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Friday, June 3, 2011

A rose for the crown

Anne Easter Smith

This is one of the very few works of fiction that paints Richard III in a good light. It is the story of Kate Haute, a young woman who falls in love with Richard. Kate is a young woman with very strong convictions. She is born into a world where women are more or less possessions of their husbands and fathers.
The story takes the reader from Kate growing up as a child, right through to the Battle of Bosworth Field, and the beginning of the reign of the Tudors. Through Kate’s eyes we see the Wars of the Roses, the changes in kings and how this affected people. It explores what really happened to Richard’s nephews in the Tower, and what Richard was most truly like. The politics of the time can be confusing, but I feel that the author does a very good job of explaining what is happening. It shows the reader what life was like in the last days of the Plantagenet kings, and how the politics of the day affected the everyday people.
There are beautiful elements of fiction which really add to the story, and it obvious that the author researched for a very long time to write this book. A little drawn out in parts, it is still a very enjoyable story, and I highly recommend it to all those who love a good historical read.


(Reviewed by Jasmine.)

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