A Daughter's Love
by John Guy
Buy on Amazon"The life of Sir Thomas More is familiar to many. His opposition to Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn, his arrest for treason in 1534, his virtuoso defence at his trial and his execution in 1535 (and subsequent martyrdom) make up one of the most. famous stories in British history." "While More's place in history is secure, however, his daughter Margaret has been almost forgotten: she was airbrushed out of the story, even though she played a leading role in this very public drama. During More's imprisonment in the Tower of London, Margaret became his sole intermediary with the outside world. She visited frequently, and the pair wrote long and loving letters to one another.…
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"This is an exceptional double biography, written by one of the foremost experts on Tudor England. Thomas More, of course, was executed in 1535 for refusing to acknowledge the validity of Henry VIII’s break from Rome and his supremacy over the Church. Guy combines brilliant interpretation of primary sources with absorbing narrative to paint More’s relationship with Margaret and in so doing places Margaret right at the centre of More’s life. As More wrestled with his spiritual doubts in the 1530s he was deserted by most of his relatives. But Margaret stays faithful to him. The book also shows Thomas More’s encouragement of his daughter’s considerable intellect. He did teach her – and she was in many respects his best student. This is a terrific portrait of a woman growing up in a man’s world, carving out her own identity within it. In a very radical move, she publishes her own book – a translation of Erasmus’s meditations on the Lord’s Prayer. Guy makes the point that very few women had dared to go into print in this way before."
Henry VII · fivebooks.com