* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is the story of a young boy raised as a commoner, completely unaware that he’s Edward Plantagenet, the Earl of Warwick. Or is he?
I absolutely loved this novel, and it helps that I'm fascinated by the historical account of Lambert Simnel who was allegedly a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, it was claimed this 10 year old boy was Edward Plantagenet, the son of George, Duke of Clarence; who opted to be drowned in a barrel of wine for treason against his brother. Hidden for his safety after the princes in the Tower disappeared, the boy was tutored for years before the political climate favoured the beginning of a rebellion in his name.
After King Henry VII and his progeny, this pretender claimed to be the 17th Earl of Warwick and next in line to the throne but his cause was defeated. After the Yorkist rebellion failed to make him King later that year, the young boy received a pardon based on his youth and was sent to work in the kitchens as a servant.
I was wondering which line of history author Jo Harkin was going to take and she navigated the threads of history perfectly. In the beginning, we're introduced to a lively 6 year old John Collan being raised on a farm in a remote English village in 1483. Some of my favourite scenes were of young John on the farm, and the author has a terrific sense of humour:
"John!' calls small Mary. 'Is it true? That kings have a groom of the stool who watches them shit and then takes the shit and looks at it?'Still enjoying John's childhood, a strange and unnamed nobleman visits the farm and John is swiftly taken from everything he's known. Taking on the name Lambert, a home-sick John undertakes years of tutoring in secrecy and wishes he wasn't a noble. Living in seclusion with his tutor and falling in love with reading and studying Ovid, Plutarch, Juvenal, John is a natural scholar.
'Of course it's true,' John says. 'There's a groom of the stool right here in the village.'
'Who!'
'Jack. He waits by the midden to collect everyone's turds. He's probably got one in his jerkin now.'" Page 24
Soon enough though, his life is drastically changed again and he is wrenched from his tutor to travel to Flanders. Each time he is moved like a political pawn from one country to another, he changes names but the author does an exceptional job of keeping us on track as his external identity shifts from Lambert to Simnel, Edward, Simnel and beyond.
Another favourite era was John's childhood friendship with Philip the Handsome (1478–1506), and later on his time in Ireland where in Dublin in 1487, he's proclaimed King Edward VI. I found John's internal musings on his fate to be convincing and his self doubt endearing as he attempts to negotiate the uncertainty and dangerous political climate in which he finds himself.
John realises he'll either be crowned King of England or be killed in the process and tries to make the most of his circumstances while plotting revenge for those who have hurt him along the way. You might imagine the novel ends when John is pardoned and sent to the kitchens, but this change of circumstances does nothing to dull the narrative.
"... there are so many layers of servant-tiers between them. Here there are larders, a pastry kitchen, buttery, cellar, waferers, larderers, sauciers, dessert cooks, undercooks, scullions. The hundreds of servants rushing around these demesnes wear no livery, being below eyesight." Page 309Occasionally I was struck by an historical fact that gave me pause, like the fact that King Henry V invaded France in 1492 and according to the author, took 700 ships and 15,000 men to besiege Boulogne. It's hard to imagine the logistics involved in an invasion involving 700 ships.
I heartily enjoyed the witty dialogue and descriptions in The Pretender - one character has a face like a portcullis - and the writing style had me chuckling along as we accompany John as he enters adulthood.
"Don't worry, Jack. When I need a turd inspecting, I'll be sure to send for you!" Page 41Some of you might know that John was later appointed to the position of falconer and we follow his life until he disappears into the history books in an extremely satisfying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed The Pretender and I can readily imagine it adapted for the big screen. I admire the author's ability to cater to both eventualities that John was indeed the legitimate Earl or a boy groomed to be a figurehead but a pretender nevertheless.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is highly recommended for readers of historical fiction interested in the wars of the roses and is a contender for My Top 5 Books of 2025.
