Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Kingmaker's Daughter, Philippa Gregory

My lady mother goes first, a great heiress in her own right, and the wife of the greatest subject in the kingdom. Isabel follows, because she is the oldest. Then me: I come last, I always come last. 

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the story of Anne Neville, the daughter of Richard Neville, known as "the kingmaker", because he wielded a lot of influence over the kings. Anne and Isabel are pawns in his plans to get one of them on the throne as queen. At the court of Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows more fearful and desperate when her father starts fighting against his allies. She is married at age fourteen to what she once knew as the enemy, and is soon widowed and fatherless, her mother imprisoned at an abbey and her once beloved sister Isabel married to the enemy. Anne marries Richard, the Duke of Gloucester and escapes from her sister's tyranny. But she is not safe yet, and she is set on a collision course with the power of the royal family.

I really enjoyed this one, which I received from Touchstone Books. I enjoy historical fiction of all kinds, and I believe that Philippa Gregory has written a lot of books about the kings and queens of England and court intrigue. This one was set in the 1470s, and there's a lot going on. And a lot of names to remember, some of the being the same. For example, there are three Edwards. It was kind of confusing, but very compelling. I really felt for Anne, who is trapped by her father's bad decisions. She knows she is kind of in the wrong, but it wasn't her fault, it was her father's. And because of him, she is widowed and friendless. No one wants anything to do with her. Except for Richard. Anne is considered just a pawn, but throughout the book, she grows stronger and more determined. This was the first Philippa Gregory I'd read, and I liked it a lot. I look forward to reading more of her fiction, though I can imagine how it would become really confusing with all the different names.

Read The Kingmaker's Daughter:

  • if you like historical fiction
  • if you like Philippa Gregory
  • if you like books with strong female protagonists
409 pages.
 
Very Good! I would recommend this book!

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