of Anna’s books!

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com.

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