The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 9:00 AM
“Wealth means nothing at all if you do not know, to the last penny, what your fortune is. You might as well be poor if you do not know what you have.”
The Other Queen is Mary, Queen of Scots. The timeline for this novel of intrigue by Philippa Gregory is from 1568 to 1587, the years that Mary was held in England, and beheaded. Her sojourn begins as a courtesy provided by Queen Elizabeth First. Mary is granted sanctuary in England from Scotland, where she has been defeated by the Protestant Lords, who include John Knox. They are resolute that a Roman Catholic monarch will not sit upon the throne.
Gregory narrates events through the perceptions of three major players: the Earl of Shrewsbury, his wife, Bess, and Mary, Queen of Scots. By using multiple voices, that of Mary herself and both her caretakers, husband and wife, readers gain a peek into the complex nature of the events surrounding this turbulent time in British history.
Mary is portrayed as scheming and calculating. She constantly emphasizes her royalty and infallibility as God’s anointed queen and stresses her desire to be free. She is confident that Elizabeth would never have the audacity to execute her; she who is the queen of Scotland, the queen consort of France, and heir to the English throne. She believes so strongly that she may be in Elizabeth’s place that she feels no remorse in her plotting to dethrone her cousin. She has no hesitations about using her charm and sexuality to influence men to conspire against Elizabeth.
Earl of Shrewsbury, Queen Mary’s guardian, an honorable man true to Elizabeth his monarch, but who nonetheless becomes besotted with the beautiful, wily and youthful Queen Mary. He becomes her gallant, which creates a severe quarrel with his wife, Bess.
Bess’s story is intriguing. She is truly a self-made woman, unusual for those times when women of the nobility were owned by their men and told so in no uncertain terms.
It is easy to get caught up in the intrigues and double-crosses and to care for the characters. The decent George quietly becomes obsessed with the beautiful queen he is forced to hold in imprisonment. Bess hardens her heart as she watches her newlywed husband fall in love with Mary and spends their fortune on the queen’s upkeep. Mary desperately tries to liberate herself from her hardship, all the while keeping up her charming royal presence.
Philippe Gregory takes a different approach to write about an often-told story: the imprisonment of the deposed Mary Queen of Scots by her cousin Elizabeth I of England. Unfortunately for Mary, things did not work out for her. But Philippa’s novel has done a wonderful job of bringing her to life. Not as a helpless twit at the mercy of political machinations, but a young woman entrapped by birth and circumstances to spend most of her life as a prisoner, but never giving up on hope and the desire to free herself and rule her own country.
Anyone interested in history should find this fascinating. Although there are multiple interpretations of the accountability of Mary and all those involved with the many plots to restore her to the Scottish throne Gregory’s story is as plausible as any and more fascinating than most.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 9:09 AM
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 5:13 AM
“That’s the thing about death—even when you think someone is gone, glimpses of them remain in those they loved and left behind.”
“Next Year in Havana” by Chanel Cleeton is a beautifully written novel that spans 60 years in Havana, Cuba, and Miami, Florida. It is told in a dual timeline format, alternating between the late 1950s and the present day. Both storylines are equally interesting, and Chanel Cleeton artfully incorporates both the beauty and history of Cuba into her tale about courage in the face of family and loss.
The story begins in Havana in 1959, a time when many families fled Cuba and Fidel Castro. The Perez family is very wealthy because of their success in sugar plantations, and recent political troubles have forced them to leave Cuba to keep their family safe. Elisa Perez is 19 years old when her family leaves Havana for Miami, leaving behind a man she has fallen in love with and who happens to be a revolutionary.
We see Cuba through Elisa’s innocent eyes. From the rush of excitement meeting her first love and revolutionary, and her naivety of a reality facing Cuba outside her gilded walls, to her world crumbling as the political regime fails and her heartsick worry over an unknown future comes to fruition, the Cuba she knew is ending. The love for her family pulled her in one direction, while the love of a man fighting for his country pulled her in yet another, but it forced Elisa to see life past her safety bubble and realize how much more she offered... if she only took that first step.
