Delicious 15th century historical fiction with a strong woman in the lead.
The story covers deccenia of war from start to finish, and is quite slow going, but behind every man is an interesting woman planning and organizing, which is what kept me going. The scenes both in the field and in the castles are well described and beautiful, the richness of the elite fashion just jumps of the pages. An ailing king controlled by his scheming wife keeps the reader anchored in the harsh times depicted.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Super amazing this book.
I highly recommend for everybody.
It's a very interesting read. I really love
Thanks a lot Netgalley

I am in a minority of one but i found this Historical novel not much to my liking. The author has re-interpreted a much novelised period of History through the eyes of the Wife behind Richard Duke of this that and the other. For me it is cyclical and repetitive in the extreme. I know more baout the birthing Pains of Cecily than anything. All those pregnancies and births fleshing out a novel of perhaps 200 pages without them. Richard was (as many others before and after him) at once the friend of the king and then a traitor - maybe a friend again until he is traitorous once more. herI had no interest in the characters who I feel failed to tie the narrative together. The narrative itself being flimsy. When you are reading a book and check the percentage on your kindle every 90 seconds you can safelty say it is not for you. I won't be tempted to any more by this author.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite is an excellent historical fiction novel that covers the life of one of the women that were at the heart of the War of the Roses and the House of York: Cecily Neville. This novel has it all: historical context, captivating plot, complex and well-drawn out characters, suspense, intrigue, all combining into a wonderful story that kept me enthralled.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

First of all, I would like to give heartly thanks to the publisher for offering me an arc of Annie Garthwaite's debut. I had not heard of this book and, without this great opportunity, I would have missed one of my favourite books of the year!

The novel follows Cecily Neville, married to Richard of York, and recounts through her eyes the Wars of the Roses and the rise of the Yorkist faction.
The story was, without exaggeration, spectacular. It captured me from the first page and didn't let me go until the very end.
It was written in the present tense and, although I usually prefer the past tense in historical novels, here it made the storytelling more direct and compelling. The dialogues were sharp and memorable, there was a lot of political intrigue and scheming, and, even though I knew where the story was going, I still followed every event with trepidation.

However, even though the plot was amazing, Cecily's characterization was the strongest point of the novel. She was a shrewd and formidable woman, with a great willpower and acute political acumen. I loved how she often talked politics with men and how they appreciated and listened to her opinions. I became really attached to her, I cheered for her and suffered with her, and there were many scenes which made me emotional. She had to face many difficult choices and situations, and I always understood and sympathized with her. She was beautifully complex and human.
Her relationship with Richard was also really well done. Even though romance wasn't really a part of the story, the author still created a beautiful relationship. They were equals and perfectly matched, they worked together, they completed each other.

An absolute treat if you enjoy political intrigue and strong female characters. Please check it out!

Shakespeare dismissed Cecily Neville as much he vilified her son, Richard III, but the evidence of history reveals a woman who had considerable power and influence in 15th century England. Annie Garthwaite reveals Cecily as formidable political player in addition to her roles of wife and mother to thirteen children.

Like any account of the history of England’s monarchy, the volume of characters is sometimes overwhelming and their relationships a little confusing, but the author breathes vivid life and colour into Cecily’s story from the bare historical facts. We follow her from the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, through to the coronation of Edward IV in 1461, and she is a thoroughly captivating character through the years. Cecily loves her family passionately but is also ruthlessly ambitious on their behalf and is willing to make difficult decisions to secure their future.

