The Red Queen
Philippa GregoryHistorical fiction
Available from Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 978-1416563723
August 2010
| This is the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry Tudor, true heir to the throne Of England. She knew from a young age that any child of hers, if the King and Queen had no issue, would be next in line for the throne. She was married off at age of twelve to Edmund Tudor. At almost fifteen,she becomes a widow, only a few months before giving birth to a son, Henry. Forced into another loveless marriage by her mother and made to leave her baby in the care of her former brother-in-law, she endures. As the king of England becomes simple minded and unfit to rule, the battles begin between the House of Lancaster and the usurpers, The House Of York.
Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors, her attention to historical detail is phenomenal. She has a way of mixing historical facts and fiction so flawlessly that you believe every word. This was the second book about the Plantagenets. The first book the White Queen told about Elizabeth Woodville, her husband King Edward and the lost princes. This is not a dry history book but a rich, detailed tale of a life of royalty. Royal or not, their life was tough. Always someone else thinking they are better for the throne. The vicious bloody battles, people turning on each other, and morality was the code you made up. Margaret was very religious, always praying on her knees, modeling herself after Joan of Arc. But when it came to her son, she was determined that he would be king and no one would stand in their way.
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Reviewer: Theresa B. |
