What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Would you tell? Or would you forever keep the secret?
November, 1470: Westminster Abbey. Lady Elysabeth Scrope faces a perilous royal duty when ordered into sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville–witness the birth of Edward IV’s Yorkist son. Margaret Beaufort, Elysabeth’s sister, is desperately seeking a pardon for her exiled son Henry Tudor. Strategically, she coerces Lancastrian Elysabeth to be appointed godmother to Prince Edward, embedding her in the heart of the Plantagenets and uniting them in a destiny of impossible choices and heartbreaking conflict.
Bound by blood and torn by honour, when the king dies and Elysabeth delivers her young godson into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Margaret conspires with Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne. Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her husband and her sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Was the rebel Duke of Buckingham to blame? Or did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John, best-selling author of The Lydiard Chronicles, blends her own family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing alternative story illuminating the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.
Publisher: Falcon Historical
Page Length: 350 pages
Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction / Historical Mystery
Manipulation. Uncertainty. Fear. When Elysabeth Scrope is given the role of ensuring the Queen’s baby makes it into the world safely, there is no way she could possibly have predicted the events that would occur afterwards. But, with the first cries of the baby boy, heir to the throne of England, Elysabeth’s life changed forever. Her loyalties change, and the oath she swears is sworn truthfully – she will do everything in her power to protect her godson, Edward.
As Edward grows up, Elysabeth grows more and more involved in his life. She is like a second mother to him. And so, when she is called to his side with the news of the death of his father, she leaves immediately. Her beloved Ned is now king at just 12 years old, and desperately needs her by his side to help guide him. His mother may have her own plans for him, but Ned has his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Duke of Buckingham to get him through a coronation and onto the throne safely. And, of course, Elysabeth.
With the title of godmother, Elysabeth finds herself in the midst of untruths and conspiracies. Her main goal is to keep Ned safe and well, but there are those around her who have different plans, and she learns things that suggest Ned’s well-being is not at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Everyone knows the story of the Princes in the Tower, but the truth about what really happened to the boys is something that may never come to light. All anyone can do is to speculate, or, as Elizabeth St.John has done with this novel, mix historical fact with fiction to come to her own conclusion. Something I love about this book, in particular, is that it is a personal story to the author. Elysabeth is an ancestor of the author, and the historical character provides a perfect narrator for this story.
A lot of historical novels set in this era follow the lives of those in power, or relatives of them. By choosing Elysabeth Scrope, this novel offers an interesting perspective. Firstly, while she becomes like family to the King and Queen when she becomes godmother to Ned, Elysabeth is an outsider. She is pulled between loyalty to York and to Lancaster. And, almost more importantly, while she is godmother to Ned, she is also sister to Margaret Beaufort. She is practically mother to Edward V, and aunt to Henry VII. Elysabeth is perfect for this story, for she gives the perspective of both sides. She sympathises with Margaret, but has also sworn a vow to protect Ned, and it is a vow she refuses to break.
The fate of the two brothers in the tower has been blamed on many people, most commonly on their uncle, Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester. The man they should have been able to trust the most. However, this is but speculation. There is just as little proof that Richard was the cause of their demise as there is proof that he protected them as he was supposed to. This book explored the ins and outs of these present-day accusations, while revealing a truth to the reader about what very well might be the truth behind the Princes’ fate. The historical detailing was immaculate, it almost felt like reading the diary of Elysabeth Scrope at times, for the first-person narrative gave this book the feel of a first-hand account written at the time of the novels’ events. The historical figures came back to life, they breathed life among the pages, and I felt myself a part of the story as I read.
I truly enjoyed Elysabeth’s telling of this story. She is a character who is incredibly easy to like, for she is so honest and kind. She does what she can to do the right thing by Ned as she is mixed up in politics and the ulterior motives of those around her, even if that means breaking promises and holding onto secrets here and there. She is an incredibly brave and strong woman, one who can stand up for herself and for others. There are, of course, other characters who I absolutely despised, but if I get into the characters I did not like, and the reasons why, I will give away the entire story, and this review will end up being thousands of words long.
Nearly two years ago, I read a short story by Elizabeth St.John from the collection Betrayal, which followed Elysabeth Scrope for but a short moment, and I recall absolutely loving it and longing for a longer version of that story, one that would tell the full story of Edward V’s godmother. It seems my wishes have come true, for this book is exactly that. It is an absolutely fabulous novel, and I am so glad to have had read it. I cannot praise it enough. It is simply a masterpiece of a novel, and one that I could not put down.
Elizabeth St.John spends her time between California, England, and the past. An acclaimed author, historian, and genealogist, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Lydiard Park and Nottingham Castle to Richmond Palace and the Tower of London to inspire her novels. Although the family sold a few country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them— in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their legacy. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story.
Having spent a significant part of her life with her seventeenth-century family while writing The Lydiard Chronicles trilogy and Counterpoint series, Elizabeth St.John is now discovering new family stories with her fifteenth-century namesake Elysabeth St.John Scrope, and her half-sister, Margaret Beaufort.
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Thanks so much for hosting Elizabeth St.John today, and for such an amazing review. x
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure!
DeleteIt was lovely to share The Godmother's Secret - and thank you for the absolutely wonderful review. I am delighted you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome! It really is a fabulous book!
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