Ok…all you historical fiction fans I have a great book for you to read this summer! Vanora Bennett has recently returned with her new novel, Figures in Silk. Many of you will recognize her name because I also let you know about her first novel, Portrait of an Unknown Woman, which is about Sir Thomas More and his family. Figures in Silk is set in the 15th century London during the War of the Roses. It is the story of ambitious sisters whose destinies are intertwined with an ambitious king. After being “married off” by their father wealthy silk merchant, John Lambert, Jane who is terribly bored begins an affair with the newly crowned, Edward IV and Isabel starts married life in the House of Claver where she immerses herself in learning the silk business. Isabel soon realizes the life her sister is living is one that she can utilize to go forward with her dream of building her silk dynasty. Bennett does a remarkable job using historical fact, gossip of the time surrounding the affair and the luscious details of silk making to weave together a fantastic tale with a little bit of everything: heroes, villains, power, passion, politics and intrigue.
Usually after I have read a historical novel I become totally interested in reading more about the time period. I always have some unanswered questions especially if I don’t know a lot about the subject matter. After I had read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, I turned to Alison Weir to fill in some gaps for me. So to Ms. Weir I turn again…The War of the Roses and The Princes in the Tower are two books that I will be reading this summer to help with those questions.
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