Duchessina by Carolyn Meyer

(Cover picture courtesy of Open Library.)

Life as the wealthiest and most envied girl in all of Italy should involve a magnificent palace, beautiful dresses, heaps of jewels, and many devoted servants.  Instead, poor little Caterina de’Medici, or Duchessina as she’s called, finds herself imprisoned in a drafty convent with nuns who despise her and do everything they can to make her life a misery.  She is utterly alone, desperately hungry, and scared.

Imagine Duchessina’s relief to learn that she will be released from this intolerable existence and will move to Rome, where she will live in the grand household of the pope.  Finally the days ahead seem brighter—or do they?  Little does the young duchess know that her future includes a painful separation from the boy she loves, and a marriage contract that is anything but appealing.  But Duchessina is resourceful and determined.  She will find a way to command what she deserves.  She must—for the sake of her family and her own survival.

Catherine de’Medici has garnered quite a reputation and once again, Carolyn Meyer has stepped in to put things in perspective.  We never really are told what it is she does that has given her a reputation, but for people who know about her reign, this tale of her unhappy childhood really does explain a lot.  I think you’d turn out pretty ruthless too if you had the kind of childhood Catherine had.

In Duchessina, we learn about the truly horrible childhood she had and that most of her teen years were spent in nunneries hiding from her family’s enemies.  Catherine had done nothing to offend them other than being born into the wrong family.  Yet she suffers for it as the nuns in the first abbey do everything in their power to make her life absolutely miserable.  The only good thing that happens is when she is eventually moved to another nunnery where the nuns are much kinder to her and she learns the things a wealthy young lady of the times was expected to learn: manners, proper conduct and what to wear.

In the beginning, the plot is a bit slow, but it is very fast-paced in the end.  Catherine de’Medici’s early years are full of tragedy and judging by the way Duchessina ends, her adulthood is not much better.  However, readers will be captivated by the strong narrator and will enjoy Catherine’s transformation from innocent child to cynical teen/adult.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

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Uther by Jack Whyte

It’s Wednesday today and that means a guest post over at We Heart Reading.  Keeping with the historical fiction theme, I reviewed Uther by Jack Whyte, which tells the story of King Arthur’s father, Uther.  If you love the Arthurian legends, you will love this book, I guarantee.

Anyway, if you’ve missed the first three posts this week, here’s a recap:

Sunday:  Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer

Monday: The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

Tuesday: The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer

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.

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The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

(Cover picture courtesy of Devon County Council.)

Katherine of Aragon is betrothed at the age of three to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England.  She is raised to be Princess of Wales, and knows it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land.

Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse.  Slowly, she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur’s wife grows ever more bearable.  Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops.

But when the studious young man dies, she is left too make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found and dynasty?  Only by marrying Arthur’s young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry.

Yesterday I reviewed Patience, Princess Catherine, which is aimed at tweens and young teens.  This book is the adult version of Carolyn Meyer’s novel and it also gives a new perspective to the tale of Katherine (usually spelled ‘Catherine’) of Aragon.

In Philippa Gregory’s version of events, Katherine is a highly ambitious woman raised by her warrior-queen mother, the indomitable Isabel, to be Queen of England.  So when she is married to Arthur, she readily accepts the arranged marriage, knowing it is her duty.  Yet something happens that neither she nor Arthur expected: they fall in love.  But shortly after that, Arthur dies and tells Katherine on his deathbed to marry Henry and achieve her dream.  She, of course, keeps her promise to him and waits seven years to marry Henry and become Queen of England.

The Constant Princess is not a fast-paced novel by any means, but it is one of my favourite books by Philippa Gregory, simply because the characters are so well developed.  Most of them are three dimensional and Katherine is a wonderful narrator that can command your attention easily.  It also has one thing I prize in historical fiction: historical accuracy.  So if you’re looking for a historically accurate tale of love, ambition and heartbreak, you will love The Constant Princess.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

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Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer

(Cover picture courtesy of iNetGiant.)

Catherine of Aragon grew up expecting she would one day become the queen of England—not a dejected teenage widow.  But that is exactly what happens when fragile Prince Arthur, to whom she has been betrothed since the age of three, dies only months after their wedding.  Her power now obsolete, Catherine is exiled to a dank castle in a remote part of the country.  She is stranded there for years with little money and no control over her fate.

There is one ray of light in Catherine’s lonely life—her friendship with handsome Prince Henry, her deceased husband’s younger brother.  A marriage to Henry could elevate Catherine from her precarious position and give her the crown that she was once promised.  But will Henry take the risk of making the destitute princess his queen?  Only time will tell…

Catherine of Aragon is an oft-overlooked woman, having been outshone by her successor, Anne Boleyn.  But after reading this novel, I found that there is a much to admire about her.  I actually learned a lot from Patience, Princess Catherine because I knew Catherine had waited to marry Henry, but I never knew just how long she waited.  She spent seven years in England upon Arthur’s death and her determination paid off: Catherine of Aragon became Queen of England.  Believe me, she had far more patience than I would have had her place.

Carolyn Meyer’s portrayal of Catherine is very sympathetic; she is a fiery, determined young woman who believes she is destined to be Queen of England and will stop at nothing to achieve her destiny.  Readers will cheer for her every step of the way through her long, hard journey to England her years of waiting to marry Henry.  Unlike with Anne Boleyn in Doomed Queen Anne, her downfall is not featured nearly as prominently, but there is still a hint of sadness in the narrative as Catherine reflects on the events of her youth.

With an interesting, well-paced plot, even readers who hate history will love Patience, Princess Catherine.  I would recommend it for 12+ because of brief scenes of sexuality, but it really depends on the reader’s maturity level.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

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