The Summer Queen

by Alice Walworth Graham

The story of the english king Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, British Literature

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

American writer, daughter of John Periander and Marian Alice (Lela) Gordon Walworth. She had two sisters, Mary and Madeleine, and a brother, Gordon. Madeline and Gordon both died of yellow fever before Alice was born. Her grandfather, Douglas Walworth, served as a major in the Confederate army and later became editor of the Natchez newspaper, The Natchez Democrat. His second wife, Jeanette Hadermann, was a journalist and novelist.



Alice graduated from Natchez High School and St. Joseph’s Convent. From 1922-1925, Graham attended Mississippi State College for Women and wrote for the school paper, The Spectator. She later attended a writing class by Robert Penn Warren at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. In 1936, she married Richard Norwood Graham, a civil engineer. They had one child, Richard Norwood, Jr, also known as Dick.



The Grahams lived in Natchez and New Orleans. From 1936-1939 and 1962 on, they resided at the Walworth family home near The Burn , a Greek revival mansion, on Union Street in Natchez, Miss. The Grahams lived in New Orleans from 1939-1962. Alice frequently visited her sister, Mary Walworth Whitaker, who lived in Baton Rouge, La. She gave several book reviews for the Baton Rouge Women’s Club there.



Her first published novel is Lost River (1938). Lost River, along with The Natchez Woman (1950), Romantic Lady (1952), Indigo Bend (1954) and Cibola (1962) are romance novels set on Natchez plantations. Cibola was originally conceived as a sequel to Hardemann’s novel, Dead Men’s Shoes (1872), but the published version has only a few correlations to Dead Men’s Shoes. Graham wrote three historical romance novels set in England: Vows of the Peacock (1955), Shield of Honor (1957), and The Summer Queen (1973).



Graham was a member of several literary societies including the Authors’ League of America and the English-Speaking Society, and the National League of American Pen Women. She was also a member of the Natchez Historical Society and the Natchez Garden Club.
Graham died in 1994.

Reviews

[Lubna · Rating 2 out of 5]

While initially promising I found myself disappointed as the story developed, on how it focused more on the political intrigues and wars of the the time and less on the narrator herself. Cecily appears to be just an observer of the events occurring around her and we are given a limited and unrealistic view of her feelings, thoughts and emotions throughout the book. The author uses her as a mouthpiece to describe what is going on between many of the prominent leaders of the Wars of the Roses. When any personal event occurred to the narrator her emotions are downplayed and are stated without any real emphasis on them at all.
However the book I grudgingly admit is told with reliable information and view from a first person view of the Wars of the Roses which would be good for any one not already familiar with them, but for those like myself who are it proves rather tedious and a complete waste of time.
Overall I would have to rate this as a two as I did end up appreciating the tone and setting and the last words of the book touched me rather significantly.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I love historical fiction and this one is based on the monarchs preceding Henry the 8th. Taught me a lot about English history that I didn't know and it was very clean.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps 3.5 stars. Reread. I know I really liked this when I first read it many years ago, but in the meantime, I have learned more about the Wars of the Roses, and become more critical. Told from the point of view of Cicely Bonville, a cousin of the York family through the Nevilles, the story focuses on the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Since Cicely married Elizabeth's son by her first marriage, she had a front-row seat, and became something of a confidante to Elizabeth, if this book is accurate. Supposedly based on a journal Cicely kept (I'd really like to read that!).

Fact checking:

Since Cicely (or Cecily) Bonville was actually born in 1460, the early portions of this book are pure fiction as far as her interaction is concerned. She would also not have any recollection of her father or either of her grandfathers, since they all died the year she was born. This also means that not only was she much younger than her York cousins, she was also younger than her Warwick cousins, Isabel and Anne. So take this book with a large grain of sand!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wars of the Roses