On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE
How I discovered this book: I'd heard of the author via various history blogs, and Twitter, and a writer/editor friend told me she was good. Margaret Beaufort is one of my favourite historical characters, so I thought I'd give this a go. Kindle version is £2.99, or free on Kindle Unlimited.
This is a short novel, about Margaret's childhood, her marriage to Edmund Tudor and the birth of her son, Henry (later to become Henry VII). It takes us to the point in her life when she meets Henry Stafford, her second husband. The Kindle version ends at 90%, after which there is a brief history of Margaret's life and the beginning of the next book, The Beaufort Bride.
I enjoyed this book, the style is clear and readable; at first I thought it too simply written, but then realised that, of course, I was reading through the eyes of a twelve year old. The pictures painted of the castles and travels through the countryside of 15th century Wales brought the book to life for me. Not very much detail is known of the subject's early life, but the fiction in this novel is convincingly imagined. Once or twice, in dialogue and actions, I felt that the author had forgotten that her subject was only thirteen, but on the whole I found the book quite absorbing.
When I first became fascinated by Plantagenet history, I thought Margaret Beaufort might be too straight-laced and pious for me to have much interest in her, but as I read more I saw possible hidden depths, and Judith Arnopp has brought these to light well. It occurred to me that perhaps Elizabeth I did not only take her many sterling traits from her parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, but also from her great-grandmother.
I liked that it was short; I prefer to read biographies like this, in shorter sections, rather than embarking upon a daunting, long book. I downloaded this on Kindle Unlimited and will definitely be returning it in exchange for the next instalment.
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