Following her landmark Six Tudor Queens series, Weir moves back one generation with this comprehensive fictional take on Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York. The adored eldest daughter of Edward IV during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses, Elizabeth spends part of her childhood in sanctuary with her mother and siblings. The early sections move slowly, with outside events largely recounted to her. However, her personality blossoms over time, and Weir provides a realistic feel for the worry Elizabeth’s family experiences as their fortunes shift, especially after Richard III usurps the throne following King Edward’s death, and her brothers disappear while in his custody. The story gives a coherent, convincing picture of the treacherous political climate's many players, revealing why Elizabeth plots to marry Henry Tudor. Weir doesn’t anachronistically superimpose a feminist viewpoint on Elizabeth, who knows her value yet prefers being a supportive wife and mother, but her female characters are overly prone to weeping. Weir’s thorough approach to her subject is impressive, as is the sumptuously recreated atmosphere of late- medieval royal life.
(Published in Booklist, 5/1/22 issue)

I remember watching a movie or miniseries on Henry VIII’s reign with a scene where he enters to report “my most beloved mother has died.” He was portrayed as being simply crushed and I loved that it showed him being so human. So who was this person that meant so much to her son? How much of his personality and kingly actions could be attributed to her? With Alison Weir’s new fictional account of her life, The Last White Rose, I could begin to find out. Her story with dialogue, living conditions and emotion sticks with me so much more than a nonfiction version. With Weir’s novel, we sit right on Elizabeth of York’s shoulder as she rides up and down a ladder of princess and pauper, love of the ruling government and fear of the ruling government, births and losses, with points of triumph and spots of total humiliation. It weaves her Plantagenet background into the new Tudor dynasty of the time. If Tudor history is a love for you, this novel will cement many of the characters and events into your memory. Elizabeth of York was alive and witness to a few controversial changes in the monarchy of England as well as being queen for a major power change. The excitement of the time is reflected in the “Bessy” that Weir shapes and that gives life to her nature as a mother. I just loved this novel that turned a history lesson into a great drama. Rest assured, this author still knows what she is doing. It has unlocked another portion of English history for me to tackle. Thank you to NetGalley for this free ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Alison Weir's writing. Her stories are always so well-researched and create such vivid characters and settings. This one focuses on the mother of Henry VIII. I was so interested to learn more about the woman who created such an infamous king! It was a great story that was rich in historical information while telling a wonderful story!

For context, I have read most of Philippa Gregory’s books and this was my first Alison Weir book. Overall, I enjoyed the historic details but I found myself wishing this was just a biography instead of historical fiction. For me, Weir did not adequately develop characters where I felt a sense of depth or emotion from them, leaving me thinking this book gains nothing from being fiction.

As other reviewers mentioned, the beginning of the book was so ridiculous I almost stopped reading it. Weir clearly wanted to explain the complicated politics surrounding Elizabeth’s childhood but did this by 5 year old Elizabeth constantly eavesdropping and “thinking” about what she hears. It seems completely unrealistic that a 5 year old would somewhat understand and then contemplate the politics of the English court during the War of the Roses. This felt like a heavy-handed way to get the historic details to the reader. Again, Weir needed to find a way to better incorporate her research and detailed information or just keep it non-fiction. I also felt the book was overly long and dragged on in several portions.

In summary, I learned some new interesting details of this time period but much preferred the writing and story telling in Gregory’s The White Princess. However, I did prefer Weir’s take on some of the controversies of the time (Elizabeth and Richard’s relationship, the Princes in the tower). While I can’t heartily recommend this book, I am looking forward to reading Weir’s non-fiction because her research is superb.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced copy and a chance to review this book!

If you're a fan of historical fiction set in medieval England, you will probably like this book. This is the story of Elizabeth of York, mother of Henry VIII. The story is well told and well researched.