‘Cecily’ is an epic and thrilling account of the life of an incredible woman. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

This is probably the best book I have read about Cecily Neville. It’s a terrific read. Recommend as a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As someone who has studied history and has a passion for it I really enjoy this style of fiction based on fact. We are often taught about the motivations of medieval kings, dukes Earls and the like in their battles for kingship. The wars for France, and Ireland between noble houses notably Lancaster and York. Those we don't hear about are the women, Queens, Duchesses, wives and mother's. Cecily changes that as Duchess of York supporter of Richard Duke of York she birthed the future King Edward IV, plotting his path to the throne including the defeat of the weak king Henry, French queen Marguerite and those who will destroy her family. A strong woman who travels all over with her husband, giving birth to 12 children losing 5, she is strong enough to lose everything and still get back up and find a way to succeed. An epic tale of love, loss and most of all Faith and strength spanning a very unusual 80 years. Loved it

Cecily both fascinated and exhausted me. It is a period of time I know little about and with every new intrigue, character or connection I found myself Googling who they were and undertaking my own daily mini history lessons. The constant plotting and fighting was exhausting and I really wouldn't have wanted to live in this period - Cecily's long life is a testament to her strength through it all as those around her rose and fell.

Loved this and have already recommended it to three people, plus will be buying it for my mother-in-law as soon as it's out in paperback. So wonderful to have such a pivotal story in English history told from the point of view of a strong woman.

Book review...
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite.
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Publication date - 29th July 2021
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I am a relative newbie to historical fiction but I often watch films and programs set in the period of The War of the Roses, so when I saw this book about Duchess Cecily, I jumped to read it. Normally someone relegated to just a mention this book concentrates on her life.....I mean it’s no coincidence the woman was a mother to 2 kings!
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I loved this book, the writing and how much I learnt about this interesting woman was fantastic. Not always likeable but definitely always formidable. This book wasn’t an easy read in terms of information and names. I did reach for my trusty notebook to note a few names and I even made myself a little family tree to connect the people, but it was excellent and made me reach for my iPad so I can research more on this fascinating time in history. A sign of a good book!
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Thank you @netgalley for gifting me this book.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Any book for me that makes me want to continue learning deserves a high star rating!
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“The past, I realised, isn’t fixed, definitive or singular. It’s the raw material of story, open to interpretation, investigation and retelling.” - a quote from the author’s note which really stuck with me!

Feminist historical fiction about the life of Cecily Neville? I was sold on this as soon as I saw the description. Feminist history (HERstory?) exploring the life of arguable one of the greatest unknown female protagonists in British history, what more could you want? Cecily Neville was the wife of Richard or York and mother to two English kings during the tumultuous War of Roses, Richard III and Edward IV. Often played down or ignored in historical texts of novels, this books brings her to life in an incredible way.

The setting was also fantastic. I was totally transported to 15th century Fotheringay and Baynard's Castle, among other places. The descriptions were great and set the scene well. It includes descriptions of the landscape and nature in an unrivalled way for this genre. For people interested in this period of history, there is a lot written about it and if you’re familiar with the War of Roses you will definitely appreciate the context in which this is set a lot more. Despite being a well recorded period of history, I haven’t come across anything exploring the life of Cecily.

For me, a bold, ambitious woman as your protagonist always makes for a great read, even more so when it’s historical fiction. The characters are all well developed and I love how, despite being in third person, it’s very much Cecily’s story and we are in it with her. I love how the book showed how Cecily influenced and shaped the decisions of her husband and household, and indeed larger society.

I didn’t really expect a big focus on plot, but the excitement towards the end of the book was real. It became a total page turner! The cover is also gorgeous and is what drew me to the book in the first place, I’m so glad I found it.

The book is incredibly well research, detailed and insightful. The language is beautiful and does the story of this incredible woman justice. A fabulous debut and I can’t wait to read more by this author

I would recommend for any fans of Alison Weir, Hillary Mantel and Philippa Gregory, for me Garthwaite captures the best of all of these fantastic writers.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for this e-ARC.

A novel as bold and colourful as its beautiful cover. Cecily is unapologetically depicted in all her corporeal, bloody glory and rightfully earns her place as one of history's most influential queens. A thought-provoking exploration of women's and womanly power.

