The Prequel to The White Queen

Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory tells the story of Jacquetta the mother of the White Queen.  Janet Mcteer did a fabulous job of portraying Lady Rivers in the White Queen series on Starz in the US.  What is her story?  How did the War of the Roses (Cousins War) start?

Synopsis: 

Lady Rivers story begins with meeting the prisoner Joan of Arc.  Jacquetta makes an interesting discovery that she is a descendant of Melusina which means that she has second sight.  Then Jacquetta is given in marriage to Duke of Bedford who primarily wants her for her skills.  Is she able to perform successfully?  What will she do when he dies?  Richard Woodville has known Jacquetta from the beginning of her marriage to the Duke of Bedford.   She takes a drastic step and marries Richard Woodville.  Will they be punished for marrying after the death of her first husband?  When Jacquetta is asked to go fetch Margaret of Anjou she is once again asked to use her skills again.  A friendship develops with the Queen of England.  Will the consequences increase as the years lead towards the Cousins War?

My Thoughts: 

I could not wait to read this novel after seeing The White Queen on Starz!  The one question I had was how did the Cousins War begin?  I found the answer in this novel.  I often find when reading a Philippa Gregory novel that I need to refer to a timeline to understand the players involved.  The characters are beautifully crafted.    The story is researched well to create an interesting plot! 

I always wonder how Ms. Gregory does it!

Rating:

5/5

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