The Last White Rose by Alison Weir explores the life of Elizabeth of York, the mother of King Henry VIII. Elizabeth grew up and reigned during turbulent times in England. Weir’s retelling of Elizabeth’s story covers the death of King Edward IV (Elizabeth’s father), the disappearance of her brothers (the Two Princes in the Tower), the fall of King Richard III, and the ascension of the Tudor dynasty. Elizabeth’s marriage to Henry the VII, ended the Wars of the Roses and brought relative peace to England. Personal loss and threats to their reign, including those pretending to be a missing Prince, puncture Elizabeth’s otherwise happy marriage to Henry.
Weir is well-known for her research skills and packs a lot of history in this 544 page long novel. I would recommend this book to fiction readers who appreciate detail and historical accuracy. If you enjoy this book, you should also check out:
- The White Princess TV miniseries
- The Wars of the Roses series by Conn Iggulden
- The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones
- The Rise of the Tudors: The Family that Changed English History by Chris Skidmore
- Other non-fiction and fiction books by Alison Weir
- Six: The Musical Studio Cast Recording
Posted in: Historical Fiction