Lady of the Roses: A Novel of the Wars of the RosesSandra Worth
I usually begin reading historical fiction with some trepidation. My brain automatically associates the term “historical fiction” with hokey covers, bad writing, and long, boring passages designed to educate the reader. Aaron Hamburger, in his article for Poets & Writers entitled "The Pitfalls of Historical Fiction" hits the mark when he writes that "too often, works of historical fiction suffer from what Henry James called 'fatal cheapness' – moments of crude, awkward writing and oversimplified representation of both history and literature."
Thankfully, the above description cannot be applied to Lady of the Roses. Sandra Worth manages to instruct without falling prey to those moments of crudeness so often experienced by readers of historical fiction. She is able to bring Lancastrian England to life without such detail seeming heavy-handed.
For those unfamiliar with the period, allow me to recap to the best of my knowledge (which is admittedly limited, coming as it does from a mediocre Brit lit textbook and Shakespeare’s Richard III): The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars during fifteenth-century England. Both the Lancasters (represented by the red rose) and the Yorks (represented by the white) believed themselves to be the rightful heirs to the throne.
The novel begins as King Henry VI, a Lancaster, rules England. His rule is especially problematic because he is a weak ruler who allows his French wife (Marguerite d’Anjou) too much control. Clearly, the Yorkists are not happy with this situation. Fighting ensues. And ensues. And ensues some more.
Lady of the Roses opens in the midst of this turmoil, as young Isobel Ingoldesthorpe, a ward of the queen, travels to court in 1456, hoping to find a husband. Her travels lead her to meet the handsome (and Yorkist) John Neville. Isobel’s happiness at meeting the man of her dreams is short-lived, however, for it seems doubtful that the queen will agree to a marriage with her enemy.
Surprisingly, the queen does agree to the union – for a price. However, this price is small compared to the greatness of their love for one another, and John and Isobel are quickly married. Lady of the Roses, which spans twenty years, follows Isobel’s boundless love for John, which manages to survive despite the hardships created by political turmoil.
Lady of the Roses has also been billed as a romance, a term I find a bit disparaging. It seems to imply that it isn’t a “serious” book in its own right. This certainly isn’t the case: Lady of the Roses is well-written, informative, and gripping. Even though I already knew the ultimate fate of many of these historical figures, Worth still managed to create a suspenseful read. I won’t lie, either: I cried. Twice. Yeah, and?
My only beef with these novels is – and I admit I’m going to sound like a kid here, but whatever – is the lack of pictures. When reading historical fiction, I like to see how these people looked in real life. This is a silly issue to quibble over, however, and I’m sure adding pictures is not really cost-effective. Thank heavens for Google!
Unfortunately, a GIS for Isobel Ingoldesthorpe yielded nothing. In despair, I decided to create my own. Without further ado, I give you: Isobel Ingoldesthorpe!
Thankfully, the above description cannot be applied to Lady of the Roses. Sandra Worth manages to instruct without falling prey to those moments of crudeness so often experienced by readers of historical fiction. She is able to bring Lancastrian England to life without such detail seeming heavy-handed.
For those unfamiliar with the period, allow me to recap to the best of my knowledge (which is admittedly limited, coming as it does from a mediocre Brit lit textbook and Shakespeare’s Richard III): The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars during fifteenth-century England. Both the Lancasters (represented by the red rose) and the Yorks (represented by the white) believed themselves to be the rightful heirs to the throne.
The novel begins as King Henry VI, a Lancaster, rules England. His rule is especially problematic because he is a weak ruler who allows his French wife (Marguerite d’Anjou) too much control. Clearly, the Yorkists are not happy with this situation. Fighting ensues. And ensues. And ensues some more.
Lady of the Roses opens in the midst of this turmoil, as young Isobel Ingoldesthorpe, a ward of the queen, travels to court in 1456, hoping to find a husband. Her travels lead her to meet the handsome (and Yorkist) John Neville. Isobel’s happiness at meeting the man of her dreams is short-lived, however, for it seems doubtful that the queen will agree to a marriage with her enemy.
Surprisingly, the queen does agree to the union – for a price. However, this price is small compared to the greatness of their love for one another, and John and Isobel are quickly married. Lady of the Roses, which spans twenty years, follows Isobel’s boundless love for John, which manages to survive despite the hardships created by political turmoil.
Lady of the Roses has also been billed as a romance, a term I find a bit disparaging. It seems to imply that it isn’t a “serious” book in its own right. This certainly isn’t the case: Lady of the Roses is well-written, informative, and gripping. Even though I already knew the ultimate fate of many of these historical figures, Worth still managed to create a suspenseful read. I won’t lie, either: I cried. Twice. Yeah, and? My only beef with these novels is – and I admit I’m going to sound like a kid here, but whatever – is the lack of pictures. When reading historical fiction, I like to see how these people looked in real life. This is a silly issue to quibble over, however, and I’m sure adding pictures is not really cost-effective. Thank heavens for Google!
Unfortunately, a GIS for Isobel Ingoldesthorpe yielded nothing. In despair, I decided to create my own. Without further ado, I give you: Isobel Ingoldesthorpe!
this dress cost 1000 meez coins
Yes, I realize that Isobel probably didn't look like a friggin Meez. Yes, I realize I don't have a life. And YES, I am aware that designing this stupid thing ate up thirty minutes of my life that I will never see again.
In a nutshell: Even if you’re not already fascinated in this period of history, you’ll still enjoy Lady of the Roses.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
In a nutshell: Even if you’re not already fascinated in this period of history, you’ll still enjoy Lady of the Roses.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
7 comments:
Hmmm... Question:
Have you read Neal Stephenson's epic trilogy, The Baroque Cycle?
If not, why not..? (that deserves an interrobang)
I have to admit to loving historical fiction, so I will want to add this to my "to be read" list.
Thanks for the great review.
Cheryl
Thanks for the great review, and the laughs! I love your version of Isobel. She is enchanting!
Sandra Worth
Oh, I loves me some historical fiction. Do we all have genres like this, where even when they're bad they can do no wrong by us? Glad this one is good, I'll add it to the list.
I have added to my list of books to read. Thanks for the great review.
Thanks to you and a couple of other readers who mentioned they wanted the same thing -- yes, pictures!-- I'm adding an entire Photo Gallery to my website! It'll have all the people of the Wars of the Roses whose portraits have survived the carnage and also the places associated with the books I've written. And there will be fun stuff too! Hope to have it up in about a week or so. Come and visit me at www.sandraworth.com
March 9, 2008
Yay... a review of historical fiction (my reading subject matter this year) that is positive!
For anon... I'm reading Neal Stephenson's first book in the series. I agree that it's deserving - I learned more about slavery, philosophy, and history in the first 30 pages than I have in years of college. It's heavy reading, though.
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