The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I originally saw mention of this book on Kari's blog. A book rated so highly on various 'best mystery of all time' lists intrigued me. And I actually enjoy British history, although the use of a few more names would make it easier for me to follow.



It took me a bit to get into, but then I was hooked. In part by the mystery: a hospital and bed-ridden police inspector starts researching the real life of Richard III after seeing his portrait and deciding that the face did not match the purported life of the man. When I first read Richard III in the text I immediately thought 'Isn't that the one that murdered his nephews in the Tower?'



My mind became much more occupied with the instances in history - the book gives a couple - where gossip and hearsay become the accepted history because they were PRINTED. History has always fascinated me because of the inherent bias in written accounts - so unlike science which is completely objective. :) Histories seem to often be written some time after an event has taken place - a good idea to gain perspective, overview, see how events played out, but this also allows distortions of time to color what 'really happened.' Just as writing an account of 'what happened' is colored by who is doing the writing, however objective the author may try to be.



This book got me thinking again about the power of the printed word - on paper or now the internet - and how it is then taken as TRUTH because it is written down. I am generally too trusting of something simply because it's published - there's a presumption of fact-checking and accuracy that allows me to turn off the 'picky' part of my brain, if only for a moment. Accepted dogma doesn't not inherently make something true. I also need to read more British history!


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Also, someone please teach me how to leave my bangs alone!