Building Character with Queen Boudicca from Boudicca; Britain's Queen of the Iceni

It’s Friday! Time for my blog feature, Building Character in which you get to meet characters from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun. 

This week Strands of Thought plays host to Queen Boudicca from Boudicca; Britain’s Queen of the Iceni. Thank you for joining us, Your Highness. We’d love to hear more about you.

I am Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe in what the Romans call Britannia.  Descended of queens and kings among the Aedui in Gaul, I spent my early life as a slave following Roman conquest of my people generations before.  When I was nineteen years old, I escaped my abusive Roman mistress, a sister to Roman Governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus.  Crossing the channel from Calais to Dover, I made my way north to Camulodunum where I met King Prasutagus of the Iceni.  Two months later, we were married, making me queen of the Iceni.  It was a happy marriage cut short Roman violence against our people, setting in motion the events for which history best remembers me.

We learned a little about you and your author on this previous interview. But let’s dig a little deeper. What exactly are you up against in your story?

The Romans are determined to conquer Britannia and enslave all its free peoples just as Julius Caesar conquered Gaul.  As queen of the Iceni and a former slave to the Romans, I am determined to prevent Britannia from suffering the same fate as my Aedui tribe in Gaul near the Seine.

Very admirable. What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered trying to resolve your conflict?

The Romans are a formidable enemy.  No one has ever beat the legions past a battle or two.  Their battle tactics and savage brutality are second-to-none in the western world.

What have you learned about yourself while trying to resolve your conflict?

I am truly lost now that the Romans have killed my beloved husband.  I do not know how to live without him.

My most sincere condolences, Queen Boudicca. Can you tell us about him?

My husband is King Prasutagus of the Iceni.  True to Celtic values in freedom and equality among all people, Prasutagus and I are close to the same age and live together as true equals both politically and in the management of our marriage.  Our two daughters are strong, wise, and highly educated.  We are truly in love and respect each other very much, even though we greatly disagree on the best course of action with regards to Romans.  Prasutagus trusts them much more than I do, in part out of desperation.  Having experienced Roman brutality first hand, I despise the Romans and everything they stand for, especially their complete disregard towards and hatred of women.

What is your strongest personality trait?

I am very religious -- as are most Iceni.  Though the druid strongholds are mostly in western Wales and on Ynys Mon (which the Romans call “Mona”)  in particular, the druids have a powerful presence among we Iceni.  Should Ynys Mon fall, our lands are the agreed upon haven for all druid law-givers, clergy, and teachers.

If you could change one thing in this world, what would you change?

I would restore Celtic culture, freedom, and religion to all the western world -- as it was before the Romans came.  We believe in freedom and equality for all people, regardless of sex, social standing, profession, and so forth.  We are all one.  We need each other.  I fear that as the Romans continue their conquests these values are being lost.  Woe to the world the day that we cease treasuring each other and start seeing some people as better than other people.

What words of wisdom would you like to share with our readers?

All people are equals.  All life is precious.  Love one another as true equals.  Believe in the power of that love for one another and the world shall change.  Though it take two thousand years, we need not just accept Roman tyranny and slavery.  We can be free again.  We can learn to love again.  There is no evil that cannot be undone if we believe again for we are all one in freedom and love.

Sage advice indeed. Thank you for visiting with us, Queen Boudicca. Readers: you can learn more about the Queen’s story here:

Why is The Morrígan's raven crying? Only Britons with hearts for true liberty know!

In 43 CE Roman conquest of Britannia seems all but certain -- until a chance meeting between King Prasutagus of the Iceni and a runaway slave of royal decent from the Aedui tribe in Gaul changes the fate of the British islands forever.

Rise up for liberty with the true story of Boudicca: Britain's Queen of the Iceni and discover one of the most inspiring stories in history!

Based on the accounts of Roman historian Tacitus and supplemented with archaeology presented by the BBC. Told through the eyes of a 5th century mother and daughter facing the Saxon invasions.

Audio edition narrated by Richard Mann.

Boudicca:  Britain's Queen of the Iceni

available in audio, digital, and QR paperback editions

USA Audible: http://tinyurl.com/AudibleBoudicca-USA   

UK Audible: http://tinyurl.com/UKBoudiccaAudible

Kindle:  http://tinyurl.com/LWWHBoudicca               http://tinyurl.com/UKBoudicca

 SmashWords:  http://tinyurl.com/SmashBoudicca

Barnes and Noble:  http://tinyurl.com/NookBoudicca

iTunes:   http://tinyurl.com/itunesBoudicca-RM   iBookstore:  http://tinyurl.com/iBookstore-Boudicca

And read about her author here:

Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA, author-historian Laurel A. Rockefeller educates while she entertains, encouraging readers to think about current events and history in a completely new way. Using exhaustive and comprehensive research across dozens of academic disciplines, Laurel's stories come alive so vividly it is easy to forget you are learning something new.

Can it be any wonder that secondary school teacher Lorraine Carey calls Laurel's "Legendary Women of World History Series, "...a gold mine for educators that want an all inclusive history unit?" Debb LaVoie agrees, "Laurel A. Rockefeller weaves a wonderful story." Rabid Reader Reviews adds, "I really enjoy Laurel Rockefeller's work and believe that she'll be responsible for introducing many young women to historical figures they will admire."

As a low vision author who lost most of her sight to a traumatic brain injury while in secondary school, Laurel is passionate about high quality audio books. London-born British actor and voice actor Richard Mann narrates Laurel's audio book editions with superb performances complimentary to and enhancing Laurel's powerful and vibrant creative non-fiction storytelling. Hear Mr. Mann in action on Audible at http://tinyurl.com/AudibleBoudicca-USA.

Students, educators, and parents: check out Laurel's "suggested reading" bibliography list at the end of the kindle edition of each Legendary Women of World History Series book. You will also find useful study guides and/or timelines after the reading list designed to enhance your learning experience.

Talk to Laurel and join the conversation on twitter at https://twitter.com/laurelworlds, follow Laurel on pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/peersofbeinan, then check out Laurel's blog at http://peersofbeinan.wordpress.com.

If you have a character from a children’s, middle grade or young adult book you’d like to see featured on Building Character, contact Kai via email: kaistrand at yahoo dot com.