Cecily
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3 Months Free
Cecily
Buy Now for £11.20
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Narrated by:
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Olivia Poulet
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By:
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Annie Garthwaite
Brought to you by Penguin.
1431 is a dangerous time for a woman to be defiant.
England has been fighting France for 100 years. At home, power-hungry men within a corrupt government manipulate a weak king - and name Cecily's husband, York's loyal duke, an enemy. As the king's grasp on sanity weakens, plots to destroy York take root....
It will take all of Cecily's courage and cunning to save her family. But when the will to survive becomes ambition for a crown, will she risk treason to secure it?
Inside closed bedchambers and upon bloody battlefields, Cecily portrays war as women fight it.
©2021 Annie Garthwaite (P)2021 Penguin AudioCritic reviews
"A startling heroine." (Sarah Moss)
So when I partway through this realised the family tree connection to those famous monarchs, I was even more interested, with Cecily being mother to a king who sired kings and queens - her influence would have been felt through those generations.
While this is almost a 'typical' woman's story of the period in some ways - endless pregnancies, births, losses of children and day-to-day menial tasks, Cecily being who she was means this is also the tale of a woman working behind the scenes in the ways she was able to, to influence some very significant events.
Watching her discuss political manoeuvres with her husband, and use her own techniques with other ranking women, and observe them for information, it did show just how much power a woman could yield, if she had skill and the right ear to bend.
I liked this as an audiobook, it brought the slowly ageing voice of Cecily in front of me, the conversation of her tale. The sadness of the life of a woman, its confines, but also how that didn't have to be the case - I very much enjoy seeing the other stories from history we hear less of.
For fans of historical fiction and those who enjoy putting the royal family tree in context.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
Historical backstory: the woman's side
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Brilliant
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Garthwaite’s writing is superb, lyrical and brutal, it brings medieval England to vivid, breathtaking life. She paints the characters of Cecily, the ambitious, intelligent Duchess of York, and her diffident, cautious husband with dexterity, laid bare their motives with careful reveals and subtle clues.
Poulet’s narration is superb, nuanced, clever, bringing each and every one to life. I listened on 0.9 speed, it was do good it didn’t want to miss a word, She injects their emotional life so far into her performance I could swear I knew Cecily, Richard, Edward and their enemies personally.
I loved it.
Loved it
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Brilliant
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highly recommended
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