BOOK REVIEW: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

When historical novel lovers get to talking about books and about Richard III, inevitably the novel The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey will be mentioned. This classic, first published in 1951, is a detective story of sorts, but it’s difficult to pigeonhole it into the historical mystery genre. It’s almost more of a research paper disguised as a novel–but well-disguised. Tey is able to use the hunches or instinct of a detective as a cover for bias in a way that a historical researcher wouldn’t (or shouldn’t.) Presented as a detective digging through clues, the solving of a historical unknown is not only fun, but convincing.

The protagonist is not contemporary to the crime; he is "present day" Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard. Injured while chasing a criminal, he is stuck in a hospital recuperating and the boredom is driving him crazy. A friend who knows his skill at analyzing faces brings him a stack of portraits from historical figures whose careers were associated with unanswered questions so that he might delve into a mystery from the past. Skeptical at first, he nevertheless digs through the pile. He comes across an unnamed portrait and is struck by the sober honesty and suffering in the face. It puts him in mind of a judge. Grant is shocked to discover the portrait is that of Richard III–the evil monster who murdered his nephews, the princes in the tower. Grant is usually a much better judge of faces and he resolves to learn more about Richard III, to figure out how he could have been so wrong about the face.

Although confined to a hospital bed, Inspector Grant has a fair amount of secondhand mobility. He is able to interview the nurses who care for him and a couple of visitors who come to see him, learning more about Richard and the history of the time, things he had been taught himself but had forgotten and things he had never been taught. It’s a wonderful device for instructing the reader but it can only go so far. The friend who brought him the portraits then sends him a young researcher who doggedly digs up more information, becoming as excited about the project as is Grant.

The two are biased by their own hunches, but build a convincing case based on the material they present and on they arguments they pull together. Richard would not have killed his nephews. They find a more likely murderer.

With the recent discovery of Richard III’s bones, the controversy has been awakened once again. Did he or didn’t he? What did happen to the princes? Just what kind of a king was Richard? He has his supporters and detractors, each with strong arguments. The Daughter of Time may be a novel, but it is so entertaining and Grant’s certainty is so convincing, you’ll likely find yourself on Richard’s side by the end of it, no matter if you tell yourself it’s fiction or not.

I’ve had this book on my shelf for years, and finally read it for the 2013 TBR pile challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader. I’m counting it toward the historical fiction challenge hosted by Historical Tapestry as well.

ESCAPE TO THE PAST WITH: The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham

The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham escorts the reader through the whirlwind events of the reign of King Edward IV (of the House of York) who captured the throne of England from King Henry VI (House of Lancaster). We enter the story when Edward is almost secure on the throne, secure enough at least to marry the dowerless, influence-less Elizabeth Woodville, which causes a fair amount of difficulty. Those familiar with the history know what comes next. For those who don’t...

The king quickly awards the numerous Woodvilles with wealthy, titled spouses (to the irritation of the remaining nobility.) Kate Woodville is Elizabeth’s youngest sister and one of the protagonists of this engaging novel. Kate is wed to the young Duke of Buckingham, Harry Stafford. Harry, the other protagonist of the book, as we learn at the outset of the novel, will later be condemned to die as a traitor. The novel then shows us how this all came to pass.

The book is told in the dual first person voice. We listen to Kate and Harry both tell their stories. It’s a good device, because the history is complicated. Coming from the minds and voices of children it is narrated simply and straightforwardly. There is not a lot of extraneous political analysis, we are only given the same amount of understanding necessary for the self-interested very young duke and duchess, but it moves the tale along.

And move along it does!

Harry is close friends with Richard, the Duke of Gloucester. Higginbotham does a wonderful job of portraying Richard as slyly manipulative while Harry is guileless, easily manipulated, and self-important. With a few words here and there, Richard sows the seeds for years, solidifying Harry’s dependence and loyalty to him. Kate, who begins as a curious and lively child, grows into a loving and, for the most part, dutiful wife. Although she doesn’t shine with any great intelligence, she is a much better judge of character than her husband and possesses the intuition for doing and saying the right thing at the right time—a skill Harry sorely lacks.

This is a historical time frame that is filled with all the elements for a riveting read: passion, betrayal, murder, unbridled ambition leading to unspeakable crimes. Higginbotham shows us all that by using the viewpoints of two historically marginal characters who witnessed it all.

The book is written with the confident touch of an author who knows her history. A list of characters at the beginning will help you keep all the names straight. At the end, an author’s note points out which bits of information are factual, which are fancy, and what may be factual but is disputed.

Susan Higginbotham has a few more books to her name, and now, I will have to add them to my TBR list.