Blood Sisters

The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses

By: Sarah Gristwood

Narrated by: Corrie James

To contemporaries, the Wars of the Roses were known collectively as a "cousins' war." The series of dynastic conflicts that tore apart the ruling Plantagenet family in 15th-century England was truly a domestic drama, as fraught and intimate as any family feud before or since.

As acclaimed historian Sarah Gristwood reveals in Blood Sisters, while the events of this turbulent time are usually described in terms of the male leads who fought and died seeking the throne, a handful of powerful women would prove just as decisive as their kinfolks' clashing armies. These mothers, wives, and daughters were locked in a web of loyalty and betrayal that would ultimately change the course of English history.

In a captivating, multigenerational narrative, Gristwood traces the rise and rule of the seven most critical women in the wars: from Marguerite of Anjou, wife of the Lancastrian Henry VI, who steered the kingdom in her insane husband's stead; to Cecily Neville, matriarch of the rival Yorkist clan, whose son Edward IV murdered his own brother to maintain power; to Margaret Beaufort, who gave up her own claim to the throne in favor of her son, a man who would become the first of a new line of Tudor kings.

©2013 Sarah Gristwood (P)2020 Tantor

Interesting

This is a history of the Wars of the Roses with the focus on seven women who had important roles during this conflict. Due to the lack of records available (as is true with most women's history), Ms. Gristwood does make inferences, as well as sharing her theories about certain incidents, but is upfront about doing so and gives her sources. The prose is not the most lively, but the subject is interesting enough to keep the reader engrossed. While I would suggest having a basic understanding of the era and the war to enjoy the book to the fullest, I otherwise definitely recommend it.

Ms. James was easy to listen to and did an above average performance.

Deep, intelligent account of the women of the Wars

Excellent narration! Well-organized and well-executed, comprehensive storytelling that features the women of decades and generations of the Wars of the Roses.

A Good Read, But . . .

I had higher hopes for this book. The author swings between faithful interpretations of the known history to rather outlandish or fanciful "could have been" ideas. But worst of all is the performance of the narrator. Annoying from start to finish, from a droning, soft monotone to the use of fake deep, gruff voices for various men she is quoting. Spare me from narrators who would rather be on stage than reading a book to Audible consumers.

The narrator is killing me....

I was so looking forward to listen to this audio book but I couldn't even pass the first couple of chapters because of the narrator. The way she reads is messy... without pausing at the end of sentences and with an intonation that I found very distracting.
Also, very monotone and boring... such a shame!