THE QUEEN'S LADY

by Barbara Kyle



When Sir Thomas More's ward, Honor Larke, chooses to become a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon rather than marry, she gets caught up in King Henry's "Great Matter" in ways she would have never dreamed possible. While King Henry tramples the laws of God and man in his desperation to divorce Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn, Honor uses her position and contacts at the religiously divided court to secretly save "heretics" from being burned at the stake. But what will she do when the accusing finger is inevitably pointed at her?

It is a great prize when a Tudor fiction junkie can find an exceptional book that looks beyond the famous figures of the times to the people who were simply trying to live their lives in the shadow of a selfish king's destructive behavior. The Queen's Lady digs into the heart of the religious turmoil taking place during Henry's reign and shows the reader a frightening world of greed, fanaticism, and intolerance and heroic deeds in defense of justice and reason. This is the kind of Tudor fiction that keeps us coming back to the well!



Click here for a reader's group guide for The Queen's Lady.

See more about Barbara Kyle and her work at her Official Website.

MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION

Catherine Delors



As Gabrielle de Montserrat, a French aristocrat, pens her memoir, the reader gets not only the anticipated up-close-and-personal view of the French Revolution, but also grim reminders of the lack of control women had over their lives, even in, or possibly especially in, the upper echelons of society.

First, I'd like to thank Eva of A Striped Armchair for recommending Mistress of the Revolution. It turned out to be everything it was promised to be. I initially thought the first half was moving too slowly. I was anxious to get to the revolt. (I apparently get blood thirsty on occasion.) In reality, I was frustrated by the treatment of Gabrielle by her family, her men, her life. Gabrielle is a highly intelligent and emotionally tough woman. Her inability to direct her own future is not due to any defect on her behalf. It drove me crazy to watch her be forced to submit to the whims of those in power. However, it was her perseverance through her early life that made credible her survival during a time when her peers were being slaughtered by the thousands under the blade of La Guillotine.

Coincidentally, I am posting this review on Bastille Day, a French national holiday. According to Wikipedia, "It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution."

I learn something new every day!



For more information on Cataherine Delors and her work see her Official Web Site.

Other reviews of this book:

Eva at A Striped Armchair

THE COURTS OF LOVE

by Jean Plaidy

The Courts of Love is the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is written as if these are her memoirs, so the story is also of her husbands, King Louis of France and Henry II of England, their children, including King Richard and King John, and England's long rivalry with France.

I love Jean Plaidy's books. I'm not so much enamored of the writing itself. While it's engaging, many of the characters seem little more than paper dolls moved around to illustrate the actions of historical personages. And in this case, I didn't find Eleanor to be a particularly likeable person. However, my personal reason for reading her novels is that I love learning about history via fictionalizations of real people and events. For some reason, I find it easier to remember who's who when it's attached to fiction. Plaidy's books are more interesting than a straight non-fiction history book (with exceptions, of course!), but usually not so dramatic that it's annoying. She pretty much tells things in a straight forward manner with a little intrigue for good measure. (Did the two kings really . . .?? Nah! Did they?? Hmmmmm . . .) And there is just enough detail to get the big picture and decide if you would like to dig deeper in the future or if that's enough to satisfy your curiosity. I knew little to nothing about the reign on Henry II or Eleanor herself when I read this, and I finally have a few more blanks filled in regarding my knowledge of medieval England. Mission accomplished. But I am going out to Wikipedia right now to see if I can find out if that story line about the two kings is true or just an intriguing use of literary license!

Lezlie

2008 Chunkster Challenge

OK. I'm in. I have a rational reason though! Stop snickering. I really do have a rational reason. This will not add any new books to my list. It will only give me another reason to read the bigger ones that are on there instead of only picking up the smaller ones for a quick finish. The rules are at least 4 books of a minimum of 450 pages. My choices are:

Completed: 3/4 as of August 13, 2008

The Borgia Bride -- Jeanne Kalogridis
The Courts of Love -- Jean Plaidy
Mistress of the Revolution -- Catherine Delors
The Queen's Lady -- Barbara Kyle

There. Now I have to read them! :-)

Keep warm everyone!
Lezlie