Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou [Kindle Edition]

This is the first book that I have read on the Wars of the Roses that has been from a Lancaster point of view and I was surprised how the author was able to turn my opinion to their side after reading this book (though I have to admit as I am writing this I am reading another WOTR book from the York side and now I am leaning back that way too!). I think that part of the draw was that the story is mostly narrated by Margaret of Anjou who has been victimized by history as a "she-wolf" and seen mostly as an evil woman who wrested power from her poor mad husband King Henry VI. Seeing things from Margaret's perspective and experiencing her feelings first hand really made a soft spot for her in my mind. I have found that some of the best novels are those that take on the maligned character and make you see them as a person and not just the historical stereotype - Higginbotham does that amazingly well here.

There are a few chapters sprinkled throughout the story that are narrated by other characters on the Lancaster side. It is essential in this story because the narration is first person you can only see what that character saw; Margaret wasn't actually at many of the places where the action on for the Lancaster's happened. These other narrators were well developed as characters in the story before they were a narrator so it wasn't jarring to have them telling the story. There was only one major issue I had with these alternate narrators and this was when someone would narrate their own death scene - or still talk to us after they were dead (this shouldn't be a spoiler as you should expect a lot of deaths in the Wars of the Roses). It would just really aggravate me because it didn't fit with the rest of the novel whereas the narrators are alive and well and telling what is going on around them. This sort of thing happened a couple of times.

I was most impressed with the extensive character listing in the book. With so many characters in the Wars of the Roses, it is tough to keep track of who is who, especially when their titles changed all of the time. The listing had little descriptions of who that person was and it was organized by families - so it was much easier to keep your mind straight. I referred back to this time and again. I will probably also use it when I read other WOTR books.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Now that I have read one book from each side of this War, I have a better sense of what they were fighting for. Higginbotham effectively turned a character with negative stereotyping into a character that I could care about and connect with.

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for a review and this was also posted on my blog.

Plot:

The War of the Roses, ok I will do my best. Margaret of Anjou was married to Henry VI from the house of Lancaster. Together they had a son Edward. Henry was mad, other people wanted power because they all descended from the same king. Warwick, the king-maker plotted with the Duke of York, and what follows is battles, the king being captured, Margaret plotting for her husband and son, more battles, people turning sides etc etc. King Edward IV. Exile, plotting, and then I will not even go into the whole plotting inside the York camp and when they kill each other.

My thoughts:

This was my second Higginbotham book and I do enjoy her books. They are so rich in history, and so full of detail. Sure I was lost now and again. How could I not be, all these people plotting were cousins, so cousin killing cousin, cousin marrying cousin, brother killing brother. Always switching sides, but all the major players are listed in the book so it felt good to go and have a look at that. The War of the Roses will always be one big mess, but Higginbotham makes a good job explaining it all.

I have read other books, yes more Yorkist books, so I never thought much about Margaret. But she was so young, and her husband went mad so early. The people hated her and said that her son was not the kings. I felt really sorry for her because her whole world just crumbled under her. I also saw her with new eyes, because those who win write the history and she has not been looked upon with gentle eyes. But then the women are always the weak spot and get all the blame.

I even turned into a Lancastrian, they had the right to rule. Still a mad king is not a good king, so I am a bit of a Yorkist there. But as usual, Warwick is an evil man, and I just have to like Edward IV. I also have to mention Henry Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset, I even had a bit of a crush on him, and I did like that Higginbotham took some creative freedom and played a bit with him.

A great book, you are there, you are on the side of the House of Lancaster and look at things from their point of view. Margaret is the main character, but instead of letting her tell it all, there are some other POVs, Somerset among others. And I did like that, because then you really were on all those battle fields.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

I do recommend her books to all historical fiction fans, and the rest of you too. They are just so good, and I just become more and more interested in The War of the Roses. A messy period in time turns into one great story.

Reason for reading:

I really enjoyed her last book, The Stolen Crown (Go York ;)

As it was so often in history, a young woman of nobility is sent to marry a King in hopes of securing one thing or another. In the case of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VII it was peace. Women who yielded power and lost have quite frequently been portrayed as witches, whores or any number of other colorful epithets. Margaret of Anjou was written as a "she wolf" thanks to Shakespeare.

Susan Higgenbotham has done a marvelous job of researching Margaret and the War of the Roses to present the often confusing York/Lancaster battles for the crown in this well written new book. I have to admit to a certain confusion over all the back and forth in this time period; it is not a favorite of mine but it does ultimately lead up to those Tudors. In The Queen of Last Hopes Ms. Higgenbotham presents Margaret not as a woman fighting just for the sake of fighting but rather as a mother fighting for the rights of her son. Her son's claim to that throne was as strong (in her eyes) as the Yorkist claim and she was going to do whatever she could to fight for him and for her country.

The book is hard to put down once started. Each chapter is written in the voice of an important figure of the time so it is not one sided at all. While it IS Margaret's story other voices do get heard. Ms. Higgenbotham takes some liberties with history for the sake of her novel but she explains them clearly in the notes at the end. It is after all a NOVEL and entertainment is part of the package. And I was entertained as well as educated. What more could one ask from a historical novel?

History is written by the victors and often propaganda is passed as fact. Presenting another side of a story backed by detailed research can open your eyes to rethinking rumors of great historical women.