Blood & roses cover

Blood & roses

by Helen Castor

The Wars of the Roses turned England upside down between the years of 1455 and 1485. Yet, as they navigated their disintegrating world, a Norfolk family called the Pastons were writing letters--about politics, business, shopping, love--and about each other. Extraordinarily, these letters have survived. Drawing on these remarkable letters, Castor has written an intimate and compelling family biography which traces the Pastons' story across three generations, exploring their experiences of birth, marriage and death, and the realities of their daily lives. The author unravels the politics of the family's affairs against the backdrop of civil war between York and Lancaster to produce a vivid evocation of the medieval world.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?