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Divided Rose
War was a constant threat in the background. The great houses of York and Lancaster were ready to join in battle at the slightest provocation.
One woman was attempting to gain power in the middle of this unrest, the scheming Elizabeth Woodville. Secretly married to Edward IV, she soon helped the upstart Woodville family to a supremacy both disliked and feared by the English nobility, and which divided Edward's own family.
One woman was attempting to gain power in the middle of this unrest, the scheming Elizabeth Woodville. Secretly married to Edward IV, she soon helped the upstart Woodville family to a supremacy both disliked and feared by the English nobility, and which divided Edward's own family.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
About the author
Jean Evans
105 books13 followersPseudonym of Nichlas Demetropoulos (who also wrote one book under the name Marianne Evans - "A Splendid Passion").
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 17, 2021
This is primarily the story of the rise to power of Elizabeth Woodville from the eve of her meeting with Edward IV to the aftermath of Tewkesbury. It opens with Jacquetta of Luxembourg announcing to her companions that Lancaster has been deposed and that everyone, including her daughter Elizabeth, had better learn to live under the new king’s regime. Elizabeth is a staunch Lancastrian, and is outspoken in denouncing the new king to a handsome stranger. The stranger is, of course, Edward who is besotted with her. When he compares her to her mother Jacquetta’s haughtiness he is drawn closer to Elizabeth “whose sweetness would not challenge his own authority.” He makes her his wife when she refuses to become his mistres—after making sure his cousin the Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker is out of the way in France.
Elizabeth is at first shy and apprehensive when Edward publicly presents her to his court, but when Edward’s mother, Cecily Neville, “Proud Cis,” is forced to sink in a deep curtsey before her, a thrill of exhilaration runs through her. From them on, she is the scheming Elizabeth Woodville that Ricardians have come to know and loathe. There are some clever scenes where Elizabeth announces that Lady Scales will wed her brother Anthony instead of the king’s brother George. When the Duke of Buckingham tries to comfort Proud Cis, who is shaken by this news, Elizabeth tells him, by the way, you’re going to marry my sister. Elizabeth also manuvers Anne of York in accepting tens thousand marks to have her daughter wed her son Thomas Grey instead of Warwick’s nephew. Her crowning achievement is at some sort of council meeting where she forces everyone to accept her plan to have Edward’s sister Margaret marry Charles of Burgundy.
The rest of the novel moves along at a fast clip: Warwick and George are thoroughly alienated, and a tenacious Margaret is brought onto the scene in the failed challenge to depose Edward.
Elizabeth’s effectively uses her wiles to keep Edward in control: a tear here; a pain there, whenever he shows signs of not agreeing with her. There is no effort to show us what she really felt for him: nothing? love? hate? or something in between? The book goes too far in portraying Edward as some sort of witless numbskull who had to rely either on Warwick or Elizabeth to make his decisions. Yes, he gave Elizabeth’s kin high positions to please her but also to build a power base of people who owed their allegiance to him. There was also at least one big historical mistake. The author writes that Lancaster lost the second battle of St. Albans, and the Duke of York and his eldest son, Edmund, were killed in the battle. Wrong on all counts. It is a novel and I would be willing to allow some dramatic license but such an error did not serve any purpose. 2.5/3 stars.
Elizabeth is at first shy and apprehensive when Edward publicly presents her to his court, but when Edward’s mother, Cecily Neville, “Proud Cis,” is forced to sink in a deep curtsey before her, a thrill of exhilaration runs through her. From them on, she is the scheming Elizabeth Woodville that Ricardians have come to know and loathe. There are some clever scenes where Elizabeth announces that Lady Scales will wed her brother Anthony instead of the king’s brother George. When the Duke of Buckingham tries to comfort Proud Cis, who is shaken by this news, Elizabeth tells him, by the way, you’re going to marry my sister. Elizabeth also manuvers Anne of York in accepting tens thousand marks to have her daughter wed her son Thomas Grey instead of Warwick’s nephew. Her crowning achievement is at some sort of council meeting where she forces everyone to accept her plan to have Edward’s sister Margaret marry Charles of Burgundy.
The rest of the novel moves along at a fast clip: Warwick and George are thoroughly alienated, and a tenacious Margaret is brought onto the scene in the failed challenge to depose Edward.
Elizabeth’s effectively uses her wiles to keep Edward in control: a tear here; a pain there, whenever he shows signs of not agreeing with her. There is no effort to show us what she really felt for him: nothing? love? hate? or something in between? The book goes too far in portraying Edward as some sort of witless numbskull who had to rely either on Warwick or Elizabeth to make his decisions. Yes, he gave Elizabeth’s kin high positions to please her but also to build a power base of people who owed their allegiance to him. There was also at least one big historical mistake. The author writes that Lancaster lost the second battle of St. Albans, and the Duke of York and his eldest son, Edmund, were killed in the battle. Wrong on all counts. It is a novel and I would be willing to allow some dramatic license but such an error did not serve any purpose. 2.5/3 stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review