The White Queen

What will you learn about history?

This book tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a queen of England during the 15th century. She was considered one of England's most beautiful queens and ruled during a brief period of peace during a century of civil war. Gregory provides readers with a narrative history of the War of the Roses between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Although everything is based on historical fact that has been meticulously researched, the facts do not get in the way of the story. Elizabeth's story shows how warfare and political maneuvering were used by nobles to attain and retain power. Gregory's academic work is in Women's History and she uses the story of a powerful woman to show how women attained power in a world where they were socially oppressed. She also shows that women who gained influence and status in medieval Europe were often accused of witchcraft.

Why should you read it?

Rather than providing a dry narrative of facts, Gregory has spun a tale of suspense. It is a story of ascent to power but also a love story about a king who falls in love with a lesser noble. Elements of witchcraft and attitudes towards women in power are laced throughout the story. The author takes a character who has gained a bad reputation for using her influence over her husband to control the throne and portrays her as a woman using what little power she has to secure her and her family's futures. But it is not all romance, there are also a lot of descriptions of the battles that secured the throne for the House of York.