The Sister Queens

I had to put this book on hold at the library- I heard about it coming out through an author friend on Facebook.  Michelle Moran was one of the reviewers of this book, in fact it's on the front of the book.  Once I heard about it I knew I had to read it.  Sophie Perinot writes about two sisters raised by their father the Count of Provence.  Both were destined for great marriages and Marguerite, the eldest, is to marry the King of France at only age 13.  Louis IX is very handsome and considered the greatest monarch of his age.  A few years later Eleanor is married off to Henry III, King of England.  The book follows the sisters as they are separated from each other but keep in touch with letters.

Marguerite is quite happy at first with her handsome husband, but soon his overbearing mother Blanche of Castile gets in the way of them being together often.  She soon realizes as well that Louis is extremely pious, and getting more so as time passes.  He eventually quits giving her the love and companionship that they had at the beginning of their marriages, and she finds herself lonely and unhappy.  Sent away from her family at such a young age, she was not able to keep her own ladies with her either.  It takes several years for her to have a child, and eventually they have 8 children together.  3 of them are born in the Holy Land while they are there on Crusade for several years- parted from her eldest children.  It is during this time Marguerite begins an affair with one of her husband's favorite men, Jean de Joinville the Seneschal of Champagne.  As Jean is the king's favorite, he is often nearby and so at first it is easy to meet together secretly, because it's common for them to be together.

The King seems to suspect the affair but never openly does anything other than make some religious remarks and mild threats.  Eventually to keep her children safe, Marguerite stops the affair and they remain friends. The family she came from, the Savoyards, were celebrities in the High Middle Ages, known for their martial and political powers.  Their mother was related to the House of Savoy and had many powerful and handsome brothers.  They tried to travel with Marguerite when she married but were sent away.  Marguerite became a powerful woman through the advice of her uncles through letters and her own powers.  One of her sisters Beatrice is married to a relation of Louis's to keep him loyal, so she does have family with her, although not her favorite, Eleanor.  The two sisters keep in close contact through letters, only having a split in communication when their father passes away leaving everything to Beatrice, his favorite.  The living at Flamstead becomes an issue when her dowry will not be paid, so Marguerite works quickly to secure some lands for herself and marries Beatrice to Charles d'Anjou.  Although he is detestable they need his loyalty.  When Eleanor hears of this she feels betrayed for her sister and they do not write for some time. 

The siege of Damietta is a difficult time for Marguerite- the King had failed in his mission with the infidels against the Sultan of Aleppo; many of his men were captured or killed. The King himself was captured and many months went by without word of who survived.  Marguerite had to pay a heavy fine to have him released.  He seemed a changed man after this, becoming more emaciated and religiously obsessed.  At times he seemed to come back to Marguerite and paid her some attention, but then he went back to wearing his hair shirt, flogged himself and imposed strict punishments for petty mistakes or crimes.  She found herself not only out of love with her husband, but also a little scared of his devotion.  After being in Egypt and Jerusalem so long, she worries her three children back home have forgotten her.  During their time away, the Queen Mother passes away.  Eventually after 20 years of being parted, the sisters meet again for Christmas court.  The two sisters work together on a treaty between France and England, a treaty that was signed in 1259 and would see France and England as allies and not enemies.  The book does not cover the rest of the sister's long lives, but it seems they were quite productive and politically savvy.

Eleanor is passionate, strong willed and stubborn- as children she was often quite jealous of Marguerite and could fall into a rage easily.  She is to become Queen of England and when she meets Henry, he is older and not so handsome as she had hoped.  She met her sister's husband Louis and found him to be quite more attractive and younger.  The rivalry still existed in her mind at who was better at what.  Although it seems mismatched, they are quite happy together and he treats her very well.  She discovers over time though that he is not a very good King.  Where one sister is unhappy but has a great King for a husband, the other has true love but not the greatest King.  Eleanor ends up learning a lot from her uncles in how to help her husband rule.  She has a baby before her sister Marguerite and ends up having six or so.  Her sister Sanchia comes to her court and weds so she also has a sister nearby. In 1253 she is appointed regent while Henry travels to Gascony.  This was most unusual and shows how he truly loved and trusted in her abilities.  Eleanor's mother later complements her for being a wonderful mother and great leader.

