The Virgin Widow

The Virgin Widow by Anne O’Brien

Publisher: New American Library

November 2010

ISBN: 978-0-451-23129-1

Pages: 409



The War of the Roses England 1462 – 1472

Anne Neville is the daughter of the power Earl of Warwick. As a girl she meets Richard of Gloucester, when he is sent to her father for training as a knight. Anne is youngest daughter of the Earl’s and while she doesn’t always get along with her sister her life has been easy and happy. When she first meets Richard she isn’t sure what to make of him and even if she truly likes him. As they get to know each other she finds that her feelings for him transform into something a lot stronger than friendship.

Richard Plantagenet is the third son of the House of York. With his oldest brother on the throne of England that makes him a very powerful man. Richard has always been quiet and thoughtful and that has given him the chance to find out more about people around him which gives him more insight into people. This helps to him develop into the man that he later becomes.

When a betrothal is agreed upon between Richard and Anne it is a political alliance that makes them both happy as it also happens to match their hearts desires. That all changes when the tides of the royal favor changes and pits Anne’s father against the King of England. Now the family is branded as traitors and the only way they have a chance at survival is to go to France and throw themselves on the mercy of the deposed queen Margaret of Anjou. This ultimately places Anne at the mercy of her father’s ambitions and in the middle between her father and Margaret. As Anne grows she uses her intelligence to navigate the intrigues of court so that she has a chance to survive. It also puts her on the opposite side of the now very powerful Richard which makes her put her secret yearnings for him deep in her heart. Now with the lovers on opposite sides only time will tell if they will ever have a chance to be together again.


This story brings to vivid life the War of the Roses. It also shows those that were the major players in this war to life and give the reader an insight and shows how those involved were truly human and not just names in history and legends in their own time. This is one story that helps make history interesting and makes you wish that the story won’t end.



I give this one 4-1/2 red roses