Author: Philippa Gregory
Published: Touchstone, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I appreciate the creative license she takes while still staying in line with most major historical facts. What I admire most about her unique ideas is her ability to weave the common threads through all the books. In her most recent The Cousins' Wars novel, The King's Curse, Gregory explored the life of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury and how her closeness to the throne leads to the highs and lows in her life.
Margaret Pole is the cousin of Elizabeth of York, queen of England. Her Plantagenet bloodlines make her a threat to the new Tudor rulers, and she is married off to the Tudor supporter Sir Richard Pole. As the years pass, Margaret finds her life affected by her continuous rise and fall of royal favor. She forms a strong friendship with the young Katherine of Spain and both are devastated with Prince Arthur suddenly dies. Margaret Pole finds herself struggling and sends her children to be raised by family members or the church. When Katherine marrieds Henry VIII, life seems to smile on her and Margaret. However, these two women will soon discover their fates are tied to a young, jovial king who will slowly turn into a petulant, temperamental man ruled by his rash anger.
Gregory successfully weaves together the ongoing "curse" that is first revealed in The White Queen and how it directly affect Margaret Pole. Readers can sense the Margaret's pride, but sensitivity to her royal blood as she makes all attempts not to draw attention to herself and her family. Gregory's ability to pull readers into the complex emotions of Margaret will widen their knowledge on humanity and how much the human heart can stand.
While I enjoyed this novel, it might not be a favorite read for those who have previously read Gregory's other novels. This novel does go over events previously portrayed in other novels such as The Constant Princess and The White Princess. However, it is worth the read to see how other royals lives depended upon the laws and favor of their king. Royals may have had the advantage of education and possible wealth, but their lives were far from their own.