I felt like Marguerite was written about more so perhaps that's why I wrote about her more or the fact I found her more interesting.  The letters from the sisters in the book are not actual letters but the author's idea of what they wrote to each other.  I find it interesting to read about their relationship, as sister relationships can often be quite complicated.  Just like Anne and Mary Boleyn were quite complicated, these two sisters seemed able to forge a respect and lively friendship throughout their lives.  I am interested to read about the rest of their lives.  Perhaps I was more interested in Marguerite's story because she saw more action on Crusade and was so unhappy with her husband.  It is interesting how neither sister could have both the handsome looks and a good King.  I believe Eleanor sounded more truly happy, especially as she did not sin and put her immortal soul in danger like she believes her sister did. 

The Stolen Crown

The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham was a good book and an interesting read.  It follows Katherine Woodville at the time of King Edward IV's reign and his secret marriage to her sister Bess Woodville.  I have blogged in other posts about Edward IV and Richard III if you need some background history.  I like when the author writes the book from the point of view of someone we are not as familiar with.  Katherine, or Kate, was the youngest of the Woodville children when her oldest sister was secretly married to the King.  Once it was made public many were surprised and even angry at the match as she was a virtual nobody, a widow with 2 children.  The family's star was soon on the rise as they moved to Court with Bess, the new Queen.

Kate was betrothed at married at age 9 to Harry, the Duke of Buckingham.  He was related to the Beauforts and Somersets, both who had served the previous deposed King mad Henry.  In the summer of 1460 the Earl of Warwick known as the Kingmaker and Ned, soon to be King, had taken the mad King and placed him in the Tower and was himself crowned as King.  It was about 4 years later that the King secretly married Bess her sister.  Her sister soon had given him three daughters in quick succession when there was an uprising in the land.  Warwick was angry at all the Woodvilles and how they had prospered so quickly because of their sister's marriage to the King.  He worked to put mad King Henry back on the throne, only to engage in battle with King Edward and lost.  When King Edward returned to his wife and children, who had sequestered themselves in an abbey during the tumult, he met his first son little Edward.  Soon things were put back to rest somewhat and mad King Henry was placed back in the Tower.  Not long after rumors spread that he had passed away, and some wondered quietly if the King had hastened his death.  Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, was killed during the battle.  During this battle Warwick had ordered the deaths of Kate's father and brother John, so she gloated a little over the fact he was now dead himself.

Soon word arrived in London that Margaret of Anjou had landed in England when hearing the news of Warwick's defeat (her husband was the mad King Henry, now deceased).  Harry's uncle, Edmund Beaufort, led her army against King Edward's forces.  During the battle, John Beaufort along with the prince Edward of Lancaster, lay dead on the battlefield- the last of the Lancaster hope now destroyed.  Harry's uncle was put to death as well for aiding the wrong side.  After the battle, Margaret of Anjou was housed and imprisoned.  Harry had been a ward of the crown for a long time, but his loyalties were questioned on occasion because his entire family had been on the Lancaster side.  As his wife Kate was sister to the Queen, he had to serve King Edward faithfully while knowing that doing so, his mother's brothers were being killed.

As Kate grew to be a bit older, Harry and her became a true husband and wife.  They still lived at Court for a time, waiting for some of Harry's lands or jointures to be granted them.  He was never given military assignments because of his inexperience, and his impertinence sometimes led to the King being angry with him.  He was said to have a loud mouth.  Harry was good friends with Richard, the King's brother.  Kate was not fond of him and knew he didn't like the Woodville clan as many others.  The King had another brother, George, who joined with Warwick on occasion to overthrow him and plotted treason.  After so many incidents, the King finally had to order his death.  Living at Court, Kate was surrounded by all the intrigue and drama of the day.  Harry was soon granted some of his Bohun lands and they moved there together to start their family. 

As 1483 approached, the King was sitting nicely on his throne.  His trouble-making brother George was dead, Margaret of Anjou had passed away, Jasper Tudor and Henry were exiled in Brittany, and the Scots weren't too much trouble to maintain.  Quite suddenly, the King had passed away from a chill, he was only in his forties.  This is when things began to unravel quite quickly.  Richard, the King's brother, was to serve as protectorate to the young King Edward until he came to his majority, and would then rule himself.  A letter was received by Harry and Richard that the Queen was planning for her own kin to rule beside her son.  Harry and Richard felt they deserved it and so started working hastily to figure out what to do next.  They had Anthony Woodville, Kate's brother, imprisoned.  When she heard of this she was greatly upset her own husband would have a hand in this.  It seemed he had become Richard's creature.  Harry was made the chief justice and chamberlain of North and South Wales and constable of many castles.  His rise was meteoric and swift, since the late King Edward had been slow to grant him anything.

