Although the novella’s title apparently has nothing with its content, I was reminded of The Wool-Pack by Cynthia Harnett, which won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1951. It’s set in 1493 during the reign of Bad King Henry VII. Nicholas, who is about 14, would rather tend sheep than learn how to be a wool merchant until a mystery involving Italian merchants threatens his family’s reputation/business.
Of course, another 15th century Nicholas is the hero of Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett (1986). He starts off as a goofy teenager (not that the word had been coined then) who is always in trouble but somehow emerges as a strategic leader and entrepreneur. My review.
Edith Layton was better known for her regencies but The Crimson Crown (1990) is a historical romance set in the late 15th century and focuses on the fate of the two Princes in the Tower. I met Edith on my first day of work at Penguin and she became a great friend, as well as someone whose books I always enjoyed.
My next link is a crown and century - Wheel of Fortune, book one in the Tarnished Crown series by C.F. Dunn (2023), in which a 15th century orphan learns she is powerless against the men who should be her protectors. Hoping her life would improve, I looked for the sequel when I was in Ireland but no bookstore had it.
Another book called The Wheel of Fortune is by Susan Howatch (1984), and it’s a big, sprawling family saga set in Wales in the early 20th century. Howatch wrote three books inspired by different eras and figures of the Plantagenet dynasty – this one parallels Edward III’s children, including my favorite, John of Gaunt. Now in her 80s, she is no longer writing.
My final link is fortune; specifically, Outrageous Fortune by Patricia Wentworth (1933). This features one of her best heroines, stolen emeralds, amnesia, a missing cousin, and more! My review.
Have you read any of these? Next month (December 5, 2026), Kate has chosen Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.
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