At the Court of Broken Dreams
It is 1460, and the young Edward de-la-Pole rides off to fight for the Yorkists—as Beloved Mama has ordered. Beloved Mama has also ordered Edward’s elder brother to stay at home because in this time of extended, bloody conflict between Lancaster and York, it is best to hedge your bets.
Mr. Brown breathes impressive life into both the time and Edward—so much so it is quite the disappointment to realise our Eddie never existed. All around this sardonic young man dances the well-known cast of the War of the Roses, and we get a first-row view of the messy conspiracies and the equally messy and bloody conflicts that plagued England in the late 15th century.
There are some irritating errors when it comes to names and dates that jar me out of the narrative, but all in all, Mr. Brown handles his vast cast of real-life characters with panache. There is also an element of imbalance, in that the crucial events of 1483-85 are depicted in far less detail than the preceding periods.
What I find perplexing is why Mr. Brown has found it necessary to include a Jewish thread in his story. At the time, Jews had been banned from England for close to two centuries, and by the end of the 15th century, the Jewish populations were viewed askance in most Christian kingdoms. Inserting a rabbi as a diplomatic emissary to the English court seems very contrived, and Rabbi Abraham adds little to the narrative. Besides, our sardonic Eddie is not exactly the type to dabble in spiritual development. To me, this side story detracts from what is otherwise a vibrant and engaging read.
