The Queen's Sisters
Sarah J. Hodder
When
Elizabeth Woodville married King Edward IV in secret in 1464, the
fortunes of her family changed. The
Queen's Sisters looks
at the less documented lives of Elizabeth's sisters, with each
chapter dedicated to one of her six or possibly seven sisters. The
lives of these women were often exciting but also full of
uncertainties and tragedies, especially when the fathers, husbands,
or brothers were called to war or caught up in political intrigue and
were faced with conflicting loyalties.
I
found this book well written, easy to read, and full of interesting
information. I liked that the author pointed out the role women were
expected to play within the household and managing estates,
especially when their husbands were away. It is hard to imagine how
girls who married so young must have felt when they were expected to
move in with in-laws and grow up away from their own families. Also,
the fact that widows gained some independence after the death of a
husband only to lose much of that if they remarried, almost made me
wonder why they would even contemplate another marital alliance
unless they were forced to do so.
It
is sad to think how little was documented about the Queen's sisters.
Considering their advantageous marriages and the fact that they were
close to the center of power, one would think there would be more
information available about them. And although the author might not
have intended it, I found myself rather bothered by the fact that
these women were largely ignored by history. Why should their lives
and stories be so unimportant? Was it merely because of their gender?
Thinking about this made me appreciate the author's interest in
shedding light on this forgotten past, even if it meant having to dig
through the history of men to learn about the secret lives of
interesting and historically significant women.
Thanks
to Chronos Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an
honest review.
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