The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou
by Susan Higginbotham
- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (January 1, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1402242816
- ISBN-13: 978-1402242816
Genre: Historical Fiction
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
Product DescriptionReview: This is a strikingly emotional fictionalized story from a volatile time in history: the civil wars known as the War of the Roses.
A man other than my husband sits on England's throne today.
What would happen if this king suddenly went mad? What would his queen do? Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?
Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he slips into insanity. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love.
Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham will once again ask readers to question everything they know about right and wrong, compassion and hope, duty to one's country and the desire of one's own heart.
Marguerite of Anjou is a niece to Charles VII, King of France. She is betrothed at 14 to young King Henry VI with conditions for a truce between England and France. Marguerite comes to England with hopes that she may help her young husband achieve a more lasting peace. Henry VI is a young King who is more willing to rely on prayer than war. He is kind and loving but not an Alpha leader. Based on the requests from her French relatives, Marguerite talks Henry into ceding the city of Maine. From that point on the English leaders encourage the view that Marguerite as a French woman and not a true queen of England. She is never able to win over the English people although she does garner some true friends.
Even before Henry suffers from a time of madness, the House of York and other families of the nobility are jockeying for allies and weaknesses to take over the throne. Brothers and cousins betray each other and when battles are lost the victors tend to wipe out the leaders of the losing armies with varying degrees of brutality. Sometimes leaders are imprisoned for ransom or leverage but not always.
The author creates a compelling and emotional story for the 26 years of Margaret’s never failing efforts to keep or regain the throne for Henry VI and their son, Edward, Prince of Wales. The opposing forces spread rumors that Margaret had numerous lovers and that Edward is not Henry’s son. It is difficult to read the betrayals, frustrations and ultimately the heart aches that Margaret experiences.
The author did such a good job of pulling me into the lives of the characters that I had to remind myself this was a fictionalized version of events. I don’t cry often at stories but this had me fighting back tears over the last several chapters. I would certainly read more by this author. If you enjoy historical fiction you should love this book.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to read and review.
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