The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir
Title: The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle
No. of Pages: 526
Date of Publication: 10 May, 2022
My Rating: 5 Stars
When I was in school, I thought history was so boring because the textbooks were so horribly dry. I didn’t realize what a passion I have for learning more history until I was in my thirties and realized that instead of it being old and dusty, history was as much in full on color as our own lives and times are. As an historian and very talented writer, Alison Weir is able to bring history to life in such a fantastic way - I loved her voice for Elizabeth, the princess turned queen most known for bringing forth the Tudor dynasty.
When I started this novel, I made sure that I was caught up with my other reading because I knew I’d want to savor it. I’m glad that I did, because this brought Elizabeth’s story alive in an utterly engrossing way, even though I was already rather familiar with the Tudor matriarch’s biography. This grabbed my attention from the first chapter, and during my reading of this, I was transfixed and enjoyed each and every page.
Another absolute winner from Ms. Weir, I absolutely loved this book.
eARC kindly provided by Ballantine Books / Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.
Description
New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir explores the turbulent life of Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth, the first queen of the Tudor dynasty, in this stunning historical novel.
Elizabeth of York is the oldest daughter of King Edward IV. Flame-haired, beautiful, and sweet-natured, she is adored by her family; yet her life is suddenly disrupted when her beloved father dies in the prime of life. Her uncle, the notorious Richard III, takes advantage of King Edward’s death to grab the throne and imprison Elizabeth’s two younger brothers, the rightful royal heirs. Forever afterward known as "the Princes in the Tower," the boys are never seen again. On the heels of this tragedy, Elizabeth is subjected to Richard’s overtures to make her his wife, further legitimizing his claim to the throne. King Richard has murdered her brothers, yet she feels she must accept his proposal.
As if in a fairy tale, Elizabeth is saved by Henry Tudor, who challenges Richard and defeats him at the legendary Battle of Bosworth Field. Following his victory, Henry becomes king and asks Elizabeth to be his wife, the first queen of the Tudor line. The marriage is happy and fruitful, not only uniting the warring houses of Lancaster and York—the red and white roses—but producing four surviving children, one of whom, Henry VIII, will rule the country for the next thirty-six years.
As in her popular Six Tudor Queens series, Alison Weir captures the personality of one of Britain’s most important consorts, conveying Elizabeth of York’s dramatic life in a novel that is all the richer because of its firm basis in history.
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