'The Pretender' centers on a real peasant who learns he is heir to England's throne

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: "The Pretender" by Jo Harkin

Episode Release Date: June 26, 2025
Host: Scott Simon
Guest: Jo Harkin, Author of The Pretender

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Introduction to "The Pretender"

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Scott Simon interviews Jo Harkin, the author of The Pretender, an enthralling historical fiction novel set in 15th-century England. The story revolves around John Colin, a ten-year-old peasant boy who discovers his true heritage as the rightful heir to England's throne. Harkin delves into the delicate balance of historical accuracy and creative storytelling, drawing inspiration from renowned historical novelist Hilary Mantel.

Plot Overview and Historical Context

Scott Simon begins the discussion by outlining the novel's premise: John Colin's ordinary life is upended when two nobles reveal that he is, in fact, Edward, Earl of Warwick, the legitimate son of the late George, Duke of Clarence. This revelation thrusts him into the dangerous political landscape of 1483 England, a time fraught with intrigue and treachery following the deaths of the princes in the Tower.

Scott Simon [02:02]: "The Pretender is a new novel from Joe Harkin, and it is drawn from history."

Harkin explains that the novel is inspired by the real historical figure Lambert Simnel, who was used as a figurehead in a pretender claim to the English throne. However, unlike the historical account where Simnel's true fate remains limited to being pardoned and serving in the kitchens, Harkin envisions a "second act" for her protagonist, granting him agency beyond the sparse historical records.

Jo Harkin [08:21]: "This is the thing, the real child. He's pardoned by King Henry... That's the end of him. We don't hear anything more about him. Yeah, that left me with just this huge space to kind of create a second act for him."

Creating Authenticity Through Research and Imagination

Harkin emphasizes her commitment to historical authenticity, aligning with Hilary Mantel's approach of adhering to documented facts while creatively filling in the gaps where history is silent.

Jo Harkin [04:48]: "I always follow Hilary Mantel, who was just such a huge inspiration. I obviously loved the Wolf Hall trilogy. And her basic approach was that if something was historical fact and it was on the record, then she would treat that as solid and then it was where there was a gap that she would fill in with her own invention."

Given the limited records on peasant life during the late 1400s, Harkin found ample opportunity to explore and expand upon John Colin's character and experiences, crafting a narrative that brings depth to a figure largely overlooked by history.

The Transformation of a Peasant into a King

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the protagonist's rapid education and adaptation to his newfound royal destiny. Harkin details the multifaceted training John undergoes to prepare for kingship, encompassing martial skills, literacy, and the cultural expectations of the time.

Jo Harkin [06:01]: "He suddenly has to catch up on all this education in quite a hurry. And this is kind of something I wanted to really show in the book, how he's not just shaped by his society and the environment around him, but how his culture has kind of gone into forming him as a person."

This intense preparation highlights the challenges of identity and personal growth, as John must reconcile his humble origins with his royal responsibilities.

A Glimpse into John Colin's Inner World

To illustrate the character's internal struggles, Harkin shares a poignant excerpt from the novel that captures John Colin's attempt to make sense of his transformed life.

Jo Harkin [06:59]:

"Little John played at a yea man a boy raised on a farm he went by the name of John Colan so to come him to no harm Though Johnny Colan was his name Twas Edward he went by first and Lambert he shortly after became to escape the old king's curse Riding along he thinks of his dad no Christmas with his brothers the two mothers that he never had Never smelled the rosemary in her hair."
(Timestamp: 06:59)

Scott Simon reflects on the sadness embedded in this passage, highlighting John's emotional turmoil as he departs his past for an uncertain future.

Scott Simon [07:40]: "There's something very sad about that, isn't there?"

Jo Harkin [07:43]: "Yeah, it's his. He's trying to fictionalize his life... he has mixed emotions, to say the least."

Historical Fate vs. Creative Liberty

Upon discussing the real-life fate of Lambert Simnel, Harkin reveals her creative decision to craft an alternative continuation for her protagonist, allowing readers to engage with "what could have been" beyond the historical record.

Jo Harkin [08:21]: "He might have been relieved that he didn't die on the battlefield... That left me with just this huge space to kind of create a second act for him."

