The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper by Aimee Fleming: A Book Review
Author: Aimee Fleming
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Book Release Date: 2024
Pages: 207
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A presentation of Margaret More Roper, an accomplished writer whose life offers insight into Tudor England and the English Reformation. Margaret More Roper may be remembered as the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More, but she was much, much more. Well-educated, loyal, passionately pious, and a skilled writer and translator, Margaret inspired a generation and proved to Tudor England and beyond just how accomplished a woman could be. Her life provides a window into the turbulent times of the English Reformation and life at the court of King Henry VIII. In this biography, Margaret is presented in her own right and given the attention and acknowledgement she so richly deserves.
My Review: Margaret More Roper is best known as Sir Thomas More’s daughter. This biography shows that Margaret was a scholar. She was a writer and often translated Erasmus’s works. She also helped preserve her father’s works. This biography shows that Margaret More Roper continued her father’s legacy.
Margaret More Roper was the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More. She was given a humanist education. She was fluent in Greek and Latin. She was knowledgeable in history, philosophy, mathematics, science, and music. Margaret translated Erasmus’s writing. She eventually married William Roper. Margaret was a pious Catholic. Her husband was also a devout Catholic, but briefly he had Protestant leanings. When her father was famously executed by King Henry VIII, Margaret bribed a businessman to keep her father’s head. She also preserved his letters from the Tower of London. She died at thirty-nine, most likely due to pregnancy complications.
Overall, this was a concise and comprehensive biography of Margaret More Roper. However, this book clearly shows that there is not a lot of information known about Margaret More Roper. The biography suffers from a lot of speculation of what Margaret More Roper must have done or felt. This biography also focuses more on Sir Thomas More than Margaret More Roper. Therefore, it feels drawn out. I think that this book should have been a short academic history article about Margaret More Roper or a full biography of Sir Thomas More. However, I had never heard of Margaret More Roper before I read this biography. Therefore, this biography does shed light on a little known historical figure in history. I recommend this book for fans of Elizabeth Norton, John Guy, and Nicola Tallis!
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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