Have seen lots of hype for this on twitter and loved the cover, with the nuanced identities of Cecily. As with most historical fiction, this takes a little while to place the characters and the angles from which the author is directing the plot but I was quickly drawn to the protagonist and the equal love match with her husband. For me, the strongest scenes are those where Cecily directs her husband for the good of their cause (& often laments his failure to deliver!)
I wanted to keep up the enjoyment all the way through this text, however there was a lag in the central part of the book and I found myself skipping forward to the point where they move upon the French Queen. From here, the pace picked back up and I relished seeing Cecily truly come into her own as 'Mother of the King'.

When I picked up this book, I expected to learn more about a period in history (1400) told from a women's perspective during the time of Henry VI. What I found was a well researched and in depth account of one of the women in our history, Cecily Neville, wife to the Duke of York, who is perhaps overlooked in our history lessons despite having played a pivotal role in the planning, scheming and politics which marked much of Henry's reign.

Those of us who thought, unwisely perhaps, that women's modern day freedoms are a post Victorian development are clearly very much mistaken. It has long been understood that the road to social and economic standing for women has not been a clearly defined one, but that did not lessen my surprise or admiration for the work of Cecily and her story as told here. Much was expected of a women in 1400's England, balancing the management of vast estates and enterprises, whilst supporting their husbands Political aspirations, protecting if not advancing their families' security within complex hierarchies, all the while becoming a mother and hoping to provide not just daughters, but a male who would become heir.

As the name suggests, this is Cecily's story and told from her perspective. Henry VI is on the throne and, as the son of the great Henry V expectations are high. Unfortunately Henry VI is no match for his father, being has he was described 'half wit' and quite possibly suffering from dementia, he allows his young wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou to fight for his preservation, even to the extent of assembling her own armies to fight. The Queen has her own ideals and interests, not necessarily aligned with the best interests of the country.

Cecily, Duchess of York not only lived through huge political change and historical events, she played a pivotal role in the outcomes. Working tirelessly to maintain her position as a respected and listened to advisor to her husband, whilst planning and maneuvering to improve the prospects of her own children's future.

This is a fascinating, thrilling, page turner of a book which kept me reading late into the night. The author does not waste time on elongated descriptions of sense and smell, instead giving just enough for the reader to draw our own picture, yet conjures up such an atmospheric scene setting which wholly draws you in, back in time over 500 years to the melee of Medieval Times.. An understanding of the History of this period is not necessary to enjoy this book, the author cleverly guides us through the story introducing the main characters who are relevant and have a part to play, without drowning us in detail but giving enough of an insight to form an initial opinion about them and allowing the reader to conduct their own further research if they wish.

In summary, I feel this book can stand proudly alongside many of our modern day political thrillers, the twists and turns of the fortunes of Cecily and Richard make for a thrilling ride. Highly recommended.

The story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York and mother of Edward IV. A fascinating insight into life in 1400s England and the warring factions of the houses of York and Lancaster leading up to the War of the Roses. It's interesting to read about powerful women at a time when their main role was a to make a strategic marriage (usually while still a child) and produce a large family, preferably sons. Historical fiction is my favourite genre but this is a period I know little about so I learned a lot. I definitely recommend this book, although it sometimes gets complicated with all the characters.

This is what happens when an idea spends a lifetime bouncing around in the back of your mind. Author Annie Garthwaite studied history at school with an inspirational teacher who opened her eyes to the possibilities presented by the subject as “the raw material of story.” Her interest in Richard III lingered long after finishing education, slowly supplanted by a growing curiosity about the strong women who surrounded the king – particularly his mother, Cecily Neville, wife of Richard of York, dismissed by Shakespeare as “old, pious, embittered and dull’ and marginalised by historians in favour of other, more dynamic characters. After spending her career at managerial level, surrounded by men, every day an exercise in discovering how women can hold power in male-dominated environments, Annie left to found her own business – twenty years after that, she stopped work, started a creative writing MA, crossed paths with the medieval women specialist Joanna Laynesmith – and after two further years, the result, published this summer, is Cecily. “Women of Cecily’s status would be responsible for enterprises similar in size and complexity to mid-sized FTSE companies… at the same time, they’d be expected to support their husband’s political career and above all, they were expected to breed. Come now, did you really think it was only twenty-first-century women who were expected to do it all?” This is a brilliant retelling of the beginning of the Wars of The Roses from Cecily’s perspective as wife, mother, partner, politician – a fascinating and humanising look at what it might have been like to live the peril-filled life of a high-powered noblewoman. The relationship between Cecily and Richard is beautifully drawn: her ongoing, quiet grief for her lost loved ones and deep courage to protect her family at all costs feels modern, but is profoundly human and relatable, shouting clearly through the centuries – leaving you wondering which other histories might contain untold tales...