This approach not only honors historical facts but also invites readers to explore the uncharted possibilities of John's life post-pardoning, adding depth and resonance to the narrative.

Conclusion

In The Pretender, Jo Harkin masterfully intertwines historical fact with imaginative storytelling, breathing new life into a nearly forgotten figure from England's tumultuous past. Through meticulous research and creative narrative techniques, Harkin offers a compelling exploration of identity, destiny, and the enduring quest for power. This episode of NPR's Book of the Day provides listeners with a rich understanding of the novel's themes and the author's dedication to honoring history while crafting a captivating story.

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Notable Quotes:

• "I just actually thought that this kid was a straight fake... So I actually had to retool the novel to kind of make way for this ambiguity."
  — Jo Harkin [03:30]

• "He has aspirations of becoming a writer himself and becomes a little bit disillusioned with this as the novel goes on."
  — Jo Harkin [06:59]

• "Ultimately, yeah. I found that there was a lot to fill in. And Simnel himself, he's barely a mention in these histories."
  — Jo Harkin [05:49]

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This summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, focusing on the discussion between Scott Simon and Jo Harkin about The Pretender. It highlights the novel's plot, historical background, the author's research and creative process, and key themes explored in the book, all while incorporating notable quotes with clear attribution and timestamps.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Jo Harkin is on the podcast today. She's the author of the Pretender. It's an historical fiction novel taking place in England in the 1400s, and it's about a peasant boy who becomes king. And in this interview with npr, Scott Simon, Harkin talks about how she comes from the school of Hilary Mantel, right. How it was important to write truthfully about the true things that did happen and then use the tool of fiction to fill in the gaps. The issue with writing about peasants, though, is that their history was rarely recorded. After the break, Harkin talks about how this book was an opportunity to give this real peasant child's life a second act. That's coming up.

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[Scott Simon]

They also be made or faked? It's 1483 and John Colin is 10 years old. His object in life is to rid his village of a demon goat that knocks him about until a stranger, well dressed, arrives and informs John that in fact, he is not the son of a farmer. He is the son of the late George, Duke of Clarence. John's real name is Edward, Earl of Warwick, and he is to be king. The Pretender is a new novel from Joe Harkin, and it is drawn from history. Joe Harkin joins us from Berkshire in the uk. Thanks so much for being with us.

[Jo Harkin]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Scott Simon]

Tell us about the people who show up one day. What do they say to him?

[Jo Harkin]

Yes. So these two nobles arrive and he thinks he's going to be sent off to have a tutor in Oxford, which is the nearest town to his little village. And he is shocked to learn that apparently he was swapped at birth by his father, the paranoid Duke of Clarence, who is the brother of King Edward IV and the brother of King Richard iii. And Richard III is the one on the throne at the time that the novel starts. So these nobles say, you are the last York. Hope you're a lost heir. We've come to get you. And now it's Time to go and reclaim your glorious destiny as the King of England. We just have to basically get Henry Tudor out of the way first. He's pretty terrified, but he goes off and. Yeah, to learn to be a king.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah, a dangerous job for a 10 year old because a lot of kings and would be kings and heirs were being slain in England at this point, weren't they?

[Jo Harkin]

Exactly. This is in the aftermath of the princes who were killed in the Tower. So England is still kind of rocked by these two deaths. And so for Jon Collan, for the story to be, oh, this is the real Earl of Warwick, this child was kind of an ongoing threat.

[Scott Simon]

How did they settle on this child? What made him so propitious for what they plotted?

[Jo Harkin]

Well, this is the interesting thing. It's based on a true story, which I sort of discovered by chance when I was reading a history book. The real child, Lambert Simnel, got barely more than a footnote. So when I first started with the novel, I just actually thought that this kid was a straight fake, that they had found someone with a passing resemblance to the Yorks or maybe a bastard, and they decided to just sort of groom him basically to be, you know, to impersonate this kid. And then when I was looking into the research, it turns out that his father, the Duke of Clarence, actually did try to swap him as a baby, because at this point he was basically scheming against his brother, the King Edward iv. He knew his life was in danger and it was. He was later executed. And somewhere along the line, he made an attempt to swap his infant son out for a peasant child, just to keep him safe. The story is that he didn't succeed. His two sort of retainers who confessed to being part of this scheme said that they hadn't actually managed to do it. But then I kind of thought, well, they would say that. So I actually had to retool the novel to kind of make way for this ambiguity. Like there was a possibility that his father succeeded and this kid was the real deal.