The only problem I had with this book is that I had read this story before by another well known author. This version of Elizabeth of York is a more fairy tale story, whereas another book on the same topic was a bit racier. If you haven't read about this historical figure, this is a pretty good book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
After the conclusion of her SixTudor Queens series, it makes sense for Alison Weir to turn to the life of Elizabeth of York with The Last White Rose. And while she did previously write a biography of Elizabeth, that in-depth research no doubt helped her as she worked on this novel, and it’s not a complete retread, as she does provide some of her own speculations about Elizabeth’s emotions during the tumultuous events of her life. From her confusion as her father died and her uncle Richard III usurped the throne to the questions about the Princes in the Tower to her marriage to Henry, and the way all those were interwoven, Weir does a great job of being faithful to the historical record and relatively diplomatic in her speculations (where others may not have been).
Ultimately, she makes Elizabeth incredibly sympathetic and human, especially in a time before women were considered able to rule in their own right in England (despite evidence to the contrary in other countries like Spain and Flanders at the time). I rooted for her as she dealt with each situation life dealt her, from her childhood when war still raged, to her uncertain position as King Richard took the throne to being technically used by Henry Tudor to assert a legitimate claim on the throne, but not being given equal rights as co-monarch, as he had claimed it through conquest. Ultimately, she does win, as her bloodline does continue on the throne centuries after her and Henry’s deaths, although not in the way she might have expected.
One of Weir’s ongoing weaknesses with her fiction is her love for writing long books, and this is one of those times where the length didn’t work. It’s understandable that the book would encompass the majority of Elizabeth’s life, but it also has the problem of there both being a lot happening and not enough happening that Elizabeth as the POV character is privy to. With all the wars and conspiracies, she’s largely a spectator at best, so there’s so much whispering and “this happened over there” and “that happened over here.” And then sometimes it goes into monotony to indicate that nothing of note is happening around Elizabeth, but then “something major happens, and I didn’t witness it!” It’s sad, because Elizabeth was such a consequential figure politically during the times she lived, but unlike many of the Tudor Queens or her mother and maternal grandmother, she wasn’t involved in any real scandal in her own right. She, like her husband, is a relatively tame bridge between the treachery of the Plantagenet era and the madness of Henry VIII and his court.
In spite of the shortcomings presented by the subject matter, Weir does her subject justice for the most part. As is typical of the bulk of both her fiction and nonfiction catalog, this book should satisfy ardent Tudor history buffs.

Alison Weir, the author, gives the reader rich historical details about the turbulent life of Elizabeth, the mother of Herny VIII. Even though I read history at university, it is always interesting to see the events from Elizabeth's perspective.

The novel is a page turner. Highly recommended for fans of Tudor England History.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Group - Ballantine publishers for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel.

4 stars

Elizabeth of York is a fascinating figure in British history due to her proximity to such famous kings as her uncle Richard III and her son Henry VIII. Weir points out in her author's note that while she should have reigned as England's first female monarch based on succession, her importance as the ancestress of every reigning English ruler from 1509 on cannot be understated.

Elizabeth lived through perhaps some of the most turbulent decades in English history, which are shown to great effect throughout the book. From the first scene in the novel, violence over the question of succession reigns supreme and impacts every facet of Elizabeth's life. Perhaps because I was not as familiar with the history discussed in the first part of the book, I did feel like the story dragged with the same few scenes (death, violence, and peace) repeating over and over again on a loop. Things definitely get more interesting with Richard's reign and then continues to pick up steam once Elizabeth marries Henry VII. From a history perspective, it's an ambitious and mostly successful endeavor.

The biggest problem, however, is the character of Elizabeth herself. It is acknowledged both by the author and by Wikipedia that little is known about Elizabeth's emotions and feelings and despite being in proximity to these massive events, she played little part in politics. Weir has the tough job of having to really craft a character out of very little and I found that for a large part of the novel, Elizabeth becomes less of a character with thoughts and feelings and more of a vehicle through which to view the events being discussed. This does improve as the book goes along, but I would have loved to see more development of Elizabeth as an individual especially since the historical aspect is so well-rendered.

