The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou by Susan Higginbotham

by Natasa Djordjevic - 2:34 PM

Title: The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Published: January 28th 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Pages: 345

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Synopsis:

Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he slips into insanity. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love.

My Review:

What would happen if this king suddenly went mad? What would his queen do? Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?

Margaret of Anjou, born and raised in France until the age of 15 at which time she became the wife of King Henry VI, a union as a way to bring peace to the conflict between England and France. Henry and Margaret would grow to love each other and when Henry’s intermittent delicate mental state threatens his crown, it’s Margaret who fights the hardest to keep it. The book covers their lives from 1444 to 1482 when Margaret dies.

Margaret was one of the leading figures in what we called The War of the Roses, between Lancastrians and Yorkists. There was a long time hostility between Margaret and the Duke of York which led to the civil conflict to last for 30 years.

The Queen of Last Hopes gives a voice to one of the most maligned women in history. But, Margaret was so much more than what history and men branded her to be. She was a strong female figure, intelligent and cunning when dealing with plots, enemies and other issues considered to be outside the world of women.

I enjoyed getting to know Margaret through the book. Her firmness and courage when affronted with difficulty, and with an entire country against her, was inspiring and I will forever look at her in a different light. Higginbotham has given her real justice. Instead of being portrayed as ’’She wolf’’, she’s given an opportunity to tell her side of the story here and just be a little more human.