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The Pastons were prolific letter writers and it is fortunate many of their letters have survived to this day to tell the first hand stories of life and all its troubles during the 1400’s. Their ability to plot and scheme sees them overcome imprisonment, violence and betrayal, to eventually secure for their family a castle and a place at the heart of the Yorkist Court. An inspirational story of courage and resilience,The Royal Game,charts the rise of three remarkable women from obscurity to the very heart of Court politics and intrigue.
A compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman & Home A splendid historical fiction saga that heralds the beginning of a new series. Anne O’Brien is a master at writing royal historical fiction, she has an ability to not get bogged down in the politics whilst still conveying the key points of the politics in an extremely readable fashion. Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal, a fascinating resource to a historical novelist first published in 1649, has become essential bedside reading. As a result the use of herbs in medicine and witchcraft, for both good and ill, has appeared in some of my novels. I loved the focus on the women, not only the observation of events from their perspective, but the way in which the decisions made about their lives by others impacted upon them. My heart ached for Elizabeth Paston, who was treated abominably by her mother and ignored by her brothers. Fatherless, she had to rely on her brothers to find her a husband, but they were too occupied with their own affairs and any suitor that came along was rejected by her mother for insubstantial reasons. The poor woman was trapped and abused, with no ability to escape at all and no capacity to make decisions, for without a husband she was the property of her mother. I adored Margaret Paston, the wife of John, eldest son, and head of the family. She was clever, a woman who knew what was required to be a successful wife of a noble family, yet still retained a decency and kindness that was to be admired. Her empathy for her sister-in-law Elizabeth’s situation was perhaps the only reason it ever changed. Anne has written about how women were used to build wealth and power through strategic alliances in To have and to hold: pawns in the medieval marriage game.The next five all take place during the same time scale, in the reigns of Edward III and Richard II with some characters appearing in more than one novel: While there are technically three narrators in this book (Margaret, Elizabeth, Anne), the book is really Margaret, the matriarch of the family. She has the most chapters, marshalling her wits to push and shove those around her (sometimes subtly, sometimes with forthrightness) to her way of thinking. She's a fascinating woman, running an estate more or less on her own with her husband away so much. My knowledge of the Paston famiy was zero before reading this book, and now I just want to know all I can!! The author has done a wonderful job of conveying their story through 3 very different female characters - from Margaret who takes charge when her family future is threatened, to Eliza who is downtrodden and controlled by her mother but wants to break free, to Anne who is looking for a suitable marriage - you get to see history and family struggles through their eyes and it is enthralling stuff! The Shadow Queen: Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent. A gripping tale of bigamy, scandal and ambition in royal circles.
I knew nothing about the Paston family before reading Miss. O’Brien’s book. Now, thankfully, I know an awful lot more - thankfully. This thrilling historical novel has it all – high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing … It's a rollercoaster of a read’ Carol McGrathShe has taken a family from Norfolk who social-climbed from peasants to knights in a very short space of time by clever marriages and strong women. The story is told via three women within the family, with Margaret Paston being the main focus. Her strength and determination highlight how important the role of women was at a time when women were often left without a say. However, I mostly enjoyed the story as told by Eliza, Margaret’s sister-in-law, and wished a few more chapters were based on her.
I found this a great read, focused on women, insightful and compelling. I’m really looking forward to the next instalment of the Paston families lives. Our third Paston woman is Anne Haute, a cousin to Elizabeth Woodville. Her voice is that of a noblewoman without the dowry needed to hook herself a wonderful marriage, but who can tout her family connections to gain one. Margaret Paston, matriarch of the Paston family, knows that a favourable match for one of her unruly daughters is the only way to survive the loss of their recently acquired Caister Castle. But as the War of the Roses rages on, dangerous enemies will threaten even her best laid plans. A wonderfully immersive and intriguing read, meticulously researched. I was completely captivated’ Barbara ErskineAs well as the planning and scheming (and often ruthlessness) of these women, the novel is an excellent study of medieval England - Anne O'Brien clearly has a superb understanding of the historic context. Everyday life is portrayed in rich detail, with
The Queen’s Rival: my most recent novel, the dramatic story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, the Queen of England who was never crowned. It’s a great book to showcase life during the Wars of the Roses, ambition and the fight for ownership of property, from the perspective of those on the up who are hedging their bets on which side to support, to further aid their status. So much rich information has come from the numerous letters written by the women that have survived and offer a primary source of life during this period.
A Tapestry of Treason: Constance of York, Lady Despenser, and her marvellously disfunctional famly.
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