The Last Daughter of York

Nicola here. Yesterday was NA release day for my latest dual-time historical mystery The Last Daughter of York which was published in the UK a few months ago under the title of The Last Daughter. Central to the story is the 15^th century mystery of the Princes in the Tower – what happened to these young sons of King Edward IV, was their uncle Richard responsible for their disappearance and possible death, and why is this mystery still so powerful today, 500 years later. I’m a real sucker for a historical mystery, real or imaginary, and I love the idea of examining the historical story in the present and coming up with a solution to an age-old mystery.

There is a theme of disappearance in both sections of the book. In the modern-day story, Serena Warren returns to Minster Lovell, the place of her childhood holidays, to try and find out what happened to her sister Caitlin who vanished ten years before. As Serena starts to dig into the past and her memories, she uncovers a genealogical link to the Plantagenets and the mystery of the princes.

It was actually the setting of Minster Lovell Hall that suggested to me the idea of disappearances as the folklore of the village includes a number of stories about people who vanish, just as the princes did. The first story is the tale of the mistletoe bride which is a traditional Christmas ghost story. It was said that a very long time ago (the precise date was lost in the mists of time) one of the Lovell family married a beautiful heiress and at the wedding feast they all played hide and seek. The bride herself disappeared and no one could find her. Centuries later her body was discovered in a locked chest; she had gone in there to hide and been unable to escape. More a horror story than a romance, it was the starting point for my book but I changed a lot of the details!

It was also said that Francis Lovell, who is the hero of the historic strand of my story, hid at Minster Lovell after the Battle of Stoke in 1487 and that he too disappeared. There are many different ideas about Francis's eventual fate, just as there are for the Princes. This bit of folklore also made its way into my story in a different form!

I loved writing the story of Anne and Francis Lovell who were married as children and grew up together. Francis was the closest friend on King Richard III and Anne is a fascinating woman from the footnotes of history whom it was wonderful to research and learn more about. Minster Lovell, their home by the little river Windrush in Oxfordshire, is a ruin now but is the most beautiful and atmospheric place to visit.

Early on it was decided that the title of the book would be different when it came out in the UK and North America. The NA team wanted to stress the historical elements of the book whilst the UK publishers put more emphasis on the dual time elements of the story and the contemporary thread. This also led to the very different but equally beautiful covers; the NA version even has “A Tudor Novel” on the cover and certainly the last two years of the historical story do take place in the Tudor period! History buffs will notice that the buildings on the cover are later than Tudor but as the book also has a contemporary thread that’s fine! And the roses are beautiful and fitting to the Wars of the Roses.

Incidentally, The Last Daughter of York is a very romantic book with two happy endings as I wrote it during the pandemic when I definitely wanted to read – and write – happy stories and I hope you will enjoy that aspect of the book too!

You can find The Last Daughter of York in the bookshop, library and online.

One reader can win a copy today as well! Simply leave a comment between now and and midnight Thursday 18th and we will choose a winner at random. The contest is open internationally.

If you were to travel in time, what essential modern day item would you take with you?

Comments

[Lisa Payne]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your work. I am excited to get my hands on your newest!

[Mary T]

My essential item would be Tylenol, and hopefully I'd be back before I ran out (smile). Your book sounds fascinating.

[Robyn Brough]

This book sounds intriguing. I think my essential item would be a toothbrush

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Lisa, thank you very much! I do hop you like it!

[Nicola Cornick]

That's a very good choice, Mary, or you might end up taking some old wives' brew that was really bad for you!

[Nicola Cornick]

Yes, a very good pick, Robyn. Whenever I see people in costume dramas using twigs to clean their teeth I feel very grateful for my modern brush!

[Kareni]

Best wishes, Nicola, on the North American (took me a while to figure out NA) release of The Last Daughter of York!

What one modern day item would I take with me were I to time travel? I was dithering between penicillin and chocolate but then decided I'd most like to take my husband.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much, Kareni. All essential items to be sure, but definitely the best choice!

[Quantum]

T think that an electric shaver with enough battery charge to last untill my return is an essential. Though like Kareni, I couldn't go without my spouse, and she would want to pack an awfull lot of stuff!

I think that linking events in different time periods is a fascinating concept for a novel, though the genre does seem to be expanding rapidly. Good luck with the sales.

[Make Kay]

Yay!! Always excited to get a new book from you, Nicola!

[Mary M.]

The book sounds fascinating, Nicola!

I once did a women's leadership seminar in the mountains of California. One of our activities was a solo in the woods overnight. (We were each escorted to a different location.) I knew immediately what I had to take, and it's the same thing I'd do in time travel: I stuffed a good sized wad of toilet paper in my briefs. We were told to take nothing with us, but I have my limits!

[Nicola Cornick]

Haha! I love the idea of turning up in the past with a big suitcase full of stuff!

Yes, it's certainly the case that years ago when I first pitched the idea of a dual time book, no publishers were interested, and now you're tripping over books like that!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks so much, that's really lovely of you!

[Nicola Cornick]

That was very resourceful of you, Mary, and I fully approve!

[Minna Puustinen]

My essential items would be a toothbrush and toothpaste.

[Ruchama]

Well, I always say I would not want to be in a world without modern flush toilets, but that won't work here. In order to appreciate what I would be able to experience, I would need good eyes and ears. Needing help with both, and only being able to choose one: my eye glasses.