Soon Richard was grasping at straws and either heard or started a rumor that his brother, the late King Edward, had been a bastard.  Also that he may have been precontracted to another woman before the Queen, so his children were therefore bastards as well.  Now it was no longer about just taking the protectorate it was about taking the throne from his nephew.  The young King was never coronated and was put in the Tower.  The Queen took her children into sanctuary once again, and after many demands, released up her other son to be a companion to his brother in the Tower.  What no one expected was that the two boys would eventually just disappear.  Still to this day no one knows when or how they were killed or died.  Of course Richard was blamed along with Harry.  As things moved forward swiftly and men were put to death, including Anne's brother, she no longer felt like she knew her husband Harry.  After Richard's coronation, Kate stayed away from Court and away from Harry.  She joined her sister and her children in house arrest in the country.  Bess's two eldest daughters, Elizabeth and Cecily, went to Court.

The King's son passed away, and many felt it just treatment for killing his two nephews as well as many others.  Soon the Queen Anne passed away from a long illness, leaving him free to marry again.  Rumors spread that he wished to marry his niece Elizabeth, even though he had had her declared a bastard.  Along the way, Harry changed his mind about serving Richard.  He started to work with his aunt Margaret Beaufort to put her son Henry Tudor on the throne.  When word get out that he had turned traitor, it wasn't long before he was caught, put on trial, and beheaded.  Kate was now a widow along with her sister, imprisoned with all of their children waiting for the tides to turn.  Although King Richard did some good, his path to the throne had been bathed in blood.

Suddenly, the tides did turn.  Kate's two older brothers, still alive, came happily to visit her and Bess.  "Richard, Duke of Gloucester, usurper and murderer of innocents, late calling himself king of England, was slain in Leicestershire.  Long life to your new king.  King Henry!"  (page 350)
Kate met the new King and soon married Jasper Tudor his uncle.  Eventually the King married her niece Elizabeth Woodwillve.  Soon she was the last surviving Woodville, and her husband Jasper had passed away.  She went on to marry Richard Wingfield without royal license, and less than fourteen months later passed away at age 39.

Henry VII died in 1509, outliving his queen.  Their first son Arthur died in 1502, and their other son Henry became King Henry VIII.  There is so much plot to this book it is really hard to review it all.  As well as the lineage and genealogy of all the Yorks and Lancasters, etc.  I probably just added more confusion so I tried to only write about those main characters.  It was interesting to wonder if Kate ever loved Harry and if they were happy together.  What made him change his mind about serving Richard, was it because he believed he had killed his nephews?  And also, did Richard really have a hand in his nephew's deaths?

At The Mercy Of The Queen

This book caught my eye when I was at Barnes & Noble so I put it on hold at the library.  As always, anything from The Tudor period and Anne Boleyn fascinates me.  The author Anne Clinard Barnhill focused the novel on Anne Boleyn and her tumultuous reign as Queen.  She writes mainly from the viewpoint of Margaret Shelton, Anne's cousin.  She has appeared in other Tudor novels but she was quite prevalent in this one.  I like that the author chose to write about Margaret because not much has been written about her, other than the fact she served Queen Anne and was her cousin.  Even though I am fascinated by the Tudor period, it seemed there were no other viewpoints or details to cover. 

The author is related to the Sheltons and so took a special interest in Margaret Shelton.  I like that this book introduces a new voice with a new perspective.  Anne Boleyn is always fascinating to me, complex and controversial.  I don't know that I would like her in person, but she continues to fascinate readers centuries later.  Margaret serves Anne and so is privy to many of her private emotions and moments.  The novel shows a softer, sweeter side to Anne that many probably didn't see in her time.  She had to remain strong and passionate to keep the King and impress the courtiers.  After having Elizabeth, she lost two little boys in miscarriages and was never quite able to bring the King back to her affections.  Margaret is there to comfort and care for Anne during these hard times, when she begins to be abandoned. 

