This is the story of Anne Neville, from the time Richard first entered her world when she was a young girl and he came to live and train under the tutelage of her father, through their betrothal and its eventual negation, through her exile from England and enforced marriage to a one-time enemy, to her return to England and battle for significance and even survival. It is an unlikely love story, but then those are often the best and most poignant. Perhaps because so little fact is known about this oft-forgotten queen of England, I have always been a bit fascinated with her story, which seems to have swung like a pendulum between idyllic, fairytale-like happiness and soul-wrenching tragedy throughout her life, rarely finding a happy medium. In truth, it can be hard to believe that so much could have happened to one young girl in so short a span of time. No other player on the broad stage of the Wars of the Roses occupied such a potentially exalted position on BOTH sides of the struggle...and Anne Neville was but a teenage girl at the time. all of this, coupled with the dearth of documentation about Anne's life makes for an interesting canvas in the hands of the writer. Prior to finding this book, I had read one other historical fiction rendering of the life of Anne Neville, wife to the man who would become Richard III. While Anne often appears in other historical fictions staged during the reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV or Richard III, she is seldom the focal point of any of them, so I was thrilled to find this book. Jean Plaidy's The Reluctant Queen was my first in-depth introduction to the historical person of Anne, daughter of Warwick, and while I enjoyed it as a whole, I did not think it showed Anne to be a particularly strong character, and the story carried right through to her untimely death at a very young age. Anne O'Brien not only makes her Anne a strong character, she draws her tale to a close shortly after the birth of Richard and Anne's son, so there is none of the fear and sorrow that typically colors the last years of her life, allowing this book to have a (relatively) happy ending. Aside from enjoying the personality and vitality the author gave to the main characters (Anne in particular), I must add how much I thoroughly appreciated the fact that Ms. O'Brien did not feel the need to write graphic and descriptive sex scenes. I wish more writers would realize that a love story does not suffer in the least for letting what should be private remain so. When the writing is strong, such intentionally lurid additions are unnecessary, and when the writing is weak, graphic sex scenes can never atone for what is lacking. Ms. O'Brien's story made it quite clear that there was a physical relationship between Anne and Richard that went beyond duty to produce an heir, but she never felt the voyeur's need to bring the reader into the bed with the characters, and I applaud her for the choice.Little is known for certain about the life of the real Anne Neville, but Anne O'Brien fills the gaps around what is known with a confident voice. I have read one novel that made the youngest daughter of Warwick a meek, fearful and socially withdrawn shell of a woman. This version comes through with a fire and a backbone that is not only believable but that fits better with the role she would have had the opportunity to play, given the political circles into which she was born and into which she later married (both times). This version of Lady Anne / Princess of Wales / Duchess of Gloucester and future queen of England is someone you not only root for but cannot help but like.Knowing how her life ended, I am glad this story chose to have us leave her in a time of triumph and joy...the way I prefer to remember her. Of all the many books I have read on the various Plantagenet kings, my favorite (so far) to touch on the life of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, eventually to be Richard III, is without a doubt, Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour, followed closely by Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time and the novels of Anne Easter Smith (which deal with various members of the family of Edward IV--and to be fair, take quite a bit of artistic license, so do not look to Anne Easter Smith novels if you require historical accuracy in your reading). At this time, Anne O'Brien's The Virgin Widow stands next to these for its treatment of the woman who was his wife, but more importantly--in an era dominated by marriages made solely for political advantage and monetary gain--Anne was the woman he loved. At a time when Richard could likely have had his choice of noble women and foreign princesses, he fought against brother and King for the chance to make Anne his wife, even with the knowledge that she could be penniless, thus bringing him no advantage whatsoever. Historical romance, indeed. Though there is more leaning towards the "romance" aspect than the accurately historical side of things, this is a highly enjoyable (and quick) read. I literally could not put this book down. I won it in a historical blog Christmas giveaway and I am SO glad that I did! I knew absolutely nothing about Anne Neville or Richard III (other than all the hype surrounding him right now because of his remains recently being found and identified), so I was excited to read about them and delve into a period of history that I was unfamiliar with. While I usually stick to Tudor-era novels, this was foreign territory for me, but it absolutely opened up a new doorway into a love affair with the Plantagenet dynasty! Anne O'Brien's writing is wonderful, to say the least. Her characterization was perfect and the way she molded the story was just utterly enjoyable the whole way through. After just the first chapter I knew it was going to be one of "those" books - the kind that keeps you up at night; the kind you're thinking about when you're out and about during the day and you can't wait to just get home and curl up with it! That's how it felt the entire time, and now I'm a little sad that I've finished it. This is, at its core, a romance novel between two fabulous medieval characters. Anne is a fiery, beautiful product of an ambitious father (the Kingmaker) and a kind mother. Stubborn, strong-willed, and intelligent, she is the PERFECT heroine in a historical novel. Then there's Richard - too often maligned as an evil king of England, I was so pleased with how he was portrayed in this book. He was perfectly likable, despite the obvious character flaws - arrogance and hard-headedness. Together, they weave a beautiful love story that makes me more than a little jealous. But the novel is filled with struggles as well. The love affair is by no means an easy one, and Anne runs into MANY problems during her journey to the throne beside her true love. Of course, the Wars of the Roses are raging and her father is at the heart of it. Throughout the story she will be condemned as a traitor, exiled to France, forced into a loveless marriage, and mistreated by more than a few people. These are all the expected features of a good historical novel, but what really made me happy was the way it ended. Of course I won't give it away, but it just wrapped the story together and made it even more lovable. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. If you haven't read it, go buy it now. Even if you know nothing about these figures or this time period, don't let that deter you. This has awakened within me a newfound love for this time period and these incredibly fascinating people. I will absolutely be reading more of Anne O'Brien's novels.
What do You think about Virgin Widow: England's Forgotten Queen (2010)?
It reads sort of as the cliff notes version of Sharon Kay Penman's Sunne in Splendor
—Tylerxx12
A good read on a character that I knew nothing about. Very interesting.
—mynameismiyo
Interesting and fun treatment of Richard III and Anne Neville.
—sally22
