100 Pages A Day...Stephanie's Book Reviews

I took on this non-fiction account of the life of Elizabeth of York in order to be more knowledgeable about the real-life people I am reading about when I read Tudor fiction.  However, Elizabeth of York is one of the many women of the era that we simply do not have much information about.  Obviously, Alison Weir has done as much research as she possibly can on Elizabeth of York, but there is still a lot of postulating happening with the use of 'may have,' 'probably felt,' and 'most likely' finding their way into the text at many points. 

That being said, I still enjoyed reading the book, although some parts were a little heavy on the facts.  For my purposes, I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth's life during the War of the Roses where she was in sanctuary and about her marriage to Henry VII.  In many of the fictitious accounts I have read, Elizabeth of York was not exactly in a loving relationship with Henry VII and especially not in a great relationship with her mother-in-law Margaret Beaufort.  Alison Weir presents evidence that Henry VII and Elizabeth found an affectionate and mutually beneficial relationship rather quickly with Elizabeth having influence over Henry VII decisions and involvement in different affairs of state.  It was amazing to me that we know specific things like exactly what was served at Elizabeth's coronation ceremony and every dress she owned, but the fates of her brothers who mysteriously disappeared from the Tower of London. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.