The King, also a complicated character, never the faithful one begins to fall for Jane Seymour.  This is where I believe Anne's fall began in earnest.  The King liked the thrill of the hunt but quickly tired of the woman after.  Anne was able to hold him a bit longer than most, but because of her inability to produce a male heir after everything the King had done to make her Queen (put aside his first wife Catherine and the new religion), his fuse was shorter.  He was no longer young and did not have the time to wait.  This worked against Anne as well as her own temper.  After suffering the loss of two children and knowing she was in danger, her temper flared more often and she was often railing at the King and getting mad instead of being sweet.  Unlike his first wife Catherine and Jane Seymour, Anne was willful and strong.  The passion the King fell in love with now was his annoyance and her downfall.  It was only time before Anne was to be put aside.

I found myself actually having sympathy for Anne even after her controversial rise at Court, because here she is basically abandoned at Court, her daughter far from her, with no one but her cousin to care for her.  She had to watch as the King fell in love with another woman and powerless to do anything.  Because of the King's age and declining health and weight gain, he wasn't able to be intimate as easily.  With all this working against Anne, who was of course blamed, the King's secretary began to find ways to get rid of her for the King.  So that he could remarry.  Anne was deeply religious which may be surprsiing, but she was opposed to the King's closing of the abbeys and monasteries and using the money for his treasury.  She often argued with him and Cromwell that they should use it for the poor, or at least keep the good ones still open.  Her passion for this worked agaisnt her as well and is what led to her friendship with Cromwell coming to an end.

She was soon brought before the Court, charged with treason and adultery on several counts.  Margaret asked the King to serve the Queen in her last weeks and he let her.  I don't know if this was indeed a fact, I've heard several names of ladies that stayed with her until the very end.  Not all were her supporters either.  The men that were accused with her were put to death, including her own brother.  Anne left the world bravely, dignified and poised.  The King extended one last service to her and ordered for a French swordsman to do the deed as it would be less painful and messy.  Margaret goes on to marry and have several children away from Court, keeping the memories of the Queen close to her heart.  You also feel for Margaret in this book, because the Queen asks of her a favor.  In between her miscarriages, while the Queen is still trying to gain back the King's love and favor, she asks Margaret or Madge her nickname, to sleep with the king for her.  The Queen believed she had more control this way by putting her own kin before the King, someone she could trust and that could possibly tell the King good things about her.  This is the main thing Margaret is known for in history, is her affair with the King.  Some still conjecture whether Anne put her up to it or not- it would seem to make sense if the two had a good relationship and were trying to help one another.

My conclusion is that this book was very entertaining, interesting and provided a refreshing outlook.  Of course it has sexual scenes and references, but overall I recommend it for history lovers.

The Heretic Queen

It has been almost three months since I lost blogged, life has been so crazy I haven't read anything until the last week or so.  When I don't have time to read I really feel like something is missing from my life.  I love to read.  I'm sure i'll have another big gap until the next post because I am having a little girl in less than 6 weeks.  So please be patient for those that follow my blog, which I hope there are at least a few.

I chose to blog about The Heretic Queen since I just re-read it and love it.  I did blog about it once before but only a short paragraph.  This is the sequel to Nefertiti which is also a fabulous book.  It is 1283 B.C. in Thebes known as Upper Egypt.  I will briefly tell you what happened before this time- Nefertiti and her husband Akhenaten ruled Egypt and removed the gods that had been worshipped for over a thousand years, and in its place raised up the deity Aten (the sun) in its place.  They built their own city and were deemed heretical because of their policies and beliefs.  Akhenaten died of the plague and Nefertit was later stabbed to death by some priests.  Nefertiti's daughter Tutankhamun reigned until she died of an infection at age 19, and her grandfather Ay took the throne.  He passed away a few years later, with only one last link to the royal family, Nefertiti's sister Mutnodjmet.  Not one to want the crown, the general Horemheb took her as wife by force (we assume although there is no evidence).  Mutnodjmet passed away in childbirth and Horemheb passed the throne to his general, Ramesses I.  This began the Ninteenth Dynasty.  Ramasses was old when he began and the crown then passed on his death to his son, Paroah Seti.

