A review by amandax777
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

5.0

Review

The plotting, the politics, the bloody births and battles are all part of the exhilarating story that we take with Cecily, as she witnesses the burning of Joan of Arc on the first page through to her son becoming King of England. We are never in any doubt that the path that Cecily takes is fraught with treachery and danger for her and her family. Cecily demonstrates a fierce intelligence, perhaps more than that of her Husband Richard - Duke of York, but being a man in these times allowed him to raise an army and fight for his position. Cecily was the force, the strength and the ambition behind Richards rise in Englands noble court.

The relationship between Cecily and Richard is the strength of the book. Many contemporary marriages would not have had the strong foundations that this marriage has. It is this partnership that enables Cecily to negotiate the courtly webs, and build an enduring future for her husband and children.

The perilous position of women at court is always in our eye line, starting with the burning of Joan of Arc as the books opener. A woman's role to produce children, is to negotiate the politics of the noble courts, Cecily takes this perhaps a step further with the building of her family's fortunes through battles out on the battlefields of England, Cecily plays her role in bringing her sons to the ultimate role through her intelligence and strength at court - ending with two of her sons serving as Kings of England.

A huge level of research has clearly been undertaken, and this is clearly demonstrated in the various domestic rituals that Cecily undertakes. As a reader, we also feel the heartache of loss at childbirth. By the end of the book we know Cecily well - we revere and respect this strong women of the 1400’s. She is perhaps a woman for our times - does she have it all - the children, successful husband? Cecily lacks the recognition that she deserves for her role in history.

#Cecily #NetGalley
Score ⅘