When fifteen-year-old Margaret of York's father and brother are killed defending their land, she has no idea what will become of their family. Young Margaret has no idea that their deaths will lead to more battles - and those battles will be the framework of her brother's ascent to the throne.

Now sister to the King of England, Margaret's life is not her own. She often watches the common people, longing for the freedom to go where she may please, befriend whomever she'd like and, especially, to marry for love. When Margaret is introduced to Sir Anthony Woodville, the love she is seeking takes root in her heart. Unfortunately, marriage to Sir Anthony is out of the question. He is too lowly ranked, not to mention already married.

Margaret finds solace by confiding in her one true friend, one of her ladies-in-waiting, Fortunata. Born into a life of hardship because of a disability, Fortunata, a dwarf, was found and rescued by one of the king's counselors, Sir John Howard. Hoping to put himself in the good graces of Princess Margaret, he presented Fortunata to her as her new attendant and entertainment. Fortunata became one of Margaret's most trusted ladies-in-waiting, always able to anticipate her moods and needs.

When Margaret is given in marriage to the Duke of Burgundy, she's terrified of what this means for her. Hoping to put her illicit love for Anthony behind her, Margaret resolves to be the best wife possible. After all, marriage and motherhood are what every woman desire. She, along with Fortunata and one of her servants set off for a new life far from England.

Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose For The Crown, brings the tale of Margaret of York to life with rich, vibrant detail in Daughter of York. The story grabbed me from the first chapter, and following Margaret through different periods of her life became almost like being there for the actual journey. The characters are deep and captivating. There is a complexity to each of them that makes it hard to hate even the worst of them. The book is lengthy at 557 pages, but even so, the ending came much too soon for me.