All that remains of Nefertit's family line is the daughter of Mutnodjmet, Nefertari.  She is an orphan alone in the court of Seti, branded a heretic herself because of her family.  Nefertari is not for sure related to Nefertiti, but because of her age it could be possible.  She was a princess at court and was taken care of by her nurse Merit, who had also been with her mother and lived during the heretic's reign.  Nefertari was best friends with Ramasses, the prince, and Asha, son of a general.  She was very bright in school and knew over six languages, proficient in cuneiform and heiroglyphics.  When the time came for Ramasses to wed and start ruling as coregent in the Audience Chamber with his parents; Nefertari was devestated that her lifelong friend would no longer be with her in school.  Ramasses was wed to Iset, the daughter of a harem wife.  Many were surprised at his choice of wife, but the sister of Parahoah Seti, Henuttawy, had used her influence to push the marriage forward.  Soon Asha left as well to begin training as a soldier and Nefertari was left friendless at school.  Pharoah Seti's other sister, Woserit a high priestess, took aside Nefertari to begin telling her what her options were.  With no family if she did not marry Ramasses and eventually become Chief Wife as was her destiny, she would end up a priestess or even worse, abandoned in a harem somewhere.

At only age 13 she began to realize she needed to take a hand in shaping her destiny.  She needed to make Ramasses see that she was not just his little friend or sister, but a woman.  Taking Woserit's advice, she left the school to join Woswerit at the Temple of Hathor to become a priestess for at least a year.  Iset had already taken over her chambers and many at court had snubbed her aside as a useless princess from a heretical family.  Over the year she was with Woserit, she was not allowed to see Ramasses and was schooled in more languages, the harp and courtly manners.  When she returned to court for the Feast of Wag, Ramasses was very happy to see her.  She had grown more beautiful and wise and he had missed her greatly.  He desired for her to be his wife and soon proclaimed to the court, with his father's permission who adored Nefertari, that they would be wed.  The day after their wedding, Pharoh Seti and his queen Tuya set off for Lower Egypt because it was time for Ramasses to rule Upper Egypt alone since he was 18.

Nefertari joined Ramasses and Iset in the Audience Chamber, and soon earned the respect and admiration of many courtiers and petitioners.  With her skill in languages she was able to take most of the harder petitions and was useful to Ramasses.  Her came to her every night, even when it was his time to be with Iset, for her to interpret letters for him.  Iset was very beautiful but not very bright and complained often.  It became clear who was the favorite although many still called her the Heretic.  Iset lost her first son and many at court began complaining that it was Nefertari who had taken her baby's life.  She had to constantly battle the judgements of the people and try to prove herself.  Even after giving birth to twin boys, the people were still hesitant towards her.  Nefertari joined Ramasses during his crusade of the Nubian rebellion.  Soon people cheered her as the Warrior Queen for her bravery.  Now she was not only useful in the Audience Chamber but also in battles.  The Nile was very low and drought was spreading- again the people began blaming Nefertari.  Fortunately a solution was found and the rice from the temples was distributed to the people.

Pharoah Seti passed away shortly after they arrived at Lower Egypt and it was said his heart was too weak.  Nefertari overheard Henuttawy whispering with Iset about the poison they had given him to drink to hasten his death. With him out of the way they were hoping that Ramasses would finally decide and make Iset Chief Wife.  A few months after pharaoh's passing, the court moved into Lower Egypt known as Avaris.  Pharoah Ramasses decided to keep his father's last wish and go to war with Kadesh.  Nefertari and her sons joined Pharoah Ramasses on his war against Kadesh, along with Merit her nurse and Iset and her son.  Instead of ending in victory it ended in a peace treaty- the document still survives in the United Nations building in New York as an example of one of the earliest peace treaties.  Ramasses made Nefertari Chief Wife and they ruled together for over 25 years before her death.  Theirs was known as a love match and on the wall in her burial chamber, which is one of the most exquisite tombs to survive today, reads:
"My love is unique and none can rival her...Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart." 

Hennutawy was finally found out that she had hastened Pharoah Seti's death with poison, and her lover Rahotep the high priest stabbed her to death.  He was Iset's father and also the one that had killed Nefertiti and started the fire that killed the rest of the family.  Merit, the nurse, had known all along but kept it secret until the time was right.  Rahotep was killed for his crimes.  Woserit was finally free to marry her love Paser, the tutor, now that her evil sister was gone.  The serpents in the court were finally gone, where Ramasses could rule with Nefertari and their children.  Because Ramasses outlived most his children and lived into his nineties, generations grew up and died only having known him as Pharoah.  Ramasses is remembered as a great warrior and builder, and poems still survive of his love to Nefertari.  She bore him six children but none lived long enough to become Pharoah- in fact, Iset's son Merenptah succeeded after his death. 

