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The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the gripping and ultimately tragic story of the daughters of the man known as the “Kingmaker,” the most powerful magnate in England through the Cousins’ Wars. In the absence of a son and heir, he uses the two girls as pawns in his political games, but they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.
At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child brought up in intimacy and friendship with the family of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Her will is tested when she is left widowed and fatherless, with her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Fortune’s wheel turns again when Richard rescues Anne from her sister’s house, with danger still following Anne, even as she eventually ascends to the throne as queen. Having lost those closest to her, she must protect herself and her precious only child, Prince Edward, from a court full of royal rivals.
“Gregory delivers another vivid and satisfying novel of court intrigue, revenge, and superstition. Gregory’s many fans as well as readers who enjoy lush, evocative writing, vividly drawn characters, and fascinating history told from a woman’s point of view will love her latest work.”
“Gregory is one of historical fiction’s superstars, and The Kingmaker’s Daughter shows why . . . providing intelligent escape, a trip through time to a dangerous past.”
“Wielding magic again in her latest War of the Roses novel … Gregory demonstrates the passion and skill that has made her the queen of English historical fiction.…Gregory portrays spirited women at odds with powerful men, endowing distant historical events with drama, and figures long dead or invented with real-life flaws and grand emotions. She makes history … come alive for readers.”
“Gregory returns with another sister act. The result: her best novel in years.”
“Gregory delivers another vivid and satisfying novel of court intrigue, revenge, and superstition. Gregory’s many fans as well as readers who enjoy lush, evocative writing, vividly drawn characters, and fascinating history told from a woman’s point of view will love her latest work.”
“Gregory is one of historical fiction’s superstars, and The Kingmaker’s Daughter shows why . . . providing intelligent escape, a trip through time to a dangerous past.”
“Wielding magic again in her latest War of the Roses novel … Gregory demonstrates the passion and skill that has made her the queen of English historical fiction.…Gregory portrays spirited women at odds with powerful men, endowing distant historical events with drama, and figures long dead or invented with real-life flaws and grand emotions. She makes history … come alive for readers.”
A Conversation with Philippa Gregory
When you began planning to write this book, the next installment in your Cousins' War series, how did you settle upon Anne as the narrator? What is it about Anne, her voice and her story that called for your attention?
I wanted to write a book about both the Warwick daughters, but there is very little material available about both of them. Isabel dies earlier, so it was better to have Anne as the narrator. This is a bit of a cold-hearted technical choice — now I have researched her life and written a novel from her point of view. I must say that I have become tremendously fond of her, and I think her life demonstrates she was a courageous, persistent and determined woman who took her own decisions. A lot of the conventional histories of her life see her very much as a victim of the decisions of others — but I think she must have made many of her own decisions. Surely she could have gone into sanctuary as her mother did, when they landed in England and found that her father was dead? But instead she chose to march with the Lancaster army. Also, I don't believe that Richard could have kidnapped her from her sister's house and kept her in hiding before their wedding if she had been unwilling. Looking at her as a real person, facing real choices, has made her a deeply interesting character to me.
Anne interprets Elizabeth Woodville to be her enemy for much of The Kingmaker's Daughter; and yet, there are moments in which Anne senses that Elizabeth is truly in the right. Did you intentionally write the book in such a way that readers who may not be familiar with Elizabeth's story would find themselves questioning how “evil” she really is? Was it difficult balancing her good and “evil” values through Anne's narration of her?
All of the books of this series have been involved with the different viewpoints of the different players of the Wars of the Roses, which were known at the time as the 'Cousins' War'. There are times when Elizabeth is clearly in the right — as a crowned ordained queen facing rebels. But there are times when Anne and the reader must question what Elizabeth is doing. It's been a complex and complicated series to write and there are no clear heroes or villains — though of course everyone will have their favourites. In this book especially, I wanted us to see how Anne's first star-struck view of Elizabeth turns into fear, that Elizabeth inspired fear, but that also Elizabeth could be seen in a number of ways.
At the end of the book, Anne narrates, “I think of my childhood when Isabel and I were little girls and played at being queens. It is incredible to me that I am twenty-eight years old . . . and I no longer have any desire to be queen” (ms-362). If twenty-eight-year-old Anne could give eight-year-old Anne just one piece of advice for her future, what do you imagine it would be?