Pablo, Elisa’s revolutionary love, fought for his convictions and was determined to free his countrymen from a dictator. Granted, we know Cuba traded one for another, but at the time, Castro seemed like a good choice to Pablo to help break free of Batista’s tyranny. Meeting Pablo changed Elisa’s life in many ways, some painful and some unexpectedly joyful, but I believe it changed Pablo too. He saw his fight in a different light because she gave him hope a better future existed, one he had never considered before.
With Pablo, Elisa also sees her home in a new light. For so long, she believed in what her parents believed in, but suddenly; she wonders if there’s more than meets the eye. What I respected and admired the most about Elisa, however, was how far she would go to protect her family and the sacrifices she took in doing so. As secrets of her life began pouring out at the end, my heart broke for her. Yes, her family held onto their wealth and status and she had an “easy” life, but she gave up so much in the process, her best friend, her first love, her home, etc. She was truly an amazing woman.
Fast forward to 2017 in Miami, Florida. Marisol Ferrera is the granddaughter of Elisa Perez, who has recently passed away. Elisa’s greatest wish was to return to Cuba, so Marisol travels to Havana to spread her grandmother’s ashes. Marisol has no idea when she arrives in Cuba that she will end up learning so much about her family’s history and get to witness firsthand the life Cubans live.
Marisol was also an interesting and loveable main character. It was interesting to see how her narrative shifted upon her arrival in Cuba. She’s grown up on the stories passed down from her great aunts and grandparents. However, as Marisol finds out, being in a country differs greatly from hearing about a country. In Cuba, she experiences a homecoming, a rebirth of sorts. She learns things about herself she never knew and sees her grandmother in a new light. She also experiences a love like never before – love that makes her risk everything. In most ways, she was like her grandmother, fearless, loving, a believer in the glass-half-full, not half-empty.
This book was an amazing read! Chanel Cleeton did her research and captures the romance and myth of old and new Cuba with so much passion. She conveys so much emotion in these characters... it was hard not to get sucked into their daily lives, even when you know what’s coming for Cuba. Passionate, riveting, heartbreaking, romantic, raw… Chanel Cleeton took a dark bit of history and brought it to light with characters full of hope and zest for a better chance at life. Without taking sides, Cleeton engenders sympathy for both groups and the hard choices that those individuals had to make when choosing which path to take. I look at Cuba with new eyes and a hefty dose of respect, for the struggles the people have overcome to survive.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 7:35 AM
“Let us drink to men with a taste for women. Men we can enjoy and use to our own ends.”
History was unkind to Marguerite de Valois, daughter of France’s queen Catherine de Medicis. It condemned her along with her violent family for the Saint Bartholomew Massacre. That event, which took place five days after Marguerite’s wedding to King Henri of Navarre, in August 1572, precipitated France’s Wars of Religion during which Catholics slaughtered thousands of Huguenots—Calvinist Protestants.
Marguerite de Valois is one of history’s shadowy figures who deserves to be brought into the light and given a voice of her own. In Sophie Perinot’s new historical novel, we discover a youthful woman with a determination as strong as her fierce mother’s, and a capability to matter in a way women often couldn’t during the 1500s.
Starting from her late childhood, we are introduced to Marguerite as she watches her mother, Catherine de Medicis, and her older brother, Charles, rule Catholic France with a steely hand. Marguerite dreams of the day she will be able to join the Court and fulfill her destiny to marry well, and when she is twelve, she is finally given the opportunity. Quickly making lifelong friends with two young women, and savoring in the adoration of both her brother the king, and her brother, the Duc de Anjou, Margot is the center of attention for everyone except her mother. Her eye falls on the young Duc de Lorraine and the two scheme ways to be together until everything comes crashing down and Margot finds herself back on the verges of her family, forced to do their bidding and marry where they say.
Not only is this 16th-century princess brought to life for us, but Perinot depicts the tragedy of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and provides an interesting story of how it came to pass. I was brought to tears by the poignancy of Margot’s romantic dreams being sacrificed for state reasons, and I found her subsequent pragmatic behavior understandable if less than inspiring--and yet Perinot is showing how Margot can remain true to her heart despite the realities of her surroundings, which is inspiring in its own right.
Perinot has done her research, and it shows in her grasp of characters and events. Marguerite is no shy, retiring flower, despite her lack of acknowledgment by other authors; she continually is shown to know her mind and manipulate events as best she can in a time when most women weren’t thought capable of such. Among the flamboyant figures of the day, Margot was able to carry on a love affair and save her husband’s life, despite her mother’s machinations. Not that everything she did was perfect or even heroic; Perinot captures the desperation of a young girl’s determination during a tumultuous period of her life and also in France’s history.
