As the eldest daughter of Edward IV and wife of Henry VII, Elizabeth of York presents a link of continuity between the extravagant Yorkist rule and the more conservative Tudor dynasty. At one time, two would-be kings competed for England’s crown, and with it Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. The Battle of Bosworth Field changed the course of history and Elizabeth’s role was in the very center of English politics. Margaret Campbell Barnes imagines how Elizabeth may have felt and reacted to her pivotal position, giving this occasionally neglected queen a voice of her own in one of the most recently popular periods in English history.
I’ve mentioned before that the Wars of the Roses are the latest popular trend in historical fiction. I’m fairly pleased with this as it’s my own area of special interest and I like to see how different fiction writers have portrayed all of these characters with whom I am so familiar. Sourcebooks’ release of The Tudor Rose comes at a perfect time and despite the fact that it was written years ago, it isn’t very dated. Interestingly, Barnes interprets history in ways that stray wildly from today’s popular positions. For example, Henry VII’s mother Margaret Beaufort, often portrayed as a tyrant who controlled her son and stifled his wife, is here a friend to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth happily allows Margaret to tend to those nasty administrative tasks that she would rather miss out on. Elizabeth herself is a charming character. She is fairly quiet and submissive but she loves deeply and she has a great deal of courage and strength. As readers, we want her to find love and happiness, because she is clearly so deserving of it.
In terms of plot, The Tudor Rose follows the life of Elizabeth of York from her childhood engagement to the French dauphin to a point within a year of her death. As such, there isn’t really any sort of tension; many readers will know how the story ends. It could feel slow, but it’s a very pleasant journey, and a lovely imagining of the late fifteenth century. The book feels rich with detail, fine gowns and palaces, and will surely appeal to those of us who love to read about royalty. And it’s always worth finding out what another author has done with the Princes in the Tower, particularly given that this book has a long enough timeline to include the revolt against Henry VII by Perkin Warbeck.
In short, The Tudor Rose is a wonderful historical read and well worth curling up with for immersion into another world, if not for those who crave excitement in their books.
Would you like to win a copy of your own? Sourcebooks is sponsoring a giveaway of one copy to a US or Canadian address. No P.O. boxes please! Just leave a comment to enter. This contest will run until midnight on October 20th. The winner of this contest is Stephanie.
I’m happy to see the shift to the Wars of the Roses. I’m all Tutor-ed out for a while.
Lezlie
.-= Lezlie´s last blog ..WISHFUL DRINKING =-.
I swear 2010 is going to be the year of HF for me. So many good books being pushed aside by more contemporary fiction; I must fix that. I have to check my TBR; I might already have this book — I’ll come back to enter the giveaway if I can’t find it.
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This looks awesome! I need to get my hands on this!
.-= Julie P.´s last blog ..Mother Daughter Book Club # 15 =-.
I have this one and am excited to read it because she is one the Tudors I haven’t read about. I just loved My Lady of Cleves too. Someone recently commented to me that they thought it was just okay because not much happened, but I loved the detail and the growth in Ann.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..A Change In Altitude, by Anita Shreve =-.
I have been rebelling against HF for awhile now. I just felt like I was being swamped with it so I have been stepping away from it for the most part. I’ve heard some great things about this book though and maybe it’s about time that I gave HF another try.
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Hi
=-.
Thank you for the great review.
I haven’t heard of The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes before so thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Isn’t the cover lovely?
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
.-= RKCharron´s last blog ..RKCharron: @dawnlangstroth Have an excellent show! I have Susan’s CD This Child.
I read this as a teenage over 50 years ago, but don’t remember much about it. I’d love to win a lovely new reprint of it, and read it again. Thanks for the giveaway.
This is the way I like to learn about history – in a good novel! Count me in please!
Great review, I felt much the same way. I read it directly after reading THE WHITE QUEEN and although the pitch changed fromt he one book to the next, the story flowed well. I enjoyed trying to discern Elizabeth’s feelings, and I am looking forward to the biography that is coming out by Okerlund.
.-= Marie Burton´s last blog ..Book Review: The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview =-.
I will be curling up with this book today and I am very excited to read it. Mostly because like you said War of Roses is a very popular theme in today’s HF and Barnes wrote this book a long time ago so it will be interesting to compare.
.-= lilly´s last blog ..To Serve Them All My Days by R.F. Delderfield =-.
I’ve never tried historical fiction about the Tudors, so I’d like to be entered. Thanks!
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday =-.
I recently read The White Queen and it whetted my appetite for more HF on the War of the Roses. It’s such a fascinating time period. I have another MCBarnes book but can’t remember which one at the moment. I will definitely hunt for it. Thanks for the great review!
I’ve been waiting to read this! Thanks for the giveaway!
Great review! I have to admit, this is a period of history that I don’t know much about. However I do want to remedy this, so please enter me in this giveaway. It looks like a great read, and I’m really interested in trying it out. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..In the Arms of Immortals: A Novel of Darkness and Light by Ginger Garrett – 313 pgs =-.
Great review, Meghan! I think that if Margaret Beaufort had been the shrew I had been expecting it would have made the novel almost intolerable because Elizabeth would have had no one to cling to.
I’m really enjoying this time period and hope to read more about Richard III. The scene in the hallways was so wonderful and I’d like to read how more authors interpret him.
.-= Literate Housewife´s last blog ..#202 ~ The Tudor Rose =-.
Thanks for this review. I was wondering how historically accurate it was, and you’ve answered my questions!
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