A Woman of Influence

”Engrossing and well-researched...This biography fascinates.” —Publishers Weekly “Diligent archival research reveals a unique, independent Elizabethan woman.” —Kirkus “An engrossing, fast-paced, extremely well-researched biography…Views on the role of Tudor women are challenged in this devourable text, perfect for readers of biography, history, women’s history, and anyone interested in the ancestors of Princess Diana.” —Booklist “A Woman of Influence tells the spectacular, unlikely life story of Alice Spencer, who rose from a family of sixteenth-century sheep farmers to wield riches and power as the Countess of Derby. In this triumphant book, Vanessa Wilkie has carefully pieced together the true tales of a remarkable woman who outlasted two husbands, accusations of treason, a family sex scandal, countless lawsuits, and three monarchs—enjoying brushes with Shakespeare and inspiring the pens of Spenser and Milton along the way. It’s a thrilling history of an imitable woman by a brilliant new voice.” —Devoney Looser, Author of Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontes “Alice Spencer has long defied biographers, but no more. In a brilliantly researched, fast-paced narrative, Vanessa Wilkie uncovers the tumultuous life of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble origins to catapult herself and her family into the highest ranks of English society. A literary connoisseur and John Milton’s first patron, she was as astute in defining taste and fashion as in managing men and weathering the storms of dynastic politics, litigation and scandal. A must-read for anyone interested in early modern England and the ancestry of Princess Diana.” —John Guy and Julia Fox, co-authors of the forthcoming Hunting the Falcon: King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn “An immersive account of one woman’s singular and shrewd navigation of a system that was fundamentally not designed for her. A Woman of Influence is both impeccably detailed and acutely analyzed through the lens of contemporary gender politics.” —Koa Beck, author of White Feminist “This riveting tale reads more like a legal thriller than historical nonfiction. In a lifetime spanning the rule of three monarchs, Alice Spencer confronts a series of almost unbelievable events, ranging from tense courtroom drama to stories of dark sexual deeds. Her independence and deftness in navigating courtly life reveal her inner strength.” —Beth Morrison, coauthor of the Tales of the Lawless Land series “Historian Vanessa Wilkie introduces readers to Princess Diana’s forbear, the remarkable Alice Spencer, and uses her storytelling skills to bring litigious, savvy Alice to life. In a dangerous, patriarchal world that was, at best, indifferent to women, and often openly hostile to them, Alice brilliantly wielded the power of her station and her sex. Highly recommended to any history lover who appreciates fine scholarship delivered with engaging style.” —Deborah Harkness, historian and author of the All Souls series “Engrossing, gracefully written, and expertly researched – Vanessa Wilkie has recreated the rise of a Renaissance woman of substance from archival fragments.  Anyone who enjoyed the machinations of Wolf Hall will relish the shrewd navigator of choppy, dynastic waters who emerges here.” —Professor Amanda Vickery, FBA, Queen Mary University of London “Here is the marvelously engrossing story of a singular woman in extraordinary times. Through her meticulous recreation of Alice Spencer’s long life, Vanessa Wilkie conjures up the ruthless and mesmerizing world of Tudor England — and all the wealth and power, art and sex, greed and heartache of its ruling dynasties.” —Fara Dabhoiwala, Professor, Princeton University, author of The Origins of Sex