[Scott Simon]

When you're writing a novel, when do you have to leap from the research into your imagination?

[Jo Harkin]

So this one actually quite early on, I always follow Hilary Mantel, who was just such a huge inspiration. I obviously loved the Wolf hall trilogy. And her basic approach was that if something was historical fact and it was on the record, then she would treat that as solid and then it was where there was a gap that she would fill in with her own invention. And I thought that was a really great way to do it. I'm not really interested in writing alternate history. But then the problem with the time that I'm writing About the late 1400s, records are really patchy. And what you had at the time were the official chronicles, and those were basically the propaganda of whatever monarch was in power in whichever country they were from. So some of it was just hearsay and rumor. Ultimately, yeah. I found that there was a lot to fill in. And Simnel himself, he's barely a mention in these histories. The consensus is that he was a peasant, but no one knows who his family were, and peasants lives were generally unrecorded anyway.

[Scott Simon]

The people who take him from the farm feel that he needs to be educated as a. You know, if he's going to be a proper sovereign, what do they feel is important for him to know?

[Jo Harkin]

So as a young king and grooming sort of king to be at the time, you would be required to hunt with birds and with dogs as the. He'd obviously need to be good on the horse. He might need to be good at jousting, archery, sword fighting, as well as they were required to be well read. That was the expectation. So he suddenly has to catch up on all this education in quite a hurry. And this is kind of something I wanted to really show in the book, how he's not just shaped by his society and the environment around him, but how his culture has kind of gone into forming him as a person. It was obviously a challenge to sort of show that with a light touch rather than going into extensive tracts of medieval poetry, but I had to restrain myself with some of that.

[Scott Simon]

Well, I want you to read something, because he turns out to be, I think it's safe to say, gifted at language and writing and. Why don't we read something that he writes?

[Jo Harkin]

Sure, yeah. So he has aspirations of becoming a writer himself and becomes a little bit disillusioned with this as the novel goes on. But in his early years, this is one of his compositions and it's basically him trying to make sense of his life. And little John played at a yea man a boy raised on a farm he went by the name of John Colan so to come him to no harm Though Johnny Colan was his name Twas Edward he went by first and Lambert he shortly after became to escape the old king's curse Riding along he thinks of his dad no Christmas with his brothers the two mothers that he never had Never smelled the rosemary in her hair.

[Scott Simon]

There's something very sad about that, isn't there?

[Jo Harkin]

Yeah, it's his. He's trying to fictionalize his life. And this is at the moment where he's riding away from the farm to begin this bright future that also kind of horrifies him. So he's framing it as this fairy tale which. And it does fall into that kind of trope, but the reality is very different. And yeah, he has mixed emotions, to say the least.

[Scott Simon]

Of course, it's irresistible to do a little research ourselves to look up what happened to John Lambert Simnel. Not an unhappy life. Did he receive a certain kind of mercy.

[Jo Harkin]

This is the thing, the real child. He's pardoned by King Henry. After his attempt to take the throne fails, he gets set to work in the kitchens. Some accounts have it that he became a ladle washer, others that he was turning a spit. And he might have been relieved that he didn't die on the battlefield, which is obviously the risk that's uppermost in my character's mind throughout a lot of it. And that's the end of him. We don't hear anything more about him. Yeah, that left me with just this huge space to kind of create a second act for him. And I think that's sort of what interested me about his story almost as much as the known facts, which are pretty crazy. But the idea that he could then go on to have this second existence where possibly he has a little more agency than the first time around.

[Scott Simon]

Joe Harkin's new novel, the Pretender. Thank you so much for being with us.

[Jo Harkin]

Thank you so much for having me. It's been a real pleasure.

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