The Black Rose

by Thomas B. Costain
Category: "Fiction - Historical"
Pages:401
Year of Publication:1945
Date Added:01/21/2021
Date Read:05/24/2026
Notes:It's 1272, and Walter of Gurnie is a student at Oxford. His parents weren't married, so Walter is looked down upon by the upper crust. When his father dies, his cruel half-brother takes over the estates and begins mistreating the vassals. Walter joins his friend Tristram in a peoples' revolt and has to flee. The decide to go to China to make their fortunes — even though nobody ever has gone there and returned. They join a caravan across Asia, led by a Mongolian warlord on his way to conquer China. In the caravan is a harem of slave girls. One of them escapes and hides in Walter's tent. She is Maryam, offspring of a Greek slave girl and an Englishman in Jerusalem on a Crusade. Walter disguises Maryam as a servant boy and soon falls in love with her. When the slave trader discovers her whereabouts, Walter sends Tristram, Maryam, and the servant boy Mamoud off while he distracts the navigator of the caravan. He's discovered and beaten. When he gets to China with the warlord, he is honored for his yellow hair. Hearing that there's another yellow-haird stranger in town, he seeks out Tristram and soon finds Maryam, although she's about the sold into slavery. To prevent this, he hastily marries her, and they live happily. But the Mongolian army approaches and they have to flee. They are separated again. Walter and Tristram sail back to England where Tristram takes up again with the people's revolt and soon dies. Walter meets King Edward, who wants to hear about his travels and the things he discovered (for example, he brought the secret of paper-making back with him). He is knighted and given his father's estate. Meanwhile, Maryam has Walter's son in China. For the next three years, she wanders from port to port, catching ships when she can with the money Walter gave her. She can't speak any of the languages, but continues to ask about "London," and finally gets there with her son and Mamoud. She's weary and sick, but she and Walter are reunited.
My Rating: 5

Reviews for The Black Rose

Review - Black Rose, The

I struggled to get into this one, often putting it down and walking away. When I finally decided to push through the last 200 pages, it occurred to me that it was a rather silly book and I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. The whole idea of a stunningly beautiful young woman making her way from China to England with an infant and no knowledge of the language or customs of the places she went ... well, I don't believe it. Especially since she produced money whenever she needed it.

Reviewed by Roger on 2026-05-24 16:15:41

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