This week I only read two books. The one I'm recommending is The Women of the Cousins' War a history about three of the prominent females during England's War of the Roses. The book was written by three people, each of whom devoted their third of the book to one particular woman. I almost didn't borrow this book based on the fact that the dominant author was listed as Philippa Gregory who is known for her nearly soap opera retellings of the lives of historical women. I very much enjoyed her novel The Other Boleyn Girl, but one or two others failed to impress me. Despite this, I know that writing good historical fiction requires a knowledge of history, so I decided to give the book a try.
I almost put it down again after getting 5 pages into the introduction in which Gregory defends "speculation" in writing non-fiction. However, I plowed on.
The writing isn't phenomenal, but the women whose stories are told were astonishing. Gregory begins with the Duchess of Burgundy, Jacquetta of whom I (trivial history buff) had never heard. David Baldwin highlights the life of Jaquetta's daughter, Elizabeth Woodville who grew up to marry a king and give birth to the "Princes in the Tower." And one of the most remarkable women in history, Margaret Beaufort sketched by Michael Jones. Beaufort gave birth, at the age of 13 (and already a widow) to the future king Henry VII, the first Tudor king and father to the most famous (or infamous) king of England, Henry VIII.
All three of these women suffered hardships and heartbreaks that are unfathomable in this modern era. At a time when the king was nearly a god but couldn't hold onto a throne, political turmoil, death, prison, treason, exile were all endured and overcome.
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