The Stolen Crown
The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England
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- $26.99
Publisher Description
Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham’s The Stolen Crown is a compelling tale of one marriage that changed the fate of England forever
On May Day, 1464, six-year-old Katherine Woodville, daughter of a duchess who has married a knight of modest means, awakes to find her gorgeous older sister, Elizabeth, in the midst of a secret marriage to King Edward IV. It changes everything — for Kate and for England.
Then King Edward dies unexpectedly. Richard III, Duke of Gloucester, is named protector of Edward and Elizabeth's two young princes, but Richard's own ambitions for the crown interfere with his duties...
Lancastrians against Yorkists: greed, power, murder, and war. As the story unfolds through the unique perspective of Kate Woodville, it soon becomes apparent that not everyone is wholly good or evil.
“A sweeping tale of danger, treachery, and love, The Stolen Crown is impossible to put down!” —Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Cleopatra’s Daughter
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Higginbotham's latest historical novel is set during England's turbulent War of the Roses. The title refers to King Edward IV's secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which serves as catalyst to the exploits of the main characters, Woodville's younger sister Katherine and her first husband, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Great artistic license is taken in fictionalizing their marriage as a mostly happy one. Those without a strong knowledge of the period will find the book daunting, due to ever-changing alliances and the sheer number of characters, but more knowledgeable readers may find the fruits of Higginbotham's imagination more difficult to swallow. Higginbotham's Henry seems to wander through his life making impolitic outbursts to King Edward, hero-worshipping Richard, and, later, innocently led by Richard's machinations. The majority of the book is narrated by Katherine, whom historians know very little about; she makes an appealing heroine, and those who can suspend disbelief will sympathize quite strongly with this character and the plight of a noble woman in Medieval times.