I was very impressed with Médicis Daughter. It has all the elements of fantastic historical fiction—court intrigue, family politics, love, and betrayals. I’ve read a bit about Catherine de Medicis, but never about Marguerite and her story fascinated me. Despite being brought up to always follow orders and being used as a pawn, she still had a conscious which drove her to do what she thought best. While I felt sorry for her throughout much of the novel, I ultimately admired her for her strength of character.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 9:18 AM
April Book Wrap Up
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 10:53 AM
Alexandra: The Last Tsarina by Carolly Erickson (✬✬✬✬)
This was an excellent read on Alexandra. This book stayed focused on the Tsarina herself and doesn’t stray too far from her even though the Tsarevich’s illness is addressed. This book explored her relationship within the court and the power struggles with her mother-in-law, the former Empress. Alexandra had her flaws to be sure but comes across as so human in this book.
The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra (✬✬)
This wasn’t a good read. The story lacked any kind of tension or conflict and was more like a list of events that just happened. No actual plot and too much reliance on fortunate coincidences or an overheard bit of gossip. To be honest, it was boring. The author goes into a lot of detail about the domestic life of the characters, but nothing interesting happens.
Black Seeds: SF Novelette by Stjepan Varesevac Cobets (✬✬✬✬✬)
This book is short and very engaging, full of detail, and provoking. Never boring, it grabs the reader’s attention from the first page until the end, with its enjoyable storyline, interesting viewpoints, some outstanding characters, and a believable ending.
I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far as he is extremely imaginative and a gifted storyteller and this book isn’t an exception, and I strongly recommend the book to those who are searching for an excellent sci-fi.
Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics by Eleanor Herman (✬✬✬✬✬)
“Sex with the Queen” is a delightful book. Author Eleanor Herman is skilled and starts with a powerful look at life as a European princess and understanding that such a life was hardly a rose garden for most of the women involved. After carefully providing the reader with a close and deeply fascinating look at daily royal life throughout Europe, she then works her way through the centuries with each chapter, bringing us delightful tales of the women who dared to find comfort and sex outside of marriage.
The Gifts Of Life by Oliver Smuhar (✬✬✬✬✬)
“The Gifts of Life” takes readers on a magical adventure. The storyline is unique, and the world author has made has been established through a lot of time, and with plenty of details, with strong fantasy plotline and elements, it’s a story of survival, discovering and learning how to work together to find freedom, friendship, and strength.
I find this book to be a fascinating read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence(✬✬✬✬)
Prince of Thorns is a unique reading experience. Most fantasy books focus on the brighter aspects of the human condition, such as our capacity to be epic heroes saving the innocent from harm or saving the world from some vague, ancient evil. This book, however, focuses on the grimmer, more realistic aspects of humanity. It took some time for me to get used to this style of dark fantasy, and for the first hundred pages, I was unsure if I even liked the book. But as I got deeper into the book and its twisted plot, my eyes were glued to the page and I was eager to find out what happens next.
Love in Idleness by Amanda Craig(✬✬)
On the surface, this story seems to have it all to make a highly appealing read. The setting is Italy, the cast of characters large and diverse, ranging from precocious children to rich, mean mother-in-law. The relationships shift, and love is explored. Yet it never lived up to my expectations. It took me forever to finish it; I was never fully drawn to the characters or the plot. Overall, I am sorry to say I was disappointed.
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah(✬✬✬✬)
Magic Hour was a fast read once I got started it was hard to put down. And the first half of the book was interesting. But I thought the main plot lines became pretty predictable. Still worth a read through.
The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald(✬✬)
This book was not as interesting as I thought it would be, the characters were not as exciting. The characters in the story were easy to relate to, but there could have been more drama, and more exciting things happening. The story is very boring at first, then towards the middle, there is a little excitement, but still not enough.
The Maiden of Mayfair by Lawana Blackwell (✬✬✬)
This novel definitely has its limitations: it’s slow in parts, the characters are pretty much stock characters, and there’s a fair amount of religious moralizing, which can get tedious. But if you like the sweet, old-fashioned tales and don’t mind occasional preachiness, this has its charming moments and might be worth a look.
