The Golden Yoke

by Olive Eckerson

(from the book jacket) Here is a deeply moving and passionate love story set against the background of the Wars of the Roses - that bloody contest between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the throne of England. Writing with compassion and understanding, Olive Eckerson gives a brillant picture of the star crossed romance of Richard III and Lady Anne Neville, who like Shakespeare's Veronese lovers were born into opposing houses.

Genres: Historical Fiction

415 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up for characterisation.

If seen objectively, this novel has certain flaws that discouraged a higher rating on my part, mainly noticeable in the second half when Richard becomes king. I'm starting to believe most Wars of the Roses authors have a field day with him as Ned's tiny shadow, er, I mean as Duke of Gloucester, enjoy it immensely, and then start to experience a sort of blockage or difficulty with him on the throne; or how else could it be explained why the majority of them tend to rush Richard's reign so comparatively quickly that it feels sort of hurried, which is a pity since he faces the most brutal political and moral dilemmas when he's a monarch, something a crafty novelist would be delighted with. But I digress...

Anyway, what I appreciated most here was the characterisation of Anne Neville. In most books, she's portrayed as either too much infatuated with Richard to have a life of her own, as a poor victim whose only use is to be bartered like horseflesh to the highest bidder to advance her daddy's agenda, or as simply a complete non-entity that's barely given a condescending endnote in a chapter here or there because she was Queen of England, so we must suffer her to exist on the page. None of that is done in this book; here, Anne actually has a spine, is strong-willed, resourceful, and, do gasp, she has a mind of her own that drives her to defy and "betray" her terrifying father the Kingmaker, who makes everyone else quake in their boots. I liked this Anne very much, and I really lament that she wasn't given as much on-page time as she should have, for her POVs were the best written and most interesting of the lot (the other POV is Richard, no novelty there). If I'd been up to me, I'd have made Anne the sole narrator, she's so rarely given a voice that the wasted opportunity is truly regrettable.

As for plot, it follows the usual and known historical timeline, meeting the major events closely enough, but there's really no newness to speak of. The way the Princes in the Tower incident is dealt with caught my eye because of a little detail I'd never seen before, but besides that there's nothing new to write home about, an expected "not guilty" verdict goes to Richard over this. The major flaw in the storytelling would be that the last part of his rule feels a bit summed-up for my tastes, and without Anne, the story just loses interest. You already know how it's going to end and there are absolutely no surprises, no twists.

All in all, it's a decent historical novel, worth reading if only for the originality of Anne Neville it brings forth to the stale and often repetitive field of Wars of the Roses retellings.

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Richard and Anne in Fantasyland. They are deeply in love and expect to marry. The book opens in 1468 with Richard in Bruges in a tournament held to celebrate his sister Margaret’s wedding to Charles of Burgundy. Anne is there along with her father and King Louis and those two walk arm in arm. George is there too and taunts Richard that Warwick intends to marry Anne to Edward of Lancaster. Richard injures his right shoulder at the quintain demonstration (explaining the uneven shoulders) and asks Anne to send word to Edward of her father’s perfidy.

We then flash forward and Edward is imprisoned by Warwick in one of Middleham’s towers. Richard is hiding in some woods nearby where Anne meets him and they plot Edward’s escape, which Anne successfully carries out.

Anne is betrothed to Edward of Lancaster. (She and Richard had previously agreed that if she were forced to marry the prince, she would stab him in their marriage bed. She doesn’t tell Richard she also plans then to do away with herself) Richard goes to Angers and is in the crowd as Anne enters the church to go to her betrothal ceremony. That evening, Richard comes to Anne's room, and things are getting pretty hot and heavy between them when they are interrupted by her father’s attendants who bring her to her parents, a priest, and Edward. Warwick is determined that they will be wedded and bedded immediately despite Margaret of Anjou’s opposition. Margaret’s (perhaps alerted by Richard!) men appear in the nick of time to stop the ceremony.

In another bizarre version of events, Anne and her mother return to England with Warwick and George. When Warwick is killed, the countess decides she and Anne that they must go to Margaret and the prince so that Warwick’s wish for the marriage be carried out. And they do!

Here, Anne’s disappearance is arranged by Isabelle, who acts to prevent George from killing her sister. Richard goes to Burgundy to find her but becomes seriously ill on his return journey. He is nursed by Anne’s faithful servant Clotilde. When Clotilde’s husband is killed, Richard comforts her and one thing leads to another to John of Gloucester.

Anne is rescued through the efforts of Jane Shore. Anne is happy about Clotilde’s son until she learns who his father is. In another bit of soap opera, Richard walks in to see Anne comforting Rob Percy who has recently lost his beloved. This, I guess, evens things up.

So the long awaited marriage of the lovers takes place but not before George sends some poisoned wine as a gift for the bride. Anne (quite innocently) insists that Clotilde drink it and she dies. Anne suspects George who warns her that she dare not accuse him because, well, everyone knows whose son John is and also witnessed Anne telling her maid to drink the wine.

After Richard and Anne are finally married (2/3rds through the book), the narrative of events becomes a more straightforward historical account and less fanciful. Buckingham and Morton are blamed for the murder of the princes. However, it makes no sense that Richard receives word during the rebellion that the princes’s lives are in danger, but he apparently doesn’t contact Brackenbury. Instead, five months later in December, he thinks to himself that he should go to the tower to see “how the lads are doing.” Brackenbury then informs him that Bucky came there the day after Richard left on his progress and killed the lads, claiming it was Richard's orders. And Brackenbury didn’t say anything even after Buckingham rebelled. Really?

There are some interesting touches as Richard is depicted as somewhat cynical and more worldly-wise. For instance, he is at first wary of John Howard, thinking he wants to ingrate himself to gain the the Norfolk estates. But these interesting details are not enough to save this book. If you are looking for some laughs, then you you will not be disappointed but there are far better better fictional accounts of Richard III and Anne Neville.

[Deyanira C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried but I couldn't connect with this one .

In the beginning is a good story that takes a lot of freedom with the historical events so I was feeling that this was not talking about Richard III and the people of his time.

Apart from that is too much fantasy for me , I really tried to enjoy the story from this perspective of a fantastic love and a story of villains and victims but is just not my type of book .

The good point is that this presents a balanced representation of Richard III but in a fantasy world where there is poison, magic love , escapades, jealousy etc .