THE RED QUEEN by Phillippa Gregory

(The Cousins' War)
Publisher: Touchstone; 1 edition
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
ISBN: 9781416563723
Historical fiction Elizabethan Era
Hard cover
Reviewed by Penny
Obtained via: library


Margaret Beaufort is arguably the most pious woman in the country. She is also a widow and mother at the tender age of fourteen. Her son, who she named Henry after the current king, has a tenuous claim to the throne. Through civil upsets and wars, she is determined to see her son crowned the King of England no matter the cost, to her country or to her son. She willingly enters into an advantageous and loveless marriage herself and even betroths Henry to her enemy’s daughter to further her ambitions. Her one and only desire is to be the King’s mother and to sign her missives Margaret Regina: Margaret R.

Let’s make it plain from the start. I disliked Margaret Beaufort from the very beginning. She is a spoiled, inconsiderate, hypocritical shrew. For a book written based on a heroine that I did not care for in the slightest, had no sympathy or empathy for, this was a very intriguing read I thoroughly enjoyed. And all the while I was not sure who I hoped would triumph in the quest for the throne, even though from the start, of course I knew who would come out on top.

Author Phillippa Gregory has penned a fictional tale based on some true events and others that she either invented or surmised that entails the struggle and battles for the control of England in the mid to late 1400’s. From the flavor of the book, I am not sure even of Ms Gregory’s feelings towards Margaret but she did a phenomenal job with THE RED QUEEN. Once I started I could not stop turning the pages and if this were a book that I owned and had not checked out of the library, I am sure that I would read it again at a future date.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.