Tag: Margaret More Roper

Book Review: “Thomas More: A Life” by Joanne Paul

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The year is 1535, and an educated scholar, father, writer, and the former Chancellor of England marches to his demise. His crime was staying silent on an issue that the King deemed extremely important: the idea that the King of England should be the Supreme Head of the Church of England, not the Pope. As a Catholic, Sir Thomas More does not agree with this decree and must die. How did one of the most prominent Tudor scholars of his age fall so quickly? Joanne Paul explores the rise and dramatic fall of this infamous Tudor figure in her latest biography, “Thomas More: A Life.”

Joanne Paul is slowly becoming one of my favorite nonfiction writers. Her debut, “The House of Dudley,” was spectacular, and when I heard that she was writing a biography about Thomas More, I knew I wanted to read it. I know the basic information about Thomas More’s life and his books about the Wars of the Roses and Utopia, but I wanted a book that gives more details about his life.

Thomas More was the son of the lawyer John More and his wife Agnes, born in 1478. A child of the Wars of the Roses, the shifting sands of the political landscape of his youth will prepare him for the tumultuous Tudor court of his adulthood. While he recalls the reign of King Richard III in his book about the period, it should be noted that he was a boy during the king’s reign. 

Thomas became a scholar who specialized in Humanism and created a community of like-minded scholars and artists, including men like Desiderius Erasmus. Thomas More would marry twice, to Jane Colt, the mother of his children, Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily, and John, and Alice Harpur. He would ensure that all his children received a proper Humanist education, and his children, especially Margaret, were praised for their scholarly abilities. He would begin to write like he was running out of time and create one of his most famous works about politics, Utopia, as well as go toe to toe against Martin Luther himself. 

 More would continue his academic pursuits, even when he captured the attention of King Henry VIII, who would appoint him Chancellor of England. While a great honor, Thomas did not agree with the King on the Great Matter as he believed Queen Katherine of Aragon was the rightful wife of King Henry VIII. He would persecute those whom he deemed as heretics as a devout Catholic man, and it was ultimately his faith that would lead to his earthly doom. When Henry VIII decided that he wanted his people to swear an oath that Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church of England instead of the Pope. As a devout Catholic, Thomas More’s silence was deafening, and he was condemned as a traitor to the crown, destined to be executed.

Even though Thomas More was a controversial figure of the Tudor era for Ricardians and Protestants alike, we in the modern age can learn a lot from his life and apply it to our own time. Paul does it again, as this is a stunning biography of a man who was a scholar and an outspoken Catholic in a time when the King’s power was becoming dangerous.  The way she weaves the historical facts, including More’s numerous pieces of writing, with a narrative that is easy to follow is astounding. Truly, this is the definitive biography on Sir Thomas More. If you want a fabulous biography on such an infamous figure of the Tudor age, I highly recommend you read “Thomas More: A Life” by Joanne Paul.

Book Review: “The House of Echoes” by Alexandra Walsh

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A love that can get through any obstacle even when the couple is married to other people is considered very rare. However, star-crossed lovers at court were practically unheard of, especially multiple couples from the same family. Anne Brandon knows how rare these matches are as her father Charles Brandon married the sister of King Henry VIII. Now she must figure out her feelings about romance while navigating court life. In the modern day, Caroline Harvey has relationship problems while she navigates the loss of her famous writer, grandfather Dexter Blake. How are these two women from different centuries connected and can they fight for who they love or are they destined to be alone? Alexandra Walsh tells both women’s stories in her novel, “The House of Echoes.”

I want to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. The concept of this novel and the cover were what pulled me into the story. I know about the children of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, but when it comes to Charles’ other children, I don’t know much. I wanted to learn a bit about Anne Brandon and have a good time with the story of Caroline Harvey.

We begin with the story of Caroline Harvey as she returns home to England from America after a bad break-up with her former fiance Travis Hibbert. She is the personal assistant to her grandfather, the recluse writer Dexter Blake, the author of the Ether Heracles book series. Dexter Blake is dying and it is up to her and her family to announce it to the rest of the world while releasing the last book in the series and making movies about the books. While the world mourns Dexter’s death, Caroline is given the gift of Dexter’s home and she begins researching the history of the house, which will lead her to an old fling Gideon and his book store Ten-to-Midnight. It is through Caroline’s research that she discovers the story of Anne Brandon and the truth about her life.

Meanwhile, in Tudor England, Anne Brandon is getting used to being the step-daughter of Mary Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII. She is not used to court life, but she has friends who will become famous like Anne Boleyn and Margaret More Roper. As a young girl, Anne falls head over heels in love with Randall Hanworth and she believes that she is destined to marry him. However, fate and her father have someone else in mind; Edward Grey 3rd Baron of Powis, which made Anne Baroness of Powis. That doesn’t mean it was a happy marriage as the couple never had any children. Anne lived throughout the reign of Henry VIII, saw two of his wives beheaded including her friend Anne Boleyn, and had a great falling out with her father Charles Brandon before he died, which meant that she was left out of his will. Anne was willing to fight for the lands that she believed rightfully belonged to her and the love of her life Randall.

This was a fun novel with so many twists and turns, including one at the end that I did not see coming. I especially love the little details that Walsh included especially coming up with blurbs for each of the Dexter Blake books as well as the inner workings of the Brandon household. As someone who reads a lot about the Tudors, it was refreshing to read about Tudors that were new to me. If you want a fresh take on the Tudor with a modern twist, I greatly recommend you read, “The House of Echoes” by Alexandra Walsh.

Book Review: “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper” by Aimee Fleming

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When we think about the great female minds of the 16th century, we often think about those closest to the throne. Women of privilege who were destined to rule or to be a queen consort in a far-off land where their education would be imperative for the success or failure of their respective dynasty. However, some women did not live a life of glitz and glamor and received an equally impressive education. One such woman was the daughter of the great statesman Sir Thomas More, Margaret More Roper. Her remarkable story is told in the debut book by Aimee Fleming, “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard the name Margaret More Roper mentioned in several books about Sir Thomas More, but she is more of a footnote. I have always wanted to learn more about her life, especially her childhood, so when I heard about this book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Margaret More Roper was the eldest child of Sir Thomas More and his first wife Joanna. She had three other siblings, Elizabeth, Cecily, and John, and a household filled with other children under Sir Thomas More’s care, including Margaret’s future husband William Roper. Fleming takes the time to show how Sir Thomas More and his second wife Alice gave his children, especially Margaret, a rather remarkable education that proved significant for Margaret and her path in life. We do see the famous More School grow and scholars such as Erasmus recognize the talent of Margaret and her siblings, especially in the fields of translations and letter writing. For the bulk of the first part of this book, Fleming focuses on the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More with the More family and school in the background, which is understandable, but I do wish we got a tad more about the education of these exceptional children.

Many consider the final meeting between Sir Thomas More and Margaret at his prison cell and his final letter to her as the end of her story, but as Fleming explains, there was so much more to Margaret’s story than this singular moment. Margaret was a wife, and a mother of five children (Alice, Margaret, Mary, Thomas, and Anthony). She also translated and published works in her name, which was unheard of for a woman, especially someone who was not of noble birth. When Margaret Roper More died around Christmas of 1544, she left a legacy that would inspire other women in her family, including her daughter Mary, to fight for an academic life.

Overall, I found this was a well-written debut biography about Margaret More Roper. It was a fascinating read to learn about Margaret’s life and the More family with a heavy focus on the academic life in 16th century England. If you would like to read a book about a strong academic woman from Tudor England, I suggest you read, “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper” by Aimee Fleming.