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A review by hmalagisi
The Beaufort Bride: The Life of Margaret Beaufort, Mother of the Tudor Dynasty by Judith Arnopp
5.0
A weak king caught in the middle of court drama, each side fighting for the control of the crown and the right to have their opinions heard. England is on the brink of civil war with a young heiress struggling to find where she belongs and to survive. The young heiress is Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry Tudor (the future of Henry VII) and a survivor of the Wars of the Roses. Her story has been told in many different ways, but the story of her early years has rarely been told, until now. Judith Arnopp has decided to tell Margaret’s story from her perspective in her novel, “The Beaufort Bride: Book One of The Beaufort Chronicle”.
Margaret is one of my favorite people from the Wars of the Roses to study. I have read a few biographies about Margaret Beaufort and a few historical fiction novels that feature her as a minor character. However, I have never read a historical fiction series about her before, so this one caught my eye. This was the first book that I have read written by Judith Arnopp and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Arnopp begins her novel with Margaret finding out that her father committed suicide and that she is a wealthy heiress at a young age. She is living with her mother and her step-siblings. It is interesting to see the family interactions because Margaret’s step-siblings are rarely mentioned. To make sure Margaret is taken care of, her mother puts her on the marriage market at a very young age, which was not that unusual during this time. Margaret’s first husband was John de la Pole, a debatable issue that many historians view as merely an engagement and not a marriage, but it was quickly annulled when John’s father was declared a traitor and was massacred on a ship trying to escape England. I enjoyed seeing Margaret and John interacting with one another. They act more like friends than husband and wife, which makes you wonder what it might if they stayed married.
The bulk of this novel revolves around Margaret’s relationship with her second husband, Edmund Tudor, the step-brother of King Henry VI and a man who was twice her age. It is a relationship that we don’t know much about, but Arnopp shows how gradual and loving it might have been. Although Margaret was not thrilled with the arrangement at first, she did being to develop feelings for her new husband. It was during this time that Margaret finds her inner strength and she becomes pregnant with her only child, a son. Life, unfortunately, takes a turn for the worse for Margaret when Edmund tragically dies and she must face an excruciating labor experience to bring Henry into the world two months later. Margaret’s trauma during Henry’s birth means that she could never have any more children, making Henry the most precious person in her life.
I loved this novel. I honestly could not stop reading it. Arnopp makes Margaret’s early life so believable and heartbreaking. I love Margaret even more after reading this novel and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. If you want a marvelous novel about Margaret Beaufort’s early life, I highly recommend you read, “The Beaufort Bride: Book One of The Beaufort Chronicle” by Judith Arnopp.
Margaret is one of my favorite people from the Wars of the Roses to study. I have read a few biographies about Margaret Beaufort and a few historical fiction novels that feature her as a minor character. However, I have never read a historical fiction series about her before, so this one caught my eye. This was the first book that I have read written by Judith Arnopp and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Arnopp begins her novel with Margaret finding out that her father committed suicide and that she is a wealthy heiress at a young age. She is living with her mother and her step-siblings. It is interesting to see the family interactions because Margaret’s step-siblings are rarely mentioned. To make sure Margaret is taken care of, her mother puts her on the marriage market at a very young age, which was not that unusual during this time. Margaret’s first husband was John de la Pole, a debatable issue that many historians view as merely an engagement and not a marriage, but it was quickly annulled when John’s father was declared a traitor and was massacred on a ship trying to escape England. I enjoyed seeing Margaret and John interacting with one another. They act more like friends than husband and wife, which makes you wonder what it might if they stayed married.
The bulk of this novel revolves around Margaret’s relationship with her second husband, Edmund Tudor, the step-brother of King Henry VI and a man who was twice her age. It is a relationship that we don’t know much about, but Arnopp shows how gradual and loving it might have been. Although Margaret was not thrilled with the arrangement at first, she did being to develop feelings for her new husband. It was during this time that Margaret finds her inner strength and she becomes pregnant with her only child, a son. Life, unfortunately, takes a turn for the worse for Margaret when Edmund tragically dies and she must face an excruciating labor experience to bring Henry into the world two months later. Margaret’s trauma during Henry’s birth means that she could never have any more children, making Henry the most precious person in her life.
I loved this novel. I honestly could not stop reading it. Arnopp makes Margaret’s early life so believable and heartbreaking. I love Margaret even more after reading this novel and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. If you want a marvelous novel about Margaret Beaufort’s early life, I highly recommend you read, “The Beaufort Bride: Book One of The Beaufort Chronicle” by Judith Arnopp.