A good REVIEW on amazon.co.uk by Eleanor de Montfort
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 November 2020

"My historical heroin, Eleanor de Montfort, daughter of King John and wife of Simon, Earl of Leicester, is the grandmother of Gwenllian, the last princess of Wales. So, it was with great interest that I learnt of this book, as anyone studying the subject, knows that there is almost no information about Gwenllian because she was deliberately brought up in secrecy so as not to be any threat to the English thone.
Any author worth their salt would have to make up a clear fictional story about this hidden lady as there is such a miniscule amount of evidence to suppoprt her existence. Nicki Bullinga, despite being Dutch, is a devotee of all things Welsh and has studied this subject in depth, she knows full well her limitations. Thus, she has written this tale with great care, so as not to create any "fake news" surrounding Gwenllian.
I think she has written a compelling story which clearly shows that there is no information but also whets our appetite to know more about this victim of the English politics.
I would also like to see Nicki's research heroin appear in another such story as I learnt a lot about the storage of historical documents, and other technicalities of research."

A very nice REVIEW from Margaret Grant in GOODREADS 2019:

Margaret Grant Author rated it really liked it  Recommends it for: readers who love an historical novel

GWENLLIAN THE LOST PRINCESS BY NICKI BULLINGA 2018
A Fascinating Tale.
Nicki Bullinga weaves this modern day novel with its warp and woof of medieval English and Welsh history with the skill of a trained archivist.
Having done some amateur historical research myself into Welsh history, mostly by reading books and articles, it was refreshing to encounter the main characters in this tale, whose task it is to unearth the mystery surrounding the infant child of Eleanor de Montfort and Llywelyn ap Grufudd. Gwenllian was born on 12th June 1282 at Garth Celyn Abergwyngregyn in the Welsh County of Gwynedd. Eleanor de Montfort, daughter of the French baron Simon de Montfort, died shortly after the birth of Gwenllian. Llywelyn was killed in an ambush in December 1282.
The story is mainly set in present day Lincolnshire. Old manuscripts come to light in a crumbling Manor House near Bulby, close to the demolished abbey at Sempringham. It is hoped they will throw light on Gwenllian’s period incarcerated there, at the Cistercian monastery run by a Gilbertine Order. It is suspected that maybe their precious value will somehow save the old manor house for future generations. Fenna has been sent over to Lincolnshire by the Dutch Archive Institution, charged with preserving, cataloguing and deciphering these manuscripts. She is joined at the manor house by an English historical architect, Ned, who is in the process of writing a book about the Gilbertine institutions.
The relationship between the two researchers ebbs and flows with tension, and is heightened by the responses of Lord Waterville, his butler Lewis and grandson, Sam, who are currently living at the property. Managing to preserve the valuable documents and the future of the manor is thrown into jeopardy by criminal activity.
During the long struggles for power between the Welsh and the English, it was already known that, after the death of her parents, Edward 1’s aim was to prevent Gwenllian from marrying and producing heirs who could claim the Principality of Wales. Edward chose Sempringham Priory in Lincolnshire due to its remote location and because, within the Gilbertine order, the nuns were kept hidden behind high walls at all times.
Fenna’s empathy for Gwenllian’s incarceration and lack of family life is moving, but when she and Ned discover further documents revealing Welsh secrets, they find their focus shifting to unravelling an even more compelling mystery.
I was intrigued and fascinated by the minutiae of the conservation tasks on the ancient documents. I felt I learned something really important about the crucial preservation of historical texts. It is a bit like peeling an onion, trying to preserve each precious layer without damaging it.
As we now live in Lincolnshire not far from the setting of the storyline, no doubt we will have a trip out there on a lovely day and search for some of the landmarks in the book.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this read. Thank you.
Margaret Grant 15th October 2019

A little word on the publication of Gwenllian at the Simon de Monfort Society!

In Februari 2018 verscheen Gwenllian bij de Simon de Montfort Society in Evesham, Engeland. Een spannende Engelse roman over de zoektocht naar een kind met een aparte naam. Het boek is als POD - Printing on Demand - te verkrijgen bij vele aanbieders als amazon.co.uk, Lulu.com. Het boek wordt gedrukt zodra het besteld wordt, daarom duurt het ietsje langer voordat het bij je op de mat valt. Nederlandse tak van Lulu: €13,95