Annie Garthwaite

Mothers-in-War: The Women of the Wars of the Roses

Annie Garthwaite, acclaimed author of Cecily and The King’s Mother

Accounts of the Wars of the Roses are dominated by men – kings and kingmakers, traitors and tyrants. But they were equally shaped by women, driving the action and risking their lives to secure the throne for their sons. From Cecily Neville, matriarch of House York, to Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Tudor dynasty, Annie traces the risks they took and the prices they paid.

Bio

Annie Garthwaite is the acclaimed author of two novels that bring the women of the Wars of the Roses to life. Cecily (Viking, Penguin 2021) was named a 'top pick' by The Times and Sunday Times, a 'Best Book of 2021' by independent bookshops and Waterstones, and has recently been optioned for television. The King's Mother (Viking, Penguin 2024) was named ‘Book of the Month’ by The Times immediately upon publication. Annie came to writing after a 30-year international business career, determined to cast light on female histories often overlooked.

Annie is also Vice Chair of the Mortimer History Society, a judge for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Prize and lives in Shropshire, close to the formidable Yorkist stronghold of Ludlow Castle.