Overall, it's an compulsively readable, if slightly flawed, piece of historical fiction that I think Tudor fanatics should consider picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last White Rose follows the life of Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV and mother to Henry VIII, from early childhood to her tragic death in childbirth over thirty years later. Written by Alison Weir, a highly regarded British historian of the Tudor era, The Last White Rose is a work of fiction that nevertheless often reads like a history book. Weir relies on telling rather than showing, and most of Elizabeth's internal monologues are used to argue the author's stance on certain historical mysteries (e.g. who killed the princes in the Tower, the nature of Elizabeth's relationship with Richard III, Perkin Warbeck's true identity, why the princes left sanctuary, etc.) There are many instances of information being revealed by overhearing the conversations of strangers, and while Weir's decision to use some characters' titles in place of their names in order to avoid confusion is helpful (such as referring to Elizabeth's brother Richard as "York" to differentiate him from Richard III), it is strange when the characters use the nicknames in conversation. The book's pace is refreshingly brisk, but too long: Weir's roots as a historian are further evident in her dedication to details. While some small details would surely enrich a biography--such as the various men that each of Elizabeth's sisters were briefly betrothed to, or the number of rumors about Henry that were quickly dismissed--the story would have been improved by cutting them.

And yet, despite its flaws, I very much enjoyed reading The Last White Rose. Part of that is based on my own love of history, but Elizabeth of York is a historical figure that I find quite likable and interesting, especially because she is so frequently overshadowed by her infamous son. Certain characters, like Elizabeth's mother and Richard III, were a bit inconsistent, but I thoroughly enjoyed Weir's portrayal of Elizabeth's close relationship with Henry VII, who is arguably the most complex and well-written character in the story. Elizabeth's feeling of estrangement from her firstborn son, Arthur (along with her preference for Henry, who she hilariously believes would make an exceptional king), and the guilt it inspires in her, was somewhat challenging to wrap my head around--at first it seemed as if Elizabeth might have postpartum depression, then the reasoning appeared to be that Elizabeth was afraid to love her son in case she lost him as she had lost her younger brothers, before ultimately suggesting that Arthur's own frigidness--and the responsibility of being the heir to England--is what caused this estrangement. Weir didn't seem certain of how she wanted to portray their relationship, but she made up for it with the depiction of Elizabeth's grief following Arthur's untimely death. This came to a head with Elizabeth's own demise, and while I do think it was a bit rushed, it brought with it a pang of sadness for the the lady we watched grow from a frightened princess to a noble queen.

I look forward to reading more of Weir's work in the future.

The Last White Rose is the fictional account of Elizabeth of York - the oldest daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, sister to the lost Princes in the Tower, wife of King Henry VII, and mother to King Henry VIII. Her marriage put an end to the brutal Wars of the Roses and founded the Tudor dynasty in England.

I've read a lot of Alison Weir's work - both fiction and non-fiction. And this latest novel does not disappoint. It's well researched and the story paces well. The book covers Elizabeth's (Bessy, as she's known to those close to her) life from a young age until her death. I really appreciated that while writing the book from Elizabeth's perspective that the author wrote about the things that she experienced in an age appropriate manner. We get to experience what Bessy thought, what she would hear, what she would think, and who she would interact with as she may have thought of them at that age. So, as a child she has a much more black and white view that is very much more innocent and driven by the thoughts and opinions of her parents and as she grows up, her experiences become seen more in shades of gray and she starts to form her own independent thoughts and opinions. I also really appreciated that in addition to the well known milestones in Elizabeth's life, that some of the lesser known experiences were also covered. It was an enjoyable experience to get to read about this important, but not well known woman,

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a digital copy for review. The thoughts expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the author or publisher.

There is no one better than Alison Weir when it comes to HF and Great Britain's history. This story of Elizabeth of York, mother Henry VIII was no exception. From beginning to end this story captivated me, it was amazing. The twists and turns, the distrust among their own family members was overwhelming. All the history was rich within this story, wonderfully written and very much appreciated. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Very confusing story unless the reader takes notes as there are many characters populating this tale of the royals of England in the 1400's. I wasn't able to wade through the convolutions. True English history buffs will likely find this fascinating. It was well-written with good historic accuracy.

