Margaret is dismayed to learn that she will be married when she turns twelve, and is expected to produce an heir for the Beaufort house and the Lancaster line to the throne. She fasts every week and on holy days and spends many hours each day in prayer. Margaret is thrilled to discover that she has saint's knees (worn, wrinkly knees achieved by kneeling in prayer for hours on end). She has visions of Joan of Arc, and wants to be a saint, or at least an abbess. The story starts with Margaret as a ten-year old girl, who prays constantly. I wanted her to realize her goal of putting her son on the throne, and I wanted her to find love, or at least, find happiness. I did not like Margaret, the heroine and narrator of The Red Queen, but I found myself rooting for her time and again. I think the mark of a great author is their ability to make you care about a character whom you don't really like. She combines these elements into a compulsively readable novel that I find impossible to put down. It's my new mission to read all of Philippa Gregory's books-I love her blend of history, rumor, and fiction. I am so glad I found this series and this author.
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