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The Pretender

A Novel

Author Jo Harkin
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Hardcover
$30.00 US
Knopf
On sale Apr 22, 2025 | 496 Pages | 9780593803301
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Set in the tumultuous period of the Tudors' ascent, The Pretender brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel. From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert's life takes an astonishing turn when, at just ten years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power, and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn't be higher.

“A...transporting feat of imagination and storytelling.”—Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling-author of Great Circle

"Original, vivid, and witty. [The Pretender is] Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall—and I completely loved it.”—Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling-author of The Whalebone Theatre

In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on his way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, and has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown—and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews.

Removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, Lambert is put into play by his masters. He learns the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available to her—marry or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become king or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.

Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little-known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII—The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from fifteenth-century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.
“What Jo Harkin has accomplished in The Pretender left me awestruck on every page. I had no idea that a medieval historical novel could be this wickedly funny, this timely and timeless. A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time-travel, and a feast of language.” —Karen Russell, author of The Antidote

“The Pretender is a vivid, transporting feat of imagination and storytelling, so alive I felt Jo Harkin might be a time traveler.” —Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle

“A brilliant piece of historical storytelling that’s also gorgeously irreverent, contemporary, and fun. Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart—I loved it.” —Sarah Waters, author of Fingersmith

“I blazed through full of wonder and admiration. . . . The writing is searingly confident, the sense of time and place dizzyingly good, the dialogue ribald and the description elegant. . . . I loved every single page. . . . The Pretender has everything: history richly drawn, amazing characterization, humor, wit, vigor, and bravery. It's magnificent.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

"Jo Harkin’s writing is consistently original, vivid, and witty. [The Pretender is] Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall—and I completely loved it.” —Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre

“The Pretender is the real deal—nimble, vibrant, playful, and daring. It pulses with life. I loved it.” —Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

“Fantastically accomplished. . . . A bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue. . . . There’s a deep love for literature here, and a desire to showcase the formation of the late-medieval mind, which elevates The Pretender above other novels about this period. . . . Scattered with fine knobbly period language and witty dialogue, and this stylish delivery brings with it considerable substance.” —The Guardian

"Funny, moving, and filthy in equal measure." — The Times (London)

“Dazzling. . . . The Pretender is a stylish, profane, hilarious read, and Harkin is the proverbial writer to watch." —The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Harkin skillfully evokes the foreboding and intrigue that surrounds the throne with rough-hewn language and fistfuls of bawdy humor. . . . [a] rollicking saga of royalty, loyalty, lechery and treachery." —BookPage

“Harkin’s imaginative take on a calculated hoax in English history and portrait of a curious young personage is a wildly entertaining and satirical comedy full of interesting characters.” —Booklist (starred review)

“This razor-sharp historical is on par with Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
© J Robaczynski
JO HARKIN’s first novel, Tell Me an Ending, was published in 2022. She lives in Berkshire, England. View titles by Jo Harkin

About

Set in the tumultuous period of the Tudors' ascent, The Pretender brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel. From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert's life takes an astonishing turn when, at just ten years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power, and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn't be higher.

“A...transporting feat of imagination and storytelling.”—Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling-author of Great Circle

"Original, vivid, and witty. [The Pretender is] Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall—and I completely loved it.”—Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling-author of The Whalebone Theatre

In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on his way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, and has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown—and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews.

Removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, Lambert is put into play by his masters. He learns the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available to her—marry or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become king or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.

Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little-known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII—The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from fifteenth-century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.

Reviews

“What Jo Harkin has accomplished in The Pretender left me awestruck on every page. I had no idea that a medieval historical novel could be this wickedly funny, this timely and timeless. A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time-travel, and a feast of language.” —Karen Russell, author of The Antidote

“The Pretender is a vivid, transporting feat of imagination and storytelling, so alive I felt Jo Harkin might be a time traveler.” —Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle

“A brilliant piece of historical storytelling that’s also gorgeously irreverent, contemporary, and fun. Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart—I loved it.” —Sarah Waters, author of Fingersmith

“I blazed through full of wonder and admiration. . . . The writing is searingly confident, the sense of time and place dizzyingly good, the dialogue ribald and the description elegant. . . . I loved every single page. . . . The Pretender has everything: history richly drawn, amazing characterization, humor, wit, vigor, and bravery. It's magnificent.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

"Jo Harkin’s writing is consistently original, vivid, and witty. [The Pretender is] Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall—and I completely loved it.” —Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre

“The Pretender is the real deal—nimble, vibrant, playful, and daring. It pulses with life. I loved it.” —Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

“Fantastically accomplished. . . . A bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue. . . . There’s a deep love for literature here, and a desire to showcase the formation of the late-medieval mind, which elevates The Pretender above other novels about this period. . . . Scattered with fine knobbly period language and witty dialogue, and this stylish delivery brings with it considerable substance.” —The Guardian

"Funny, moving, and filthy in equal measure." — The Times (London)

“Dazzling. . . . The Pretender is a stylish, profane, hilarious read, and Harkin is the proverbial writer to watch." —The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Harkin skillfully evokes the foreboding and intrigue that surrounds the throne with rough-hewn language and fistfuls of bawdy humor. . . . [a] rollicking saga of royalty, loyalty, lechery and treachery." —BookPage

“Harkin’s imaginative take on a calculated hoax in English history and portrait of a curious young personage is a wildly entertaining and satirical comedy full of interesting characters.” —Booklist (starred review)

“This razor-sharp historical is on par with Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Author

© J Robaczynski
JO HARKIN’s first novel, Tell Me an Ending, was published in 2022. She lives in Berkshire, England. View titles by Jo Harkin

Additional formats

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#FridayReads: The Pretender by Jo Harkin

Set in the tumultuous period of the Tudors’ ascent, The Pretender brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel. From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert’s life takes an astonishing turn when, at just ten years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power, and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Read more

#FridayReads: The Pretender by Jo Harkin

News FridayReads

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