This is the first book in a planned Tudor Rose trilogy by the renowned Tudor historian Alison Weir. Alison Weir is THE go to author for Tudor history, both fiction and nonfiction, and I was so excited when I got an email that she had a new historical fiction novel about Elizabeth of York and even more excited I had the opportunity to review an ARC. Elizabeth of York is often overlooked in history, and I trusted Weir to give her story the justice she deserves. This book definitely did that, and I admit most my faults with this book are petty on my own part.

The book follows Elizabeth of York from her childhood as a princess in her father Edward IV’s court, through the multiple trips to Sanctuary, the reign of her uncle, Richard III, to her ascension to the throne as Henry VII’s queen. Elizabeth Wydeville is my favorite historical figure and since there is not much available on her, her daughter became part of my obsession as a result. Because of that, I am well read on not only Alison Weir’s nonfiction about Elizabeth of York, but anything I can get my hands on about her and her mother. As I was hoping, Weir stuck to history with this book, and I really felt like I knew Elizabeth.

I absolutely loved the insight in the first person from Elizabeth’s childhood. At the same time, I was annoyed knowing that even royal parents would not talk to their child the way they did, but I understood it was necessary to move the plot. I often forgot the age Elizabeth was because I was so invested in the story. And here is where my pettiness really shows, I hated the nicknames for the two Elizabeths. There is nothing supporting Elizabeth Wydeville being called Beth and I just did not like Elizabeth of York as Bessie even though that can be somewhat supported by ballads.

I had a love/hate relationship with the lead up to both the Princes in the Tower and the reign of Richard III, but I do not want to say more and give any spoilers. I so wanted Weir to portray Elizabeth of York as a strong woman that asserted everything she had grown up with as princess in her marriage to Henry VII, but she wrote her exactly as history showed her to be. Everything about this book exuded the history Weir has been writing for decades.

Weir used history, from the details of the pageantry to who she paid while on progress, to tell the story of Elizabeth of York’s life. She weaved an incredible narrative of a woman whose life is largely overlooked in history based on documents of who she really was to show how she likely may have felt. The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars is a few things that even Weir contradicts in her own nonfiction and if not for them I likely would have rounded up. I truly loved this book and it was Weir at her finest. I feel I know Elizabeth of York better now. I can only hope after this trilogy she writes an Elizabeth Wydeville novel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine Publishing and Alison Weir for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always devour Alison Weir’s books on the Tudor family, and while this book was a little long-winded, I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth York, the mother of Henry VIII and undoubtedly one of the most influential matriarchs of the British Monarchy.

Strangely I feel that not enough is known about her in general conversations on this time period, so it was good to read something different after having finished the series on the Six Wives.

The writing itself feels a little inconsistent, as usual, and while I understand the need to use more modern language for the reader’s sake, sometimes the blend of “olde” language and new feels unnatural and contrived. I think by getting rid of more modern, cliche phrases, a lot of the awkwardness would be removed.

I also felt that not enough time was spent on Elizabeth as a queen. Though I know this is a work of fiction, that means Weir could have elaborated more on Elizabeth’s possible influence, particularly on her son Henry (and his evident mommy issues, IYKYK) and the fallout of Arthur’s premature death. Two sections of the book were dedicated to her childhood and early days — I felt that some of the material of her being in isolation with her mother and sisters could have been whittled down to make room for juicier topics.

In all, this was yet another enjoyable read from Weir and the Ballantine team. I thank them for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of NetGalley.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4640117222

The Last White Rose

I’ve read most of Weir’s books in her Tudor series. This book is about Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York. I think one of the things that I love the most about Weir’s books is that while the ones I have read are fiction, they have a solid historical base. The events of Elizabeth’s life remain the same as they were in her real life. The words Weir used could have been Elizabeth’s own- to a point. I say this because it is written in words that those of us in the 21st century can understand, and not in the words of 15TH century England. Weir draws you in and turns a figure from history into a complete person. She isn’t names and dates. She’s human. I highly recommend this book as well as the entire Tudor series. It will teach you more than most of your history teachers ever did.

