Cecily: An epic feminist retelling of the War of the Roses

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Cecily Neville begins her story in 1424, aged nine, when she is betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. Everyone else I’ve read, tries their hands at medievalising their plot through prose but roots all their other aspects such as characterisation and plot arcs into their times and have failed imo. I found both the version of the events, and above all the portrait of the life of a noblewoman of the period, very convincing. I would never myself have imagined Cecily as this type of woman, but after reading this, I think it was mainly because no one else has ever given Cecily any sort of character as all. I’ll say it again - too often authors not particularly well versed in the cultural-literary-artistic side of this era, try their hand at constipated purple prose in an attempt to create atmosphere.

This might involve a little modern wishful thinking - or maybe not: a real proto-feminist text, The City of Ladies, by Christine de Pizan, is mentioned a couple of times. Above all I wanted her reaction to Richard III's usurpation, when her youngest son spreads the rumour that Edward was a bastard. Those voices belong to a tight circle of favorites who jealously guard access to the king and who are hostile to the Yorks.I admire this strong wise woman who as the author points out in the really good epilogue that Cecily gives a good lesson in how to operate as a woman in a man’s world!

The first Battle of Saint Albans is all about York getting justice and the violence and intimidation of Henry VI are just brushed under the carpet while Margaret of Anjou’s army are all rapists, plunderers and brutes who are a terrifying threat to all that encounter them (a narrative that is unevidenced, cf. This was a time when the sons and daughters of noble houses were married in childhood in pursuit of dynastic alliances, although such marriages may not be consummated until some years later. There is a common trope to view York as the man driven by nobility and what is “right” who can’t survive in a court of snakes (similar to “Good Duke Humphrey” in Shakespeare’s King Henry VI, Part 2 or Ned Stark in A Game of Thrones), but I have never been convinced by it and Garthwaite doesn’t sell it here either.The first parts of this book follow her and Richard as they gain and fall out of favour with the current King, and the repercussions of this. Some of the other characterisations are so bare that we often get a figure reduced to one thing/personality trait - Warwick: Swaggery, Holland: His dogs, Elizabeth and Richard Woodville: their hair colour. It has saved her, these past weeks, to be at the centre of his stratagems, poring over maps, drawing up plans, deciding the appointments of officers; weighing up men’s competence and ambition, where they will serve best and how far they can be trusted. Indeed, Cecily was only nine years old herself when she was joined in marriage with Richard Plantagenet.