I like this book because of the rich historical detail, the people, the story mingled with fact and fiction, the drama.  You feel happy for Nefertari because she overcomes her family's dark past and is made Chief Wife to the man she loves.  She was able to build a temple to her family where they would be remembered for all time.  Again, her paternity is not definite but it is possible she came from Nefertit's family.  An interesting thing is that after the Heretic's reign, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, the general Horemheb had all their images and their city destroyed so the gods or people wouldn't remember them.  So Nefertari believed unless she became Chief Wife, the gods would not remember her family.  If a person was buried without any kind of token identifying them, it was believed they would be cast out and forgotten by the gods after this life.  With important deeds and works they would be remembered and stand out to the gods.  That is why their images were drawn everywhere possible so they could be remembered.  I recommend this book because it's so interesting and rich in detail.

Queen By Right

Anne Easter Smith has written three other novels that I think I have already blogged about.  Queen By Right was published this year and I only knew it was out because I saw it at Barnes & Noble.  This book was about Cecily Neville, who I was interested to read about as she appeared a little bit in previous books about Jacquetta, King Henry and Margaret of Anjou.  Cecily became betrothed at age 8 to Richard, the son of Richard, Earl of Cambridge.  His father could claim the throne from both sides of his family line- it gets a little messy and confusing so I won't go into too many details.  But should King Henry VI die, Richard was next in line for the succession. (his mother had a claim from Edward III's 2nd surviving son).  His father was killed for treason in a plot to put his wife's brother on the throne.  All throughout Richard's life, he would have to deal with the fact he was the son of a traitor.  People constantly checked to make sure that he knew his place, and was loyal to the king.

The king was young when his father and grandfather died, leaving his mother Catherine of Valois, to watch over him and his councillors.  He grew up to marry Margaret of Anjou, and became unfit to rule later in life.  His wife, the queen, became powerful and tried to take control for their son instead of finding peace.  The main characters, Cecily and Richard, were raised together in the same household, as Richard was a ward of her parents.  Through the years of childhood they became friends before marriage.  Their marriage was said to be a love match, and they had 13 children together.  Cecily became a duchess when she married Richard, and as such her position demanded much from her.  As a little girl she was often out riding and hunting with the other men, wearing breeches like a boy, and always spoke her mind.  Time tempered her tongue and she became known as Proud Cis.  Together in their marriage, they faced personal tragedies as a few of their children die at young ages; they were a part of huge events in history, and soon political intrigue.  Cecily was always aware her husband had a better claim to the throne than the current king through his mother, as the 2nd surviving son; whereas the king's claim was through the 3rd surviving son of Edward III.  Despite that, they were always loyal and served him well.  Through Richard's various positions he grew in power:  constable of England, Guardian of the Coast of Normandy, and then Regent of France. 

In these positions he was required to pay and host a great army and many employees- the King did not often pay him enough or pay back his debts.  The King and his wife seemed to only favor those closest to them, and Richard became angry at the treatment.  Before the King and queen produced an heir, which took many years, Richard tried time and time again to be named heir.  The royal couple favored Somerset, an odious man who take advantage and who many hated.  There was kind of a tug of war between Somerset and York- when the King was around Somerset was in favor and York was not, but when the King went into some kind of stupor, York was again in favor while Somerset was imprisoned.  Once the King and queen produced an heir, a boy, York desired to be named his Protector while the king was unwell.  The Queen demanded she be named regent until her husband was well again, and she constantly opposed York in all ways.  Cecily was there to support her husband, while trying to also be loyal to the king.  When it became more and more obvious the king was unfit and his wife not fit to rule, York again had support to march forward.  York was able to make a treaty with the King that during his lifetime he or his sons would not be molested, and upon the king's death, York and his sons would be next in line for the throne.  The King had put aside his own son in favor for York.