I think she would advise her to disobey her father early on, run away, and not to be trapped in the world of royal ambition at all. But of course, the eight-year-old Anne would not understand or follow such advice. Her father loomed very large for her for all her childhood, and her family was devoted to their ambition.
On her deathbed, Anne dreams of her father sacrificing his horse as a pledge to his men. Why did you choose this particular scene for Anne to imagine as the novel comes to a close? What, ultimately, would you like your readers to take away from the novel about the Earl?
The story of the death of his horse is a very potent story about the Earl of Warwick — and it is said to have happened at two of his battles! I wanted Anne to imagine it on her deathbed because the thought of a life after death comforts her — as she dies so very young, and as she thinks of her dead child. I found it a powerful and moving image about the price of ambition. I'd like readers to think of the Earl of Warwick as the complex man that he was: hugely courageous, a man who made his own destiny, and hugely ambitious — for himself and his family. The book perhaps suggests that ambition is damaging and dangerous, so although it is a story about the kingmaker — about the highest political power — it suggests to the reader that sometimes the price is too high.
When talking with www.goodreads.com, you discuss your intent to help develop the studies of women who are often forgotten, or thought of as stereotypical female roles, rather than remembered as the powerful political figures that they are. In your opinion, who is responsible for these women having been forgotten or remembered incorrectly in the first place, and who is responsible for making it right?
The women mostly had no political power — only the power that they could establish for themselves behind the scenes, and through their relationships to powerful men. So when histories are written and they focus on actions and decisions it is not surprising that they leave out the stories of women. To historians writing political history or military history there are simply almost no women in the story. Then I think there is a misogyny in history which judges women very harshly, and a laziness which allows careless stereotyping of women which would not be allowed for men — (like Henry VIII's wives: the old one, the sexy one, the good one….). These are some of the reasons that history neglects or misjudges women, and it is the responsibility of all historians to correct these mistakes. Naturally, someone who is a woman, and who is interested in women, and is a feminist is going to be someone who will take to this work with great relish — that's me! But there are also many many historians, both men and women, who take a particular pleasure in researching the stories of interesting women.
In another interview, this one on www.bookbrowse.com, you mention that you were writing as a journalist before you began writing fiction. Do you think that your skills as a journalist helped to inform your skills as a writer of historical fiction? If so, how? As a former journalist, do you feel more pressure to “get it right” when dealing with historical events?
The pressure for historical accuracy comes from my work as an historian: I studied history for seven years before I wrote a novel. But for four years before that I wrote as a journalist for newspapers and for the BBC and it was a good training in terms of writing quickly, daily, and on time. Also, as a journalist, you know that you have to simply sit down and write, you don't tell your editor that you're waiting for inspiration!
You've now written an astounding twenty-four books. Was the experience of writing some of those books different than others? Which book was the most difficult to write, and why do you think that is?
Every book is different from another. I think the most difficult was the second book of my career, The Favored Child. That came after the great success of Wideacre and everyone was keen to know if I would be able to write another good book — of course, I didn't know either. It went through 12 drafts, the most rewriting I have ever done. I am amazed at how many books there are — but then I remember that I have been writing for 30 years. It's a very long career.
Historical fiction books and other media (movies, television shows, and more) are experiencing a huge rise in popularity as of late. Why do you think this is?
I think people are interested in history during times of uncertainty, such as we are experiencing now. Also, the revolution in the 1950s of the way that history was researched and written has percolated through to popular exposition of history, and is proving to be very interesting to general readers as well as historians. The 'new' history is about narratives of ordinary people, social history, and so is far more interesting than the way that history used to be studied and then taught.
There is to be an upcoming BBC1 drama adapted from your Cousins' War books, and The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a major motion picture. What is it like to see your writing brought to life on screen? Were you at all fearful of how your stories would be interpreted by directors and actors?
It's always a bit unnerving when you have imagined something very strongly, to have to hand it over to another creative person who will have their views of how it should be done — but filmmaking is a collaborative business and it is also an adventure and a pleasure to see what good scriptwriters and good directors and good actors will do with a story. It's thrilling to see the title come up on a big cinema screen, that's a great moment.