The Steady Running of the Hour by Justin Go (✬✬)
I liked the concept of this book, but the writing style was hard to follow. He seemed all over the place in both plot and characters. I almost put it down a few times, but ended up finishing it. The ending was rather dull.
Juliet by Anne Fortier(✬✬)
I wanted to love this book. Historical fiction, mystery, romance. I kept trying to read even though I was incredibly bored. It seemed like the book just kept going and was getting nowhere. Every chapter sounding like the one I had just read and there wasn’t a single likable character. The end of the story was so silly that I was disappointed that I wasted my time trying to finish the book. I was very relieved when it was over so I could move on to something else.
An Evil Eye by Jason Goodwin(✬✬✬✬)
I enjoyed this book both for the wonderful depth of history that Jason Goodwin gives and the sense of change reflected in this pivotal moment in the Ottoman empire. Some may have been disappointed by the change of tone, but this reflects grief and the hush of an aging empire on the brink.
The May Bride by Suzannah Dunn(✬✬✬✬)
I found this book a good read - hard to put down. I have read a lot of the novels around Henry VIII and his wives and lovers. This book offered a different view. It was mainly set in Wolf Hall so not so much about court life but more about life outside of the court. I found the characters interesting, and well developed.
Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge by Eleanor Herman (✬✬✬✬✬)
Sex with Kings is an interesting look at history through the love affairs of many Kings and the influence many of their mistresses had over them and sometimes history itself. Highly educational yet fun to read, it’s a good look at how Royalty and Nobility across time and of various countries lived, loved and ruled, and the sometimes surprising women they took to their beds. Entertaining and fun!
An Italian Wife by Ann Hood (✬✬)
Too many characters and not enough follow through on each one. Josephine is the first principal character and the story abruptly moves to the next generation and leaves her behind as a very minor part of the story - she is in the room or as in the third's case generation she becomes a nasty old woman who makes a mean comment at family gatherings. These people struggle, yes, but I did not cheer for them, I did not feel for them - there wasn’t enough of each person to care about. And there were no moments of triumph that made the story worthwhile. This made the story tedious.
I liked the concept of this book, but the writing style was hard to follow. He seemed all over the place in both plot and characters. I almost put it down a few times, but ended up finishing it. The ending was rather dull.
Juliet by Anne Fortier(✬✬)
I wanted to love this book. Historical fiction, mystery, romance. I kept trying to read even though I was incredibly bored. It seemed like the book just kept going and was getting nowhere. Every chapter sounding like the one I had just read and there wasn’t a single likable character. The end of the story was so silly that I was disappointed that I wasted my time trying to finish the book. I was very relieved when it was over so I could move on to something else.
An Evil Eye by Jason Goodwin(✬✬✬✬)
I enjoyed this book both for the wonderful depth of history that Jason Goodwin gives and the sense of change reflected in this pivotal moment in the Ottoman empire. Some may have been disappointed by the change of tone, but this reflects grief and the hush of an aging empire on the brink.
The May Bride by Suzannah Dunn(✬✬✬✬)
I found this book a good read - hard to put down. I have read a lot of the novels around Henry VIII and his wives and lovers. This book offered a different view. It was mainly set in Wolf Hall so not so much about court life but more about life outside of the court. I found the characters interesting, and well developed.
Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge by Eleanor Herman (✬✬✬✬✬)
Sex with Kings is an interesting look at history through the love affairs of many Kings and the influence many of their mistresses had over them and sometimes history itself. Highly educational yet fun to read, it’s a good look at how Royalty and Nobility across time and of various countries lived, loved and ruled, and the sometimes surprising women they took to their beds. Entertaining and fun!
An Italian Wife by Ann Hood (✬✬)
Too many characters and not enough follow through on each one. Josephine is the first principal character and the story abruptly moves to the next generation and leaves her behind as a very minor part of the story - she is in the room or as in the third's case generation she becomes a nasty old woman who makes a mean comment at family gatherings. These people struggle, yes, but I did not cheer for them, I did not feel for them - there wasn’t enough of each person to care about. And there were no moments of triumph that made the story worthwhile. This made the story tedious.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 8:04 AM
