The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman

The Wars of the Roses was basically one of cousins who were all descended from an ancestor king. For those who never truly understood it, you will get a better grasp from this flowery novel. PART ONE sheds light on that confusing Historical time known as the Wars of the Roses (back in the day I never 'got it' until I read this piece). That's commitment! SUNNE traces the life of Richard III, breaking it into three sections of this 800+ page novel: A little trivia: she actually hand wrote a good deal of this novel, lost it and then started all over again.

This was Penman's first novel and still one of my favorites. and Down Under by Macmillan and co the publication date is early March, 2020. She has just finished The Land Beyond the Sea, set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. Henry and Eleanor's celebrated and controversial son, Richard the Lionheart is the major character in both books, although Eleanor, John, and Richard's favorite sister, Joanna, also get to spend time on center stage. She soon realized that there was still more of the Angevins' story to tell and the result was Lionheart, followed by The King's Ransom. In 2008, she published Devil's Brood, which was to be the final book in her trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The mysteries did not enjoy the same success as her 'straight' historical novels, to which she returned in 2002, with Time and Chance, again covering the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. In 1996, following the success of When Christ and His Saints Slept (which dealt with the Anarchy and the early career of King Henry II of England), Penman ventured into the historical whodunnit with four mysteries set in the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine during the reign of Richard I.

The Sunne in Splendour, a novel about Richard III of England is one of the most popular books on the Historical Novel Society's list of best historical novels. Penman received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, she majored in history, and also received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Rutgers University School of Law, and later worked as a tax lawyer.

The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman