The White Princess

Finished March 27
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory, ready by Bianca Amato

This fictionalized history tells the story of Elizabeth of York, queen to Henry Tudor, Henry VII. As the book begins, the battle at Bosworth has just ended, with Richard III being killed in battle. The pretender, Henry Tudor is declared as the new king, and Elizabeth, long promised in marriage to him by a wily mother who looks to keep her children as close to the throne as she can. But Elizabeth does not come joyfully, as she had been at the court of Richard III, and a favorite of his. Elizabeth is the oldest of a large family, and when her father, Edward IV died, and her uncle Richard III became Lord Protector, her brothers Edward and Richard were imprisoned in the tower and later presumed killed. Her mother, her and the rest of the family were in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey.
Here, neither Elizabeth nor Henry seems happy at their marriage, which was made for political reasons. However, Elizabeth was raised a princess and always understood her role as a tool for political alliances.
The rule of Henry VII is a rocky one here, with him never gaining the love of the people as previous kings had. Elizabeth does give him advice, but his mother Margaret played a powerful role as advisor, and he usually listened to her despite the results. Henry is always looking over his shoulder, and Elizabeth is always looking backwards at the life she has lost, the happy times with her father as king, and the time spent at Richard's court. This book offers a version of her personal life not always supported by history, but it gives great detail and takes us from the time of Bosworth to the late 1490s.
One major part of the story is the recurring rumors that her brother Richard somehow survived the Tower, and has been in exile planning to regain the throne. Here there are more than one boy or young man claiming to be this brother, and Elizabeth, although unsure of the truth, must abide by Henry's will that she not recognize any such claim.
Gregory really makes history come alive here, with us getting inside Elizabeth's head for her reactions to all the events of her life, from sadness to joy.

The Northern Queen

Finished March 3
The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans

This historical novel follows the life of Aelfgifu, a highborn woman of northern England. When Aethelred gained the throne, he took his revenge against Aelfgifu's family, creating in her a strong antipathy for her new ruler. The Danish king, Sweyn, is determined to dethrone Aethelred for his actions on St. Brice's Day in 1002 when Aethelred murdered thousands of Danish immigrants and their families with little warning. As Sweyn looks for allies within England, Aelfgifu is approached. Not only does she ally with Sweyn, but she soon marries his son Canute.
Thus begins the battle for England, