Good detailed historical fiction with sex! The birth of a child in appalling circumstances opens this glorious medieval historical novel. Obviously the child is special but we don’t discover how special until she discovers it herself towards the end of the book. Up until then she has moved from forest to rich London household to the court of Edward IV as her knowledge of healing herbs and potions brings her to the attention of the Queen. Full of colour and drama, this is the first in a trilogy, highly recommended.
The story begins in 1450, when civil unrest sweeps England and the struggle for the crown is at its peak. Deep in a western forest, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne. Fifteen years later, England has a charismatic young king, Edward IV, and the country has begun to wake from the nightmare of the War of the Roses. When Anne is brought to London to be a servant in the household of a wealthy merchant, her unusual beauty soon provokes jealousy, lust and intrigue. But Anne has one special quality that saves her: her knowledge of herbs and healing. News of her remarkable gift spreads and she is brought to save the life of Edward’s ailing queen. And so Anne comes to live in the royal palace, and it is here she finds her destiny: to be loved by the king himself.
Posie Graeme-Evans was born in England but travelled all over the world with her parents, a novelist and an Australian spitfire fighter pilot. Posie has worked in the Australian film and television industry for the last 25 years as an editor, director and producer on hundreds of prime time television programmes including the number one drama series McLeod's Daughters and the worldwide pre-school phenomenon Hi-5. Posie has two daughters, both named Emma, and a son Julian. She is currently the Director of Drama for the Nine Network, and lives in Sydney with her husband and creative partner, Andrew Blaxland.
