The Daughter of Time is really not an indicative title at all. It talks neither about daughters, nor time. Instead it’s a book about Richard III. You know, the king of England who’s notorious for killing his two nephews (those darling Princes in the Tower) in order to secure his throne. The book’s purpose is to clear Richard’s name, something which, I must say, the author does quite successfully. I’ve been fascinated by Richard III since reading Shakespeare’s play in college. I’ve even visited the Richard III Museum in York, England. The curators of the museum try to do exactly what Tey tried to do: clear poor Richard’s sullied name.
The book is set up as a mystery. It’s the fifth book in a series about Inspector Alan Grant. Except the famed inspector spends the entire book in a hospital room, recovering from an injury received at the end of the last book in the series (I’m guessing at that last bit, but it seems logical). In order to keep himself amused, he tackles the mystery surrounding King Richard III. It’s a short book, but an impressive one. An awful lot of research must have gone into the writing of it. But I think the most impressive thing is how intriguing a book it was. I kept reading eagerly to the very end – even though it’s a detective book in which the detective never leaves his room. You’ve got to be an awfully good writer to make that setup work. Josephine Tey definitely does.
If you’re looking for some real history that’s easy to read (although the family trees are incredibly confusing), try The Daughter of Time. And decide for yourself – was Richard III guilty or innocent?
The book is set up as a mystery. It’s the fifth book in a series about Inspector Alan Grant. Except the famed inspector spends the entire book in a hospital room, recovering from an injury received at the end of the last book in the series (I’m guessing at that last bit, but it seems logical). In order to keep himself amused, he tackles the mystery surrounding King Richard III. It’s a short book, but an impressive one. An awful lot of research must have gone into the writing of it. But I think the most impressive thing is how intriguing a book it was. I kept reading eagerly to the very end – even though it’s a detective book in which the detective never leaves his room. You’ve got to be an awfully good writer to make that setup work. Josephine Tey definitely does.
If you’re looking for some real history that’s easy to read (although the family trees are incredibly confusing), try The Daughter of Time. And decide for yourself – was Richard III guilty or innocent?
 Learning Plot |
RSS Feed
