Philippa Gregory brings to life the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman of passion and of legend who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the War of the Roses to bring her family unimaginable power.
I enjoy reading the stories of the strong women in English history. Characters who are often overlooked in our general knowledge of these periods.
“This is a man’s world, Jacquetta, and some women cannot march to the beat of a man’s drum. Do you understand?”
I have also read her Tudor Court Series – 6 books including the well-known title, The Other Boleyn Girl. Gregory makes historical fiction very easily digestible. Almost a bit too much so.
If you like historical English fiction but want a bit more from the writing, you will enjoy Hilary Mantel‘s two Man Booker prize-winning novels on Thomas Cromwell: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies – I absolutely loved these books. [UPDATED 2020: I just read The Mirror and the Light, book 3 in this trilogy, short listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and it is really good!]
READ NOW: The Lady of the Rivers
PUBLISHED: 2011
GENRE: Historical fiction
PAGES: 493