I really enjoyed this book! I find the era of King Henry VIII fascinating. I will say, if you don’t love that era like I do, you’ll probably be disappointed because it was basically a history lesson. I’d definitely recommend to history lovers!

Another richly imagined history of British royalty from Alison Weir -- this time focusing on the first Tudor Queen, Elizabeth of York. Rich with details on the infamous battling between Lancaster and York.

I was excited to read this book about Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII's mother, since I love historical fiction from this time period. The book is obviously very well researched and covers Elizabeth's entire life, starting when she is a young princess. If you love to learn about history, with all its dates and players, then this book is for you. I already knew quite a bit of the history in this book, so I was really hoping for more of a dramatized novel. What I got read like a history lesson or a biography. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. The writing was very repetitive, and the book was long at over 500 pages. This definitely felt more like nonfiction to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for access to this arc.

During medieval wars, one’s fate is often determined by the spin of the Wheel of Fortune, even for those who did not fight a single battle. One could be living a life of luxury, stability reigning supreme, and is destined to marry a foreign king or prince, but when the wheel begins to spin, all seems lost, and the things that once were as good as guaranteed fall by the wayside. This description could fit any number of stories from the past. Still, the one highlighted in this particular novel is the story of the eldest daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville and the first Tudor queen. In the first book of her latest book series, “The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York,” Alison Weir shows how one woman was able to ride the highs and lows of life to secure her family’s legacy and transform English history forever.

I want to thank Penguin Random House- Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. I am always thrilled when a new Alison Weir book is announced, whether fiction or nonfiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the Six Tudor Queens series, so when I heard that there would be a new book series with the story of Elizabeth of York being the first novel, I knew I wanted to read it. Of course, I had read her biography of Elizabeth of York, so I wanted to see how her research would translate into a historical fiction novel.

Elizabeth of York was born and raised to be a queen. As the eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, it was her destiny to be married to a king or a prince to strengthen England through a foreign alliance. However, her life took a drastic turn when her father tragically died. Her brothers disappeared when they were in the Tower of London awaiting the coronation of Edward V, which never occurred. Richard III, Elizabeth’s uncle, became king, which forced Elizabeth Woodville to seek sanctuary with her daughters. A daring plan was crafted to unite the houses of York and Lancaster through marriage; Elizabeth of York was to marry a young man in exile, Henry Tudor.

The marriage created the Tudor dynasty, but that does not mean Elizabeth and Henry’s married life was full of sunshine and roses. The road to securing their dynasty was full of heartache and plenty of pretenders. The love between Elizabeth and Henry and Elizabeth’s love for her family allowed the dynasty to survive the turbulent times.

I loved the relationship that Weir was able to craft between Elizabeth, Henry, and her family. However, there were elements of the story that I disagreed with; they were minor, like her portrayal of Elizabeth’s relationship with Richard III and the idea that Arthur had been very ill since his birth. These elements did not take away from the joy I had reading this novel.

Overall, I found the first novel of the Tudor Roses series engaging and a delight to read. Alison Weir has brought the tragic yet triumphant story of the first Tudor queen to life through excellent prose and captivating details. If you are a fan of Alison Weir and her historical fiction novels, or just a fan of Tudor novels in general, you will find “The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York” an enchanting escape into the past.

"The Last White Rose" is another winner for renowned historian and writer Alison Weir. This historical novel tells the story of Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. Spanning from the latter days of her father's reign to her death as the wife and queen of Henry VII, Weir provides the reader with an inside view to the life of uncertainty mixed with joy and sadness that Elizabeth lived. All the various machinations for the throne are interesting to witness, as is the view into her marriage to Henry VII (Tudor), which seems to have become a love match as the years passed. At times, Elizabeth seems a bit naive, such as her inability to believe the worst of her uncle, Richard III. Then there are times when she acts with decisiveness and courage that would impress the most ardent feminist. There is nothing about this book that I dislike. I see it as another feather in Weir's cap of success as an author. I highly recommend this book to any fan of early modern British history/Tudor history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.