Can you give us a glimpse into the project you're currently working on? Is it another book in the Cousins' War series? (Fingers crossed!)
I'm currently working on The White Princess, the story of Elizabeth of York, and I am loving the research and the writing.
Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2012
There is very little of Gregory's work I don't enjoy (wasn't too crazy about the Mary, Queen of Scots novel, for instance) but her latest efforts with "The Cousins' War" novels have been exceptional. Told from the perspective of Anne Neville, wife of Richard III, we see the tragic and horrific consequences of being a woman and used, almost inexclusively, as a political and sexual pawn for men deperately trying to keep or gain a crown. Gregory has such a superb approach to her work it's just a great read from beginning to end. This novel is a bit shorter than some of the others (probably out of necessity as Neville died young at 28) and keeps a fast, engaging pace. Characters are generally easy to keep track of--that is sometimes a barrier in these historical novels--and if you have read her previous "Red Queen" "White Queen" and "Lady of the Rivers" you should not have much problem following this angle of the War of the Roses.
That being said, the countless Edwards and Richards--good Lord, every other man was given the same name...so you have to pay a bit more attention there--and as I read I kept thinking that skimming through the "Queen/Rivers" novels again would help jog a memory or two. However, as a whole, Gregory continues to write literate, readable historical fiction--she's very dependable, which I so appreciate. Am also looking forward to the next installment as she says in her "Afterword" it will present some of her ideas on what happened to the two royal princes who disappeared from the Tower...maybe or maybe not at the hands of their uncle, Richard III.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mirella
Posted August 28, 2012
Anne Neville was a lesser known noblewoman and queen of England. In The
Kingmaker’s Daughter, Philippa Gregory brings Anne to vibrant life by
writing about her difficult life and subsequent rise to glory as Queen
of England. What is most heart-wrenching about Anne’s story is that she
and her sister, Isabel, were pawns to the men in their lives whose quest
for power was relentless. Although Anne is not the spirited, feisty
heroine of other historical biographical novels, she is truly
fascinating. It is important that these women’s lives are written about,
not only to show the extent of their suffering at the hands of the men
surrounding them, but to clearly reflect the true status of women and
their lack of rights in all eras of history. What is important is that
Philippa Gregory has written a true and accurate accounting of this
woman’s life, and that is what I applaud highly. Her conflict with
Elizabeth Woodville is deep and all encompassing throughout the novel
and makes for a fascinating story-line. Although Anne is not the
fiery heroine, the conflict surrounding her is all consuming and makes
for fast page-turning. The novel captures the reader’s interest from the
very first to the very last page. It is eloquently written with
believable characters, an incredible amount of brilliant descriptions,
and wonderful emotion. The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the fourth book in
a series about the women in Cousin’s War Series - Elizabeth Woodville,
Margaret Beaufort, and Jacquetta Woodville. It is not necessary to read
this in any particular order. It is fascinating to see how the author
moves between these characters, fairly depicting them and their
personalities, despite their faults. Fans of Philippa Gregory will
definitely enjoy this novel set in a disorderly and dangerous period in
England’s rich history. I highly recommend this! What a wonderful story!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 22, 2012
This is the story of Anne Neville, the daughter of Warwick, the Kingmaker. She became the wife of Richard III and died young. It is told is great contrast to her novel The White Queen, which is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, queen to Edward IV and mother of the Princes in the Tower. The whole novel takes place during the Cousins War, or what becomes known later as the War of the Roses. I read this book in 3 days. Fantastic read. I felt as though I was in 1400's and in the middle of all the battles and intrigue.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 14, 2013
The cousin's war is an excellent series The characters are well developed, enjoyable, and memorable In this novel the king makers daughters are developed in a similar fashio to the bolyn girls Both are born and bred to be queen, yet only one is truly corrupt enough to cast aside those who really care Great read and helps with the understanding of the fued between the families for the crown
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jai0411
Posted April 23, 2013
