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Published Aug 2012
432 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
Known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.
At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.
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"The bonds of sisterhood infuse Gregory's latest. ...The stakes are high as Anne and Isabel Neville, daughters of the earl of Warwick ('The Kingmaker'), vie for their father's favor and a chance at the throne. ...In addition to Gregory handling a complicated history, she convincingly details women's lives in the 1400s and the competitive love between sisters." - Publishers Weekly
"Although their fates are known, Gregory creates suspense by raising intriguing questions about whether her characters will transcend their historical reputations." - Kirkus Reviews
"Gregory delivers another vivid and satisfying novel of court intrigue, revenge, and superstition. Gregory's many fans as well as readers who enjoy lush, evocative writing, vividly drawn characters, and fascinating history told from a woman's point of view will love her latest work." - Library Journal
"It's every man and woman for themselves in Gregory's latest, which offers reliable royal entertainment." - Booklist
"From the queen of royal fiction comes a gripping 15th-century tale of the daughters of the man known as the 'Kingmaker.'" - San Antonio Express-News
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl, which was made into a TV drama, and a major film. Now, six novels later, she is looking at the family that preceded the Tudors: the magnificent Plantaganets, a family of complex rivalries, loves, and hatreds.
She lives with her family on a small farm in Yorkshire where she keeps horses, hens and ducks.
Her other great interest is the charity that she founded nearly twenty years ago: Gardens for The Gambia. She has raised funds and paid for 140 wells in the primary schools of this very dry and poor African country, and thousands of school children have been able to learn market gardening in the school gardens watered by the wells. The ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Philippa Gregory's Website
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