Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Elizabeth of York – the daughter of Edward IV, niece of Richard III, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII - doesn’t seem to have gotten much attention on her own over the years, instead given the role of a secondary character in books about the more well known men in her life. The King’s Daughter is Elizabeth’s story, told by Elizabeth herself.

After getting off to a rocky start with the book in which I seriously considered flinging it across the room (I’ll explain later), I’m glad that I stuck with it even though in the end I have somewhat mixed feelings. Living through the Wars of the Roses, Elizabeth leads an alternatingly charmed and challenged life – one minute her glorious father is the king and the next they are fleeing into sanctuary as the other side gains the upper hand. Her fortune goes back and forth through the death of her father, the crowning of her uncle, the disappearance of her brothers and her marriage to the ultimate victor in the struggle for the throne, Henry Tudor.

No story about Elizabeth of York is without controversy. Not so much about Elizabeth herself, but because you can’t tell her story without including especially those of Richard III and Elizabeth’s younger brothers – Edward V and Richard, Duke of York. Issues related to the relationship between Elizabeth and her uncle and of the fate of her brothers seem to generate a great deal of discussion and debate amongst those who are in a much better position than I to argue the merits one way or the other. I like a good story and historical fiction provides an entertaining vehicle in which to contemplate differing viewpoints of things that are not 100% accepted, so I do not have issues with the decisions Worth made (and she includes a very detailed Author’s Note to support her decisions). In and of themselves they make for an entertaining read.

Worth has the ability to write some powerfully emotional scenes although they are mostly confined to Richard III’s and his grief over the death of his wife and his goodbyes to family members (Edward of Warwick, his bastard son John and Elizabeth) before he goes into his final battle with Tudor. Worth’s obvious sympathy towards Richard does not diminish the raw emotion that she manages to convey in these instances, although it would have been nice to see other characters given that same depth of emotion.

However, there are things that really drove me nuts and almost led to the previously mentioned “flinging”. The word “woe” is said repeatedly by Elizabeth Woodville in the first 5 or 6 pages – Ugh! I was afraid I was in for 400 pages of melodramatic drivel. Fortunately, its use abruptly stops – Woe, woe! Secondly is one of the all too common problems in using a first person narrative- people telling others what they would already know, especially concerning who is related to whom. For example, a messenger from Burgundy tells Edward “your royal sister, the Duchess of Burgundy,.,” (I was waiting for Edward to yell, “I know who my sister is you imbecile”) and Elizabeth Woodville frequently refers to one her sons by her first husband by his first and last name (for example, “Dick Grey, you go …” ).

With the surprising exception of Henry VII, everyone has one dimension to their character – they are either good or bad. Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort are the bitches from hell while Richard III and his wife Anne are up for sainthood. Even Elizabeth herself is almost too good to be true and although the story is told as she would see it, surely at some point there would be a recognition of her own flaws/issues. The closest thing we get to seeing anything resembling a different side to her is when she is having one of several fights with her mother (a couple of them are pretty good though as is one between Elizabeth W. and Margaret Beaufort!). It is really only Henry VII who can be cruel, bitter, hard, yet also kind, and compassionate. He even shows a considerable amount of emotion and grief at the death of his eldest son Arthur. A young Henry VIII (Harry) is nothing but a holy terror with a streak of arrogance and cruelty that foreshadows things to come.

There is not a lot known about Elizabeth of York. Worth portrays her as a pious woman who loved her family and tried to do what was right, but who was too often willing to avoid confrontation. Her son Arthur was the light of her life and she struggled with the ramifications of Perkin Warbeck’s claims to be her youngest brother. She wanted desperately to believe it – but if it was true, then what about the future/fate of her own son? After the death of Richard III she contemplates her options and decides to stay and do what is best for her country and the people she loves. And much to the chagrin of Henry VII and his mother, the people loved her for it.

