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The Wicked and the Just J Anderson Coats Books

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The Wicked and the Just J Anderson Coats Books

This is an impressive first novel. Jillian certainly has done her homework. I always appreciate an historical novel well told -- and teaches me things I didn't even know I'd be interested in. I'm guessing that technically, this book is for young adults, but don't let that stop you from reading it. Set in Wales in late 13th century, we meet our protagonist declaring her father has just ruined her life -- her perceived life as "lady of the manor", being moved from her lovely home to a "colony" in Wales. In a word, Cecily is a spoiled brat, well drawn--so much so that I simply had to read on to learn just how she would eventually get her due -- and she does! If you are seeking a smart read for anyone, I would suggest this as a great gift.


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The Wicked and the Just J Anderson Coats Books Reviews

Cecily is moving to Wales and there’s nothing she can do about it. It’s 1293 and women don’t have anything to say, so Cecily’s opinion doesn’t matter at all. The Welshmen are fighting the English and life isn’t as comfortable and safe as Cecily would have liked. She has to behave like a lady, but the lessons she gets to make sure she becomes one are appalling. She sees Gwenhwyfar as her servant, never thinking about her life at all.

Gwenhwyfer is Welsh. Her life is hard. She doesn’t know where her next meal will come from and she’s struggling to survive. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t resist though. She tries to fight Cecily in any way she can. Cecily has no idea what she’s done to be disliked like that. Slowly she’s starting to work on an understanding and just when she thinks she’s reached it, something horrible and traumatic happens and suddenly the roles are reversed.

Cecily is spoiled and she wants to be served and obeyed, but that isn’t how it works in her new home. There’s no real peace and her father has moved them to Wales because for him it’s a great opportunity. For his daughter it isn’t as she has to miss everyone she loves. Cecily learns a couple of much needed lessons and slowly becomes a strong woman. She’s kinder and she’s starting to develop a lot of character. I loved to see that transformation.

Gwenhwyfar is angry. She hates the intrusion of the English and doesn’t want to be Cecily’s servant. She’s had a hard life and wants to make Cecily’s life as miserable as she can. At a certain point it almost looks like she might like her, but she doesn’t let it get that far. She keeps seeing how unfair things are and she doesn’t want to be friends with an English girl. She’s tough and she’s bold. Gwenhwyfar isn’t very nice, but somewhere deep down there might be some compassion, just a little bit. I think she’s such an interesting character and I was very curious to read her story.

Girls and women in the thirteenth century didn’t have much to say. Even though they might have had a useful opinion they usually weren’t involved in any important decision making. It must have been hard to be a girl back then. I think J Anderson Coats has done such a great job with this story. The history is interesting and I’ve learned a lot. The writing is really good and I liked that she’s given an interesting history lesson while telling an amazing story at the same time, I loved it.
YA historical novel- reads like a combination of Karen Cushman's Catherine Called Birdy and Donna Jo Napoli's Hush An Irish Princess' Tale. I'd recommend it to kids ages 12-15, both if they're interested in medieval times and if they're interested in more modern issues of colonialism.

The language is beautiful, a combination of modern imagery and archaic words and ways of marking time and space. Half is told from the point of view of a self-centered, motherless English girl, Cecily, who moves to Wales after her childhood home is lost in a lawsuit. Her father is attracted by the opportunities privileges given to burgesses (free townspeople) in Wales, but these same privileges grate on the Welsh, who plan rebellion as they see English settlers monopolizing trade and power. Some of how this is shown is very well-done, such as the way the English force everyone to trade in their market and fine anyone who trades outside, but at other times the division is too Manichean- no mention is made, outside of the historical note, of Welsh landowners, for example, only English ones, and the English of the town sometimes come off as cartoonish in their villainy. On the other hand, the story draws some very interesting parallels with modern colonialism and also shows the feudal system beyond the simplified serf-lord aspect.

The other half is told from the point of view of the fierce, vengeful Gwenhwyfar, who works as a servant in Cecily's household. Her father died fighting the English and so her family lost their land. Gwenhwyfar resents Cecily, worries about her younger brother and ill mother, longs for revenge, and rejects her former fiance's ideas of trying to gain access to the privileges. Said fiance is a very interesting character, though the way even the Welsh rebels seem to agree with his idea that eventually the English will return and the Welsh should try to get the same privileges bothered me. What kind of rebels assume while they're winning that they have no chance in the long term?

I at first disliked how the voices were differentiated by Gwenhwyfar dropping the word "I" from her sentences, but it paid off when the rebellion comes and suddenly Gwenhwyfar uses the word "I" again, feels like a full person again.

The girls' grief for their long-dead parents and later for the loss of their remaining parents- Cecily's father is lynched by rebels for his role in enforcing the millers' monopoly and Gwenhwyfar's mother dies of her illness- is specific and devastating, and from the rebellion onward, the book is very intense. The parallels and contrasts between the girls and between the English and the Welsh are too neat and some characters are unrealistically clairvoyant about how the situation between the Welsh and English will resolve in the long-term. But both the medieval social/feudal situation and the lives of women are explored with unusual subtlety, and the setting and conflict are an unusual and interesting choice.

Edit I forgot to add that if you're interested in the spinning/sewing/women's work/clothing being more valuable in those days, there is a lot here about sewing as work, as a means of self-expression, and as a social activity, and about the value of cloth and clothing.
Since I like history so much, I did enjoy this book. It's not a favorite yet I found it interesting. The characters are well developed, and the writing is full of imagery bringing forth a vivid scene of the setting. The story itself held my interest, but only because of the historical value; otherwise I would have put it down and likely not picked it up to finish the book.
This story took so long to get started and then had no resolution.
This is an impressive first novel. Jillian certainly has done her homework. I always appreciate an historical novel well told -- and teaches me things I didn't even know I'd be interested in. I'm guessing that technically, this book is for young adults, but don't let that stop you from reading it. Set in Wales in late 13th century, we meet our protagonist declaring her father has just ruined her life -- her perceived life as "lady of the manor", being moved from her lovely home to a "colony" in Wales. In a word, Cecily is a spoiled brat, well drawn--so much so that I simply had to read on to learn just how she would eventually get her due -- and she does! If you are seeking a smart read for anyone, I would suggest this as a great gift.