Tagged: french history
The Devil’s Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
From Jeanne Kalogridis, the bestselling author of I, Mona Lisa and The Borgia Bride, comes a new novel that tells the passionate story of a queen who loved not wisely . . . but all too well.
Confidante of Nostradamus, scheming mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and architect of the bloody St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Catherine de Medici is one of the most maligned monarchs in history. In her latest historical fiction, Jeanne Kalogridis tells Catherine’s story—that of a tender young girl, destined to be a pawn in Machiavellian games.
Born into one of Florence’s most powerful families, Catherine was soon left a fabulously rich heiress by the early deaths of her parents. Violent conflict rent the city state and she found herself imprisoned and threatened by her family’s enemies before finally being released and married off to the handsome Prince Henry of France.
Overshadowed by her husband’s mistress, the gorgeous, conniving Diane de Poitiers, and unable to bear children, Catherine resorted to the dark arts of sorcery to win Henry’s love and enhance her fertility—for which she would pay a price. Against the lavish and decadent backdrop of the French court, and Catherine’s blood-soaked visions of the future, Kalogridis reveals the great love and desire Catherine bore for her husband, Henry, and her stark determination to keep her sons on the throne.
First off, I have to say that although this is historical fiction because it’s based off of the life of Catherine de Medici, it also has elements of fantasy because Jeanne Kalogridis takes the worst rumours about the queen’s witchcraft and imagines they were real. It’s not a bad approach and the broad strokes of Caterina’s life are of course accurate but just know that this is not strict historical fiction; there is quite a bit of fantasy.
Many of the characters are memorable but of course Caterina herself is the best. Her family was out of power when she was an adolescent and before she got married so not only did she experience the glamorous side of life but the rougher side that comes with strife, conflict and civil war. This early experience with a life-threatening situation leaves a chip on her shoulder that she will carry for the rest of her life. She knows that it is the most important thing she can do as a queen to produce a son (preferably lots of sons) but when her husband seems disgusted by her and she does not get pregnant she turns to witchcraft and blood magic. One particular scene is pretty horrific but it’s in keeping with her character: no matter the cost to herself she will have an heir and avert civil war. She does some pretty horrible things and although she’s not always completely sympathetic, I do feel for Jeanne Kalogridis’ version of her. Her husband is disgusted by her and goes to his mother figure/mistress Diane de Poitiers, she is not an attractive woman and is marginalized politically, etc. Caterina had a hard childhood matched by a hard life; she’s far from perfect but you do have to feel for her.
While the plot isn’t exactly fast-paced it is interesting. I’ve read only one other book about Caterina de Medici so it was nice to learn more about the civil strife that led to her imprisonment in two different nunneries as a preteen and how she was married off to King Henry (then prince). Once she gets to France there’s a lot of interpersonal conflict between characters but it’s not just drama for the sake of drama. Jeanne Kalogridis has a purpose to every scene and even though it may not seem like it at the time, every scene moves the plot forward to the horrifying conclusion. So while The Devil’s Queen is no action/thriller novel, it is very interesting and even if you know about her historical reign as queen and regent, Jeanne Kalogridis may just surprise you with some of the things she speculates at. Nothing is for certain at court, especially when it comes to the royal family.
I know a little about the period but as you’ve probably guessed I’m no expert. However, the main events of the story are very much real and Jeanne Kalogridis inserts those little details into everyday life that make you really feel like you’re there. Personally, I loved that the French all thought Caterina and her Italian entourage were positively barbaric for eating their food with the forks they brought with them. It’s just those little details that both make you laugh and educate you about how certain cultural practices became the norm in pretty much all of the Western hemisphere. There are so many more little details like that that you can tell Kalogridis really did her research (particularly about Medieval astrology). She combines fantasy and history perfectly into this harrowing tale of the complicated life of a complicated woman.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
(Cover picture courtesy of Reading Treasure.)
Isabelle is a lacemaker in the town of Versailles. As she is delivering lace to the palace one day, she is almost trampled by a crowd of courtiers—only to be rescued by Marie Antoinette, the queen. Suddenly Isabelle is transformed from commoner to companion of the queen’s daughter, complete with a new name, wardrobe, and lavish lifestyle.
Isabelle is living a fairy-tale life, but soon she hears whispers of starvation and revolution. Can the terrible rumors about the royal family be true? And which side is Isabelle on?
Inspired by actual events, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s novel is a vivid picture of life behind the gilded walls of Versailles—and a wonderful story of friendship that blossomed during the chaos of the French Revolution.
For young readers, The Lacemaker and the Princess is the perfect introduction to the French Revolution. It presents the events in a way that makes them easy to understand but without insulting the reader’s intelligence, which can be one of the pitfalls of historical fiction for young readers. The unlikely ‘friendship’ (I’m using the term loosely here) between Isabelle and the princess Thérèse is one readers will fall in love with.
Isabelle is a wonderful character that many young readers will sympathize with, but Thérèse is your typical spoiled royal. She uses her power to order Isabelle around, even changing her name to the more fashionable Clochette, and stops at nothing to get her way. I suppose Thérèse is friends with Isabelle in her own out-of-touch-princess sort of way, but this is definitely neither an ideal or particularly healthy friendship. Isabelle is sort of friends with the princess, but she always has to watch her step around Thérèse to avoid losing her patronage.
Since I know next to nothing about the French Revolution, I cannot critique the accuracy of the novel as I could in novels about ancient Rome or Egypt. It feels accurate to me even though Isabelle is a made up character, and a quick Google search tells me that the general historical events are accurate. As for the details, your guess is as good as mine. However, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has included an author’s note that explains the historical context very well and it sounds like The Lacemaker and the Princess was made to be accurate.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of Carolyn Meyer’s website.)
History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so maligned—or so misunderstood—as Marie-Antoinette.
From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. She tried to please everyone—courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French people—but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman can’t help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions and unimaginable luxuries. Meanwhile, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay for her reckless extravagance—with her life.
The Bad Queen hasn’t made me like Marie Antoinette any more, but it has helped me understand her. Which was, of course, Carolyn Meyer’s goal when she wrote this book. Most readers will probably like the character of Marie, but I did not simply because our personalities are far too different. From her early childhood, she is a spoiled princess, a dreamer who is not interested in academics at all. I’m the exact opposite, so you can probably tell why I did not like her, but could at least empathize with her.
We follow her journey from when she is betrothed to Louis, all the way past her execution. Since this is written in journal form, we get to learn about the aftermath of her execution through the writings of her daughter. Readers will see the part of the French Revolution that people rarely see—its aftermath, including what happens to the children of the doomed couple.
The Bad Queen is not exactly fast-paced, but neither is it unbelievably slow, so it is quite an interesting read. Personally, I learned an enormous amount of French history in an enjoyable fashion because I know next to nothing of French history. The customs of the French monarchy were absolutely ridiculous, so I can see why Marie eventually rebelled against them. Truthfully, learning of the sheer excesses of the court at Versailles makes me wonder why the French peasants didn’t rebel sooner.
I would recommend this for ages 13+ because of some brief sexual content, but it really depends on the maturity of the reader.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.