To the Tower Born

July 25, 2005
Anglophile Maxwell (The Wild Irish
) fictionalizes another curious episode from English history with her spirited, colorful fifth novel, about the unexplained disappearance of princes Edward and Richard of York, who vanished without a trace from the Tower of London in 1483. The story unfolds from the point of view of Nell Caxton, the quick-witted, independent daughter of England's first printer and best friend to Princess Bessie (sister to the princes and daughter of Queen Elizabeth Woodville). With the sudden death of King Henry, the first in the Tudor line, and the ascension of his eldest son, 13-year-old Prince Edward, insidious power plays and conspiracies roil England. Before young Edward V can be crowned, Lord Hastings and Harry Buckingham lose their heads and the Duke of Gloucester connives to become Richard III. In the midst of the struggle, the two princes are abducted. Maxwell's solution to what happens next—events that have long been the subject of speculation—brims with page-turning drama. As always, she provides a lusty backdrop and makes the story accessible to readers who aren't versed in all the finer points of British history. Agents, Kim Witherspoon and David Forrer.

August 15, 2005
Edward V was only 13 when he became King of England. Owing to his youth, he fell prey to those who would stop at nothing to usurp his power. The murder of the young princes of York -Edward and his younger brother, Richard -locked into what is now known as the Bloody Tower within the Tower of London, is a tragic, centuries-old unsolved mystery (was the culprit Richard III?). By telling the story from the alternating viewpoints of "Bessie," the princes' older sister, and her best friend, Nell Caxton, daughter of the first English printer, Maxwell is able to put eyes and ears in the most pivotal places. Princess Bessie's world is in the court and later alongside her power-hungry mother; Nell acts as Latin tutor to Edward and is for a time imprisoned with him in the tower. The power struggle for the English throne is filled with an engrossing mix of betrayal, greed, lust, and death. As she did in "The Wild Irish", Maxwell once again delivers a fresh take on an old story, giving the world a new theory to debate. Recommended for all public libraries. [Interested readers may also enjoy Josephine Tey's classic interpretation, "The Daughter of Time". -Ed.] -Anna M. Nelson, Collier Cty. P.L., Naples, FL SF/Fantasy

By Jackie Cassada, Asheville Buncombe Lib. Syst., NC

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.