To the Tower Born

by Robin Maxwell

Book Overview

In 1483, Edward and Richard of York--Edward, by law, already King of England--were placed, for their protection before Edward's coronation, in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard. Within months... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060580526
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.7" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

A compelling look into an ages-old mystery

(This review was first published in The Historical Novels Review, Issue 34, November 2005 - ISSN 1471-7492) The disappearance and alleged murder of Edward IV's young sons in the Tower has fueled centuries of speculation, both in fiction and nonfiction. Shakespeare was one of the first dramatists to peg the crime on Richard III, in part because the playwright lived under Elizabeth I, a Tudor. The Tudors were invested in having history record Richard III as the perpetrator, seeing as Henry VII had killed Richard in battle, founding the Tudor line. Nevertheless, a staunch cadre of Richard III defenders believes he was not to blame. The princes themselves were never seen again, and on this intriguing, if oft-explored, mystery does Robin Maxwell build her fourth novel, as told through Nell Caxton, daughter of an innovative English printer, and Princess Elizabeth (Bessie) of York, the doomed princes' sister. Maxwell has shown her skill in previous historicals, most notably her masterful The Wild Irish; here, she moves back in time to the tumultuous final days of Edward IV's reign and Richard III's usurpation of his nephew's throne. The history itself offers a compelling story line, with the added dimension of the entrepreneurial Caxton family, and we are quickly swept into the chaotic events leading to the princes' disappearance. Maxwell conjures an intelligent, credible alternative to the Richard III theory, with Nell unraveling the mystery. Nell is an engaging lead, a commoner whose educational skills and familial connections allow her to penetrate the royal circle. The tale is accessible even to English history novices, and Maxwell's scheming Buckingham, icy Elizabeth Woodville, and implacable Margaret Beaufort offer a complex glimpse into the often-lethal struggle for power at court.

To The Tower Born

This subject has always attracted controversy as to what really happened to the two princes. It is however expressed in a way which leaves the door still slightly ajar for the readers own assumption. I liked this book very much I liked the authors style of writing and the wonderful way it has been told through the eyes of two very different ladies one a royel born the other a commoner with a lasting bond of firm frienship which endures through many trials and tribulations. A great read and I highly recommend it.

An intriguing and original solution to the mystery of the princes

To the Tower Born is an enjoyable historical novel revolving around the enduring mystery of what happened to the "Princes in the Tower," the one-time Edward V and his brother Richard. Were they murdered by Richard III, the original Wicked Uncle? Was it Richard's closest adviser, their calculating cousin the Duke of Buckingham, who had his own eye on the throne? Was it Henry VII, who defeated Richard III at Bosworth Field? Or is it possible that they were not killed at all but kidnapped and/or rescued by other interested parties? Robin Maxwell, the author of several books set in the Tudor period, serves up some gripping suspense, well-drawn characters and an original and intriguing solution to the mystery in this novel, which is told from the point of view of the princes' sister Elizabeth (Bessie), later the queen of Henry VII and the mother of Henry VIII. Since Elizabeth was in sanctuary with her mother and sisters during the crucial time and a lot of it takes place away from London, she is provided with an additional pair of eyes and ears in the person of Nell Caxton (based on a real person), the daughter of England's earliest printer, William Caxton, who was patronized by the kings throughout this period. As the author argues in her afterword, Caxton's daughter would certainly have been educated, which provides the opening to place her first at the side of Edward as his temporary Latin tutor and later as a secretary to Lady Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII's mother, where she is a witness to vital events and picks up important information. As was pointed out by one reviewer, there are a couple of annoying historical inaccuracies, but I found the story and characters to be compelling enough that they are mere annoyances. (Also, although Elizabeth Woodville did not attempt to marry her brother to the queen of Scotland, she did try to marry him to a Scottish princess.) There was also doubt expressed that a princess of England would have been allowed as much freedom as Bessie appears to have, but as I recall, the medieval courts were much less formal than those of the Renaissance, and I can imagine Edward IV, who was known for his "common touch," not being overly concerned with protocol. Some readers who are used to the later customs of keeping young noblewomen innocent of sexual matters may find the bawdy jokes and remarks of the two girls to be a bit jarring, but I suspect that there is a certain amount of accuracy in this as well.

A logical solution

The Princes in the Tower (Edward and Richard, the young sons of Edward IV and his queen, Elizabeth Woodville) have been a favorite subject and ongoing topic of discussion by historians, novelists, detectives and Anglophiles for some 500 years. As there is no way to know anything about them and what happened to them-absolutely-they will surely continue to be `persons of interest' during the next centuries as well. Drawing on the known historical connection and friendship between Edward and William Caxton, the first English printer, the author has developed a friendship between Edward's oldest daughter, Bessie, and Caxton's only daughter, Nell. The two young women maintain this relationship over a period of some twenty years, in spite of the trauma and turmoil surrounding them. Soon after Bessie's oldest son Arthur dies suddenly, not long after his marriage to Katherine of Spain, the supposed traitor James Tyrell is executed after having confessed to having murdered the nephews of his employer Richard III. Bessie's next son Henry hears the gossip and asks his mother for a clarification of this horrid tale. As Nell is visiting Bessie at the time, the two women decide to tell Henry the truth about the situation. Almost all of the book is thus told in flashback. In fact, I was startled near the end to be brought back to the room where Bessie and Nell are consoling young Henry, so real was the narration. The action was incredibly well described, using known events as the foundation and possible speculative details for support. Having spent many hours researching this very period of history, I found the solution to the mystery as advanced by the author to be entirely plausible and realistic. Good for her, I say! Other solutions have been advanced through the years, some believable, some not. For now, I'm perfectly happy to believe this one, until it's proven to be entirely fiction.

New Twist on an Old Mystery

Robin Maxwell brings new insight into the disappearance of the two Princes (Edward and Richard of York)from the Tower of London. Most people (led by Shakespeare's play) believe Richard III to be responsible for the disappearance and deaths of the two boys. Robin Maxwell explores this subject in detail and with a lyrical prose that captures the reader immediately. The story is framed and told years later by Nell and Bessie to Bessie's son, Henry VIII (Bessie is Queen Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Henry VII). Nell and Bessie are wonderfully drawn characters that add color and texture to this tale. As with other Maxwell books (such as The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn), this story humanizes and breathes life into historical figures that the average reader either knows not at all or knows only based on how history has drawn them. I consumed this entire book in one delicious bite.