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lauren_endnotes 's review for:
The Daughter of Time
by Josephine Tey
It's an odd thing but when you tell someone the true facts of a mythical tale they are indignant not with the teller but with you. They don't *want* to have their ideas upset. It rouses some vague uneasiness in them... and they resent it."
Quite brilliant in its telling, Tey's "mystery" is a history book with the framing device of a Scotland Yard inspector researching a 'cold case' when he is laid up in the hospital. Bored and staring at the ceiling, his friend tries to spark his interest as he convalesces. A portrait of Richard III is just the spark Inspector Grant needs, and he is on the case - reading everything he can get his hands on about the 15th century monarchy and the infamous murders of his nephews, the "Princes in the Tower".
I don't know much about this interlude of royal history, so I liked learning more. What I really liked is the subversive undertone of a book written in the UK in the 1950s that really questions the establishment of what we are told (fed) throughout history. Contrarian thought isn't new, but this idea of questioning the sources is becoming more accepted at this time.
"I'll never again believe anything I read in a history book, as long as I live, so help me."
Other observations:
-- Tey has an easy and relaxed writing style.
-- The phrase "woolly lamb" to describe a young 'green' person is simultaneously endearing and hilarious. It is used a lot in this book for children and young people.
-- Picked this paperback up on a free shelf at the beach earlier this summer on a whim, and it was a nice find. Fun diversion!