The late Margaret Campbell Barnes has written numerous
historical fiction novels giving readers a peek into the
lives of English royalty and those who served them. From
Richard the Lionhearted, Ann Boleyn and Isabel the Fair
she lets readers share the intrigue and treachery, love
and passion and heartbreak and shame that so often plagued
their lives. In the Tudor Rose, we first meet Elizabeth I
as a sixteen-year-old beauty recently jilted by the
Dauphin of France. She recovers quickly with the support
of her strong and loving father, Edward IV and the comfort
and playfulness of her younger brothers, Ned and Richard,
but also learns the lesson that as royalty, she is more
pawn than person. Just a year later, Elizabeth faces the
tragedy of her father's death, the first of many trials
she will conquer as she develops the strength and humility
for which she is known. And not only has England lost its
king, but the country perches on the edge of civil war
with supporters of Yorks and Lancasters, two different
descendants of Edward III, vying for his replacement.
Elizabeth flees to sanctuary with her mother and siblings,
and her uncle Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, crowns
himself king instead of serving as protector to
Elizabeth's brother Ned. In fact, Elizabeth believes
Richard murdered both her brothers while they lived in the
Tower under his "protection." Elizabeth, the only one with
a legitimate crown, must pick one of two marriage
proposals: from her uncle, Richard III, the last
Plantagenet king or from Henry Tudor of Richmond, a
Lancastrian knight living abroad.
Margaret Campbell Barnes weaves an intricate tale of one
of England's most bloody time periods in THE TUDOR ROSE.
She has a particular talent for showing the complexity of
her characters, illustrating all facets of their
personalities. The most obvious example of the Duke of
Gloucester, a fierce warrior and charming, intelligent man
with the capacity to commit murder to achieve his goals.
Elizabeth, smart, strong and overflowing with love to
give, fairs little better with Henry Tudor, who may be
just as calculating as Richard but has no passion to
balance it. In fact, he shows little emotion at all. An
excellent storyteller, Barnes easily draws readers back to
the 15th century, and historical fiction fans will revel
in this drama.
One woman holds the key to England's most glorious
empire in this intimate retelling of the launch of the Tudor
dynasty
A magnificent portrait of Elizabeth of
York, set against the dramatic background of fifteenth
century England. Elizabeth, the only living descendant of
Edward IV, has the most valuable possession in all of
England—a legitimate claim to the crown. Two princes battle
to win Britain's most rightful heiress for a bride and her
kingdom for his own. On one side is her uncle Richard, the
last Plantagenet King, whom she fears is the murderer of her
two brothers, the would-be kings. On the other side is Henry
Tudor, the exiled knight. Can he save her from a horrifying
marriage to a cut-throat soldier?
Thrust into the
intrigue and drama of the War of the Roses, Elizabeth has a
country within her grasp—if she can find the strength to
unite a kingdom torn apart by a thirst for power. A richly
drawn tale of the woman who launched one of the most
dramatic dynasties England has ever seen, The Tudor Rose is
a vibrant, imaginative look at the power of a queen.