Destiny's Child

by Iris Gower

It was a prophecy told to her by an old woman: she would marry a man with flame-coloured hair, and bring forth a King of England. But Margaret Beaufort had been forced by feeble-minded Henry VI to marry the Duke of Somerset's son, so how could she ever be married to handsome, red-haired Edmund Tudor, even though she loved him? And even if that came to pass, how could any son of theirs ever become King, when there were so many others with better claims to the throne? But slowly the prophecy began to be fulfilled: at the age of thirteen Margaret was married to her beloved Edmund, and she bore him a son -- but not before Edmund had died of a fever. And so Margaret poured all her love and devotion into the life of her son Henry, vowing that, whatever the cost, one day he should be King of England.

Genres: Historical Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Iris Gower (b. 1935) was a Swansea-based novelist. Her historical romances are all set within Swansea and Gower in South Wales.

Iris (real name Iris Davies) was born in Mumbles and lived in Derwen Fawr, a part of Sketty, Swansea. She had four adult children, though her husband of 48 years, Tudor Davies, died on 15 April 2002 after suffering a major stroke. She later lived with a partner, Peter.

She was one of the top-selling authors in the country, and was awarded an MA in Creative Writing by Cardiff University, as well as an Honorary Fellowship at the University of Wales, Swansea. She wrote and published around 40 books including 26 novels.

Gower died at Singleton Hospital, Swansea on 20 July, 2010. She was 75 years old.

Reviews

[Eleanor Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the writing of this book to be uneven. At some points, events were written in detail, while other, and impactful events were not described clearly. Also, the writer focused on "the feminine" aspects (and weaknesses) of the main character, Margaret, while not presenting her as influential or clever in her own right.

[Rachel Morton · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s no phillipa Gregory. The character development seemed poor to me. From what I already knew of the character, I wasn’t sold on this book’s depiction.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical fiction at the time war of the roses begins. Focused on Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VIII.