Recent Reads {The Kingmaker's Daughter}

The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory - The man known as the "kingmaker" in fifteenth-century England was Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. He was a very powerful figure during the Cousins' War (or Wars of the Roses, as we may be more familiar with them) and it was widely believed that his political power was needed to back a successful claim to the throne. Warwick didn't have a son of his own, only two daughters, and he made ruthless use of them in his political strategizing, but both grew up to wield power of their own. This story focuses on the younger daughter, Anne Neville, who grew up in the court of King Edward IV and his queen, Elizabeth Woodville. But when her father clashes with Edward, and eventually makes war on him, Anne is merely a pawn on the political chessboard. She is married off at fourteen and soon becomes a widow; her father is killed in battle against the king, so she and her mother and sister must hide in sanctuary. Her older sister Isabel is married to the king's enemy and rival for the throne, his own brother George, Duke of Clarence. Anne seizes the opportunity to make her own choices, and accepts the marriage offer of King Edward's youngest brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. She and Isabel are expected at the court of Elizabeth Woodville, but they know that she hates them because of their father, so the days are full of suspicion and intrigue. Even when Edward's death leads her husband Richard to the throne, Anne is not at peace because she fears more than ever for the lives of her loved ones, including her only son.  

I really appreciated this account, albeit fictionalized and imagined, of a woman usually regarded as such a minor player during the Cousins' War. Surprisingly little is known about Anne and her sister. One of the things Gregory does so well is relate historical events as they may have been seen and experienced by the women who lived through them. Already in this series, she has given the White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville) and the Red Queen (Margaret Beaufort) equal time, and the newest book in the series is from the point of view of Elizabeth of York. It is interesting to read about the same events thinking how they would have been seen by people on opposite sides of the issues.

By the same author: The White Queen, The Red Queen, The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance

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