NOTICE: (Updated March 5, 2010)

Beginning December 19, 2009, Books 'N Border Collies will be posting but only intermittently while I pursue personal goals. I plan to share some reading I'm doing, but there will be no reviews. I will, however, be sharing my exploration of vegetarian cooking and the cookbooks and websites I use to educate myself. I hope you enjoy it!

Lezlie



Sunday, September 7, 2008

THE OTHER QUEEN

by Philippa Gregory
(Release date: Sept. 16, 2008)



The Other Queen isn't so much the story of Mary Queen of Scots during her captivity by Queen Elizabeth as it is about the turmoil in a Tudor England teetering on the edge of a new era. When Queen Mary comes to England for help from an insurrection in Scotland, an aging Queen Elizabeth, unmarried, childless and steeped in paranoia aroused by her closest advisor the spy-master William Cecil, holds her in England for fear Mary will go back home and plot to take the English crown, which many believe belongs to Mary by right.

The style of The Other Queen follows that of The Boleyn Inheritance. The story is told from three alternating first-person perspectives: Mary Queen of Scots, and the newly-married couple chosen to house the detained queen, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. Mary secretly plots multiple escapes and the usurpation of the English throne right under the noses of her guardians, George and Bess are driven to near poverty housing the captive queen with no help from Elizabeth, and relations between enemies, friends and lovers alike are strained to the breaking point as people all over England and Europe rise up in support of Queen Mary. The true strengths and flaws of each character are skillfully revealed as the years progress. But Queen Elizabeth, a true Tudor to the bone, will not be denied her place and no one, not even a fellow queen, is safe from her deadly wrath.

I've previously been disappointed in tellings of Queen Mary's captivity. How exciting can one make being imprisoned for years? But Philippa Gregory knows her audience, and in her hands the tale is dynamic and emotional. The narratives of George and Bess are a brilliant twist in perspective, and give real-life hopes and dreams a place in a world ransacked by royalty.



Visit Philippa Gregory's Official Website to learn more!

17 comments:

Ana S. said...

This sounds great. I'm going to read The Other Boleyn Girl soon, and if I enjoy it as much as I expect to I'll definitely have to pick up The Boleyn Inheritance and this one.

zetor said...

I am soo jealous. I will get a copy one day but just been buying stitchy stuff so I'll have to wait a while. Love P.G.'s website.

Ladytink_534 said...

I've read two of Philippa Gregory's books (The Queen's Fool and The Other Boleyn Girl) and really liked them but then I picked up one of her earlier novels and didn't care for it as much. I would really like read read some of her new ones again soon!

Lezlie said...

Nymeth ~ The Boleyn Inheritance is my favorite Gregory book! Definitely give that one a try.

Zetor ~ You will not be disappointed when you get to it. It was really good.

Ladytink ~ My first Gregory book was The Constant Princess, and I was not impressed at all. I'm glad I listened to some friends and tried others. The Other Queen was excellent, but The Boleyn Inheritance still stands as my favorite.

Lezlie

Anonymous said...

Man, oh man, this author has really been prolific! I've got to get started. Great review!

Lezlie said...

J. Kaye ~ She really does have a lot of books. And it seems that most of them are quite good!

Lezlie

Amanda said...

If you want a good book on just Mary, try Margaret George's book Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles which I thought was just wonderful. It is a big book though. I still haven't read a Gregory book though...I've got to get crackin' on that. Thanks for the review!

Darlene said...

Great review as always Lezlie. It makes me want to read this one even more but I really want to read The Boleyn Inheritance first. I was eyeing it up on my shelf again yesterday-I need more than one of me to get all these books read. lol.

Lezlie said...

Amanda ~ I did read that a couple years ago. Great book! But the captivity section of even that one dragged for me.

Dar ~ I hear you. I so wish I was capable of reading 200+ books per year.

Lezlie

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

When my grandmother was doing geneology a few years back, she took the line through Mary (or was it Elizabeth?), but the story of the two of them has always really interested me. I've read The Other Boleyn Girl--so I'll have to keep my eye open for this one (and The Boleyn Inheritance).

Lezlie said...

Trish ~ They were both tough women and very admirable. I don't know if I could have made it in either of their slippers! :-)

Lezlie

Anonymous said...

Oh, how can I wait even another day??? Great review and I'm so excited that you enjoyed it. Thanks also for posting about my giveaway. I am looking forward to meeting Philippa and getting some books signed. :)

Lezlie said...

Literate Housewife ~ You're welcome! That's so great that you get to meet her. I'm jealous!

Lezlie

Katherine said...

This actually sounds pretty good. The book has gotten mixed reviews at Amazon UK (a newfound obsession), so I was wary. But I'm a diehard Philippa fan, so I'm going to read it and see for myself.

Lezlie said...

Hi, Katherine! I think Gregory diehards will like it for certain. Let me know what you think if you read it!

Lezlie

Teddy Rose said...

Wonderful review Lezlie! Of course, this one is on my TBR! LOL!

Lezlie said...

Thanks, Teddy! I think you'll like it a lot.

Lezlie