I can't think about the princes in the tower without recalling Daughter of Time. This new book sounds like it may be an excellent addition to the mystery of the princes canon and a romance as well!! I definitely want a copy.

[Nicola Cornick]

That is a very good choice. There are some things where the historical equivalents simply wouldn't be satisfactory.

[Nicola Cornick]

Isn't the Daughter of Time such a wonderful and inspiring book, Ruchama? It will always have pride of place on my Ricardian bookshelf!

I am with you on the modern sanitation but I do like the logic of making sure you have your glasses so that you can take in all the details of the experience!

[Teresa Broderick]

I think items we would take would be the same for a lot of us. I couldn't go without my glasses. I couldn't see a thing!! But the toothbrush and paste element is definitely a must for me too. Reading historical fiction ( which is what I read the most) is wonderful and romantic but I think if I had to live in some of those times I'd soon change my mind:)
Good luck with the NA edition of the book.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks, Teresa! Yes, I do think that the books probably make the past sound more romantic and enjoyable than it might have been in practical terms! As always, the ability to return would be so important!

[Michelle H]

This sounds like such a fascinating read, Nicola. I'm looking forward to reading it. And the very best luck on its release, and the covers are beautiful on both editions.

I'd have to reiterate the items already mentioned, Tylenol, glasses, toilet paper, hubby...if I could take enough soap to last my trip (as long as it is a return trip,) or maybe the recipe for soap! But then, I'd probably REALLY stand out as an outsider no matter how much knowledge I thought I knew about the time period.

[Amy J]

Difficult to narrow down the choice: I first thought ibuprofen, but then saw an earlier commenter mention glasses, which I would certainly need as well. There's always this book that I heard about a while ago: https://www.howtoinventeverything.com/

[Laura]

Mine is quite practical and boring, I would take antibiotics with me! 😁

[Annette N]

Thanks so much for this post. I would love to get a definitive answer about the 2 little boys in the tower. Your book sounds very interesting, just as I would expect.

I am not sure which specific thing I would want with me on a time travel journey. I think that would depend on where I went in time. In reality, my choice would not be one item, I would want to take all my vitamins. I firmly believe they keep me vertical.

Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.

[Pat Dupuy]

A double happy ending! What could be better than that? As for what I would take back in time with me, a lot of knowledge about what I'm getting myself into and a pair of eyeglasses. I hate not being able to read the small print!

[Karin]

Claire from Outlander took penicillin when she returned to the past the second time, and I think that's a good choice. Since I can't give injections, it would have to be oral antibiotics. I thought about painkillers, but I guess I would have to brew willow bark.

[Cryssa Bazos]

Sounds fascinating! Best of luck with this new one

[Jeanne Behnke]

I had pre-ordered this book when it was first shown in the blog. Nicola - your books are so good! Up it popped in my kindle so it's the next read after Susanna Kearsley's The Vanished Days which is my current read and so good too. If I could find electricity, I'd definitely take my iPad mini stuffed with books - but I think that's a non-starter. I think I'd just try to learn how to roll with the flow as if I'd never lived in the future.

[Jane Nelson]

I can't wait to read this book! I am an avid Ricardian, and have read many novels about that era, so this will be just up my alley. What would I take if I went back in time? My first though is chocolate, but that wouldn't last very long, would it?

[Lil]

I am a sucker for any story about the princes in the tower—you can blame it all on Josephine Tey and The Daughter of Time! (Books you read as a teenager make an indelible impression.) I can't wait to read this one.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you so much, Michelle. It's a very interesting question of how much we would all stand out, isn't it. For a start our glasses would look very different even if our husbands fitted in :) It would be so easy to give away a bit of knowledge that would make people look at you strangely. You'd need to be on your guard all the time... That said, if you introduced people to soap, they would probably be very happy!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you for sharing that link, Amy. What a cool idea for a book!

[Nicola Cornick]

I think practicality would be the key for a time travelling expedition, Laura!

[Nicola Cornick]

Good choice, Annette! And yes, that's a very good point - the choice of item would probably depend on the period of history you were going to visit. We need a whole range of ideas for the different eras!

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Pat, that is the perfect choice, isn't it! Be prepared and then be able to see the small print when you get there. YES!

[Nicola Cornick]

It's a good practical choice and if you can brew some other remedies as well that's even better!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much, Cryssa.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks so much, Jeanne! I do hope you enjoy it. Susanna's book is amazing isn't it. I love hers so much!

Going with the flow is such a good idea, I think, because you're less likely to stand out and you might learn some really interesting stuff!

[Nicola Cornick]

Haha! If you're anything like me, Jane, the chocolate would be gone all too quickly!

Thank you - I hope you like the book! Great to know you are an avid Ricardian too!

[Nicola Cornick]

That is so true, Lil. It made a huge impression on me too and I've never forgotten it!

[Pat Wittorf]

You beat me to it. Tylenol, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, even aspirin would go with me. LOL

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Pat, you'll be both well-prepared and very popular!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much for all the resourceful suggestions! Also a huge thank you for all the publication good wishes. I really appreciate it. The contest is now closed and Ruchama's name was picked out of the hat to win a copy of the book!