If any book by Philippa tells the story about the "role" of women during this time period, its definitely this book. I'm so intrigued to go back and read all books in this series again just to re live the intertwined relationships of the fascinating Isabel and Anne Neville, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville and even Margaret of Anjou and Jacquetta. From beginning to end this book had me captured!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love almost everything Philippa Gregory writes. The Kingmaker's Daughter, to me, was only so-so and not the strongest in the Cousin's War series. Anne comes across as a ninny and unimpressive throughout the book despite all she overcame and dealt with. I far preferred the portrayal of her 2nd husband, Richard, as he has not always been portrayed well in other books. Although the witchcraft around Elizabeth Woodville is not new to the series and is being portrayed from a different perspective in this book, it did not lend itself to the same excitement as in other books. I became tired of Anne's constant whining about Elizabeth Woodville being a witch. I did not find Anne a sympathetic or relatable character; she felt childlike and overly naive throughout the entire book. It is not a terrible book but it is not one I will re-read.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 20, 2012
One of the best historical fiction writers around, Gregory does an amazing job combining fact and fiction. I love the aspects of witchcraft she weavea through the stories. You'll learn about history without even knowing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 29, 2013
Good read, alittle redundant with the subject of who the kingmaker was and what he did.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 8, 2013
This book revisits characters from several of Philippa's others set in this time period, but from a different character's perspective. I enjoyed it very much!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 28, 2013
I generally love Gregory and she does not disappoint. Not as good as some of her others . . . .
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 15, 2012
I am a great fan of Philippa Gregory. I have read almost all of her books and I love the way she combines fiction with English history
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Brandy42SN
Posted November 20, 2012
Okay, I will attempt to review the BOOK not the author's writing prose. It's just that I've read every book Gregory has written- all of her work on the Tudors (and prior King Richard) is splendidly written, and wonderfully researched. But enough already. I feel like now she's "milking" the situation. She's attempting to re-tell history from every angle of the War of the Roses - or the Cousin's War as it's also known. She's written it from the point of view of the White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville) and the Red Queen (Margaret D'Anjou), now this view from the Earl of Warwick's daugthers. And on top of that, she charges $17 for each book! Enough. It's the same story, you can't rewrite history and after awhile it gets a little old. Seriously.
HOWEVER - the book itself is a work of art. Gregory is a great, passionate writer with a tenacious attention to detail, and The Kingmaker's Daughter is no exception.
Anonymous
Posted October 11, 2012
One of the worsed books I've ever purchased. I loved many of her books but after this disaster I will never buy another.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 5, 2012
Once again Philippa Gregory wrote an exciting piece of historical fiction (my favorite). With her books my visual mind comes alive with the period of kings and queens with all their drama.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 28, 2012
Very interesting reading. Philippa does it again.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 13, 2012
Wow, what a different take on the cousins war. I loved this story about anne neville. I loved the other books in this series and it was very interesting to see the other side to elizabeth woodville. I loved the queen in the other books but she was kinda scary in this view point. Great book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rharriet
Posted September 11, 2012
This was not my favorite Phillipa Gregory book, but it was still very good. Considering the characters have identical names, she did a great job of making it pretty easy to follow who was who. Love her writing overall!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 8, 2012
Any historical fiction fan will devour The Kingmaker's Daughter. Gregory
gives the reader marvelous insight into the devious plans of Richard Neville through his daughter, Anne. The plot takes the reader through the hallways of fifteenth century England. The author reads into the heart and motives of the beautiful Elizabeth Woodville to keep the throne for her family and the quest of Anne and Richard to take it from her.
Anonymous
Posted September 7, 2012
I started it but it did not hold my interest at the time. However, I shall open it once more within the next week.
I have all of Philippa Gregory's books and this one surprised me that I could not delve into it as I did the others. I will have to get back to you once I reread the first chapter.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 7, 2012
It was so good-----I couldn' put it down.She is such a great writer!
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Overview
In The Kingmaker’s Daughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory presents the riveting story of Anne Neville, her sister Isabel, and their ever-changing fortunes.
The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the gripping and ultimately tragic story of the daughters of the man known as the “Kingmaker,” the most powerful magnate in England through the Cousins’ Wars. In the absence of a son and heir, he uses the two girls as pawns in his political games, but they grow up to be ...