As featured in the April issue of Cambridge Edition

Cecily, Annie Garthwaite

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction

Well, I've mentioned before how I hated history as a subject at school, all battles and dates, and yet now adore reading it. Its books like this that have made the change for me, brought history to life, through the retelling of events as well as we can imagine, through the eyes of the players involved. We read much about the men in history, the key players, and yet behind them, for better or worse, were often some very strong women.

Cecily is one such, and when we first meet her as a child its clear she adores Richard, and that feeling is reciprocated. It makes them a force to be reckoned, Cecily is fiercely intelligent and Richard wise enough to listen to her.
And yet, she's a women at a time when life was fraught with danger. Not just the danger of being close to the king, the politics which can change day by day, but also the dangers of life for women of the time, childbirth being a huge one. Expected though to keep on producing children, male children especially. The girls were pawns, married off at a young age and sent to grow up with the husbands family. We see one of Cecily's daughters sent away at the tender age of five. Five! How heartbreaking for a mother, and perhaps some of the reasons some women like Cecily became so pragmatic. They could find themselves on opposite sides, politically, of their close friends, and even family. They had little control over many things, so they needed to exert themselves where they could. Cecily wanted much for her family, safety, but also to be seen politically, to have prominence in the top echelons of society.

Its a difficult line, and we see Cecily and Richard back and forth, England to France, and then sent to Ireland, problem shooting, where the solution looks insolvable. Richard, advised by Cecily, manages to tread a path, commanding respect and yet what amazed me was how he had to fund the soldiers personally. He needed the riches and lands the King granted to pay for the things the King and treasury refused to do. Never outwardly, its was always promises, and yet they knew money was needed then, not later.
There's always enemies of course, those who have the kinds ear, especially when the king is weak and Richard and Cecily reach highs and then are plunged down again. Its a thankless task and sometimes – often in fact when I'm reading about characters like this – I wonder why, just why? Why put yourself in the position where your life can be changed, snuffed out even, on a whim. Hard times.
I did have to back track several times to recall who was who and where they fitted in, as this isn't a period of history I've read much about. There are very many characters here who take prominence, and I needed to be sure exactly how they fitted in. Its quite a deep book, intense at times, but the day to day stuff provided the perfect contrast.
I loved that we saw life on a very personal level here, the daily issues and hardships, the small triumphs, the sad losses of children, the feeding at a moments notice of five hundred people. Cecily really had to run a tight ship, be on top of things and she made it look so simple. Throughout we saw just how much love and respect was there between Cecily and Richard. How scared she must have been each time he went off to fight, not knowing if he'd be back. There's a part where she's checking his armour before one such event, praying over any vulnerable spots, that brought to me how she must have felt. Richard too, had to show a brace face when inwardly he didn't know if he'd be back.

The ending, showing the early start of the two families fight for kingship, was also heartbreaking, showing just how sometimes, despite best intentions, attempts to guide a King who is weak, who makes bad decisions, people just have to make a choice they really don't want to. And yes, I cried.


Stars: Five, a fabulous and very dense read. I loved the small details, the descriptions of life on a personal level.

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers.

A very well-researched and enjoyable read, detailing a period of history I was not incredibly familiar with. Adroit characterisation and a real feeling of the atmosphere and tensions of the time, particularly in the lives of women, added to my overall enjoyment of the book. Although a little slow paced at points, I was impressed with this debut historical fiction.

Loved this book, what a heroine! Absolutely fascinating to read about this time in history from a woman’s point of view.