Queen Margaret was busy putting an army together, as she did not agree with this arrangement.  I have written about her in a previous post; she became known as the she-wolf.  Many even said her son was not the King's, but Somerset's.  In the Battle of Towton, Richard and one of his sons was killed.  The people had gone against the treaty the King and York had made, that it was treason to harm York or any of his sons, and so, when Margaret tried to re-enter England, the way was barred to her and her son.  The people turned their backs on her, and York's son Edward was crowned King.  Cecily became mother to the King of England, a widow, and was the monarch and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day.  I liked reading about her, another powerful woman in history.  It was said she was enemies with Jacquetta of Bedford, so it's interesting that later they were in laws when Cecily's son Edward marries her daughter Elizabeth Woodville.  If you find any of this confusing, it is always easier to somehow tie events and people together.  I have written other posts about King Edward, and then his brother Richard III who was said to have killed and imprisoned his own two nephews, and then the Tudor line begins with King Henry VII.  Many powerful women were intertwined in these stories during this time:  Jacquetta of Bedford (mother of Elizabeth Woodville who becomes Queen), Cecily Neville (mother of King Edward), and Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry Tudor).  As I try to tie in all the pieces it does flow more smoothly.  Anne Easter Smith's other books would be good to read in order following this one.

Cecily of York lived to be past 80, long enough to see her granddaughter, Edward's eldest child Elizabeth of York, marry Henry VII, the first Tudor king.  Then they had Henry VIII, and his daughter was Queen Elizabeth, and so on down to our own Queen Elizabeth today.  Cecily is the ancestor of them all.  Not many question that Cecily and Richard did in fact have a love match and were happy, which was a rare thing back then.  I recommend this book as a starting point if you want to learn about the Hundred Years War, the Wars of the Roses.  Then continue from there to read the rest of Anne Easter Smith's books.  I hope I helped clarify a little bit more who was who.

The Queen's Soprano

I came across this book by happenstance when searching period books on the library website. Since it had Queen in the title, I figured why not try it out. Overall, I am not sure if I would recommend it but it was an interesting read. It follows Angelica Voglia (true story) and her family in the 1600's in Rome. During this time, the pope had forbidden that women could sing in public. If they wanted to, they had to enter a convent. He thought it was not proper as it stirred men to odd behaviors, or to do things they could not control. He blamed the woman, obviously (smirk). In parts of Rome there was one who defied the pope, Queen Christina. She ruled over parts of Rome, and openly encouraged women to enter her court and sing. Angelica often thought longingly of going to court to sing, because she was reduced to singing at home behind closed shutters.

Her mother was very ambitious for her, and worked tirelessly to marry her off to a wealthy nobleman. Soon her singing spreads through the city and many praise her talents, while others including the pope call her voice the devil's breath. She is invited to sing at Queen Christina's court, and is there praised even more. Soon many suitors line their door to court her, and her mother is beside herself with joy. Angelica has glimpsed a Frenchman out her window who works nearby, and has fallen in love with him by face. A maid that works for the family, Bianca, agrees to deliver notes to him. They begin a correspondence, and he often sits under her window to listen to her sing. Soon she can think of no one else but him, Theodon. Bianca brings her drawings and notes from him and she pines after him while being forced to entertain different suitors. Most are old, overweight and unsavory in different ways. Her mother only sees the dollar signs. While her mother is busy arranging her marriage to the Duke of Mantua, Angelica seeks to find a way out of her predicament.

Soon rumors spread that she is in love with a Frenchman, a poor artist, and her mother is very upset at her. Soon the whole town is discussing her and this Frenchman and her reputation seems to be ruined. Her mother, along with Father Zachary; a family friend, decide to send her to a convent for awhile until things settled down. While there she learned that Theodon had left, and she worried for him. She also discovered that Father Zachary was her real father; when her mother was in a convent they had had her, and then her mother met her father. Angelica now knew why Father Zachary always seemed so anxious to help promote her voice, and seemed to pay for everything as well. Now it all made sense. Her mother came to retrieve her and her sister from the convent, telling them he had passed away. Angelica quietly mourned him, because her other siblings did not seem to know.

As preparations continued for her wedding, she decided that in order to have a chance with Theodon she must find a way out. She decides to enter Queen Christina's court as a singer, and leaves her family behind. The Count takes his anger out on her family and cuts off her brother's ear and takes her dowry money. Her mother is furious and won't speak to her. While she lives at court and tries to get used to her new life, she often sends her family letters hoping they will visit her. As time passes at court, she becomes the queen's main soprano and confidante. The pope works tirelessly to change the Queen's ways, and reprimands her for her ways. Theodon returns from the battle in the French quarter, and comes to court her. He is much changed from months of illness and fatigue. She finds herself not as happy with him as she had hoped. Soon the pope's army is ready to attack the queen's, and many of her court flee to save themselves. While things come to a head, several events happen all in a short space of time.