Abundance is a novel about Marie Antoinette. Beginning with her ceremonial undressing and rebirth as the dauphine of France and ending with her tragic death at the hands of French revolutionaries, the story covers the well known events and the more mundane aspects of life as a member of the French royal household.

Told in first person by Marie herself, it is written in a journal like style which gives a more immediate time frame to the story rather than the retrospective approach of many first person narratives. As the young princess brought to France to help bring peace to Europe, we learn of Marie’s desire to project herself as being French, of her affection for the aging Louis XV and her corresponding dislike of Madame du Berry, and of her complete bafflement regarding the behavior of her husband in the marriage bed.

Marie’s relationship with her husband is one of mutual admiration, respect and eventually to a certain degree, love. They both know that things are not as they should be physically, but they are too ignorant of the facts to know what to do about it. Marie is patient and kind to Louis and finally, with some advice from Marie’s brother they are able to figure it out and children inevitably follow.

With the birth of children and the country’s growing economic turmoil, Marie seeks to present herself in a more simple way to the people. In some ways this works. But in others, the spending of the court is an expensive reality as so many depend upon it for their own livelihoods. At one point while ordering a new set of china, Marie reflects that the situation is one she can’t win - despite the expense, if they fail to place their yearly order the craftsmen will be ruined financially. When it comes to money, Marie is somewhat of a contradiction. She does seem to understand the struggles and poverty of the people and commits to doing what she can to help them. But she also likes nice things, parties and gambling and often it is Louis who insists on spending lavish amounts of money on his sweet and pretty wife.

The Swedish Count von Fersen is Marie's good friend - nothing more - although in her private thoughts it is clear that she is in love with him. Her perception that they are soul mates didn't feel adequately explained until very late in the book when an imprisoned Marie reflects that he "believed in my goodness, that I was not trivial...he saw that I had some capacity for courage." And for that belief, she loved him.

The middle part of the book gets a little bogged down in trivial details and events. I don't mind some triviality, in fact I think it humanizes the somewhat larger than life people at the center of historical fiction. The art of the author should be in finding a good balance of these events without letting them drag the pace and flow of the story down. I also found one major flaw in the first person journal narrative - Marie writing about the final minutes of her life as she is transported in a cart to her death, mounts the stairs to the scaffold and waits for the guillotine to fall.

Since Marie is telling her own story, it is, to be expected, very sympathetic to her. Marie does recognize some flaws in herself (especially partying and gambling) but for several years waives them away as her just deserts as compensation for an unconsummated marriage and the lack of children. But Marie is also often warm, compassionate, and caring - especially as a mother and she uses her motherhood as an attempt to show the peasant women that she is no different than they are.

The causes of the French Revolution are not entirely explored but this is probably to be expected since the story is from Marie's point of view as she may have have understood them herself. She doesn't understand why the people turn on her like they do and blame her for the country's misfortune when everyone should know that their near bankruptcy is the fault of France's support of the American colonists. (Marie does have the common sense to ask if it is wise for them to help subjects rebel against their king; Louis puts the blame on England's king for not being a "better father" to his people). I should probably read some non-fiction related to the French Revolution to understand it better. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I liked this portrayal of Marie better than that in Carolly Erickson's The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette. But with the first person narrative, it is still pretty much a one-sided story.

Characteristics of a good ruler: "My mother is more wise than proud - she will not sacrifice her people to vanity." Marie reflecting on her mother's dealings with the Russian Empress Catherine. (It's a shame that more rulers throughout history did not feel the same way.)

A sense of humor in the face of death: "How pleasant for us that their rage is focused on inanimate objects." Louis in response to a guard who points out the destroyed statue of Louis XV on their way to the Temple in September of 1792.

This week's mosaic is of Louis XVI, the last king of France who had the misfortune to be executed during the French Revolution. This portrait is from about 1780 when Louis was 26 years old. You gotta wonder who ever thought the wigs with the sausage rolls were a good look (they are a little like the hair of the late 70's only those rolls went the other way!).