Angelica's mother finally comes to visit her, but only to bring a cardinal there to seduce her and ruin her reputation. While recovering from the abuse, which she had been saved at the last moment, the Queen is also dying as the pope's army lies in wait. Theodon decides to marry someone else, impatient to keep waiting for Angelica. As her life seems to tear apart, she tries to decide what to do once again. A mother who had betrayed her, jealous of her life at court, and angry at her decisions. She can't talk to her family, Theodon has left her, and soon the Queen will be gone leaving the Queen's singers open for attack by the pope. Once again, she finds a way to escape at the last moment. Upon the Queen's death bed, she seems to make amends with the pope as he gives her last rites. She decides to send Angelica to a convent, deeming it best to keep her safe that way. The pope was convinced the attack on her was because her voice had driven men mad. Crazy.

Through friends at court, Angelica travels heavily veiled to Madrid. To escape the pope and his convent, she was no longer safe in Rome. Too many people knew of her disgrace, and her voice. She had to leave. Angelica served the duchess and her children at the Spanish ambassador's palace, and before leaving she tried to see her family one last time. Her mother recognized her but would not see her or apologize. Many said she had gone mad. The story ends there, and I was a little at a loss to find a happy ending to the story. Her life seemed so full of promise, to be taken advantage of by her own mother, and then having to flee the pope on the death of a true friend, the Queen. It is amazing to me how ignorant the pope was and how everything was blamed on women. I don't know how her story ends, of if it is happy. The author might have put an epilogue in there to make me feel better. Most of the story is true according to the author. I don't recommend just because it seemed to end abruptly for me. Maybe there will be another book to follow it. Overall, interesting read, but not quite provoking enough for me.

The Queen's Handmaiden

The Queen's Handmaiden by Jennifer Ashley was good, a story mostly familiar already to me. It is about Elizabeth and her governess Kat Ashley in the early years of Elizabeth's life when she was without a mother and had been declared a bastard. Kat basically raised her from a young age, through the years of being a ward of the queen Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife) and her husband Thomas Seymour. She was with her through the scandal while Thomas Seymour tried to court her under his own wife's nose and Kat's, and was then sent elsewhere to live. She raised her through her brother Edward's short reign, and then her sister Mary's rise to the throne after a tumultuous and short reign by their cousin Jane Grey. Kat was there for her through everything, basically her mother.

Kat Ashley is a person I've read about, but this book introduces a niece of hers named Eloise Roussell. She was to live with Kat because her mother's new husband did not want children around. Kat raised both girls and taught Eloise how to be useful and sew. She was soon a very talented seamstress and made most of Elizabeth's clothes. Kat and Eloise were with her through her many tempers, moods, and the tumultuous years of Mary's reign. Kat was sent to the Tower for a time to be questioned for Elizabeth's behavior- Queen Mary believed her half sister Elizabeth to have been part of a plot of Wyatt to overthrow Mary from the throne. Many in England were not happy when Mary took the throne and turned things back to Catholicism and the pope. She was soon burning many people for heresy and for not attending Mass or saying the proper things. She constantly pestered Elizabeth to follow her faith, and when she did not, she sent her away or to the Tower.

Finally, after many years of being a bastard, or being suspected, Elizabeth is made Queen at last. Her half sister Mary passed away, leaving her the throne. Kat was there for it all, and Eloise too. Eloise during this time becomes her main seamstress and becomes successful and designs all her gowns. She marries a man also trusted by Elizabeth and they have children together. England is relieved at being Protestant again, and having a young and beautiful queen on the throne. Kat Ashley passes away, and many say Elizabeth took care of her with her own hands and shed many tears over her. She was the only mother she had ever known, and had always been there for her. I liked the book because it shows the many facets of Elizabeth, while showing the depth of love and devotion her governess Kat had towards her. I don't believe Eloise was a real historical character, but it was nice to tie her into the story as well to see every one's points of view. If you are interested in the Queen Elizabeth, two of the main people in her life were Kat Ashley and Robert Dudley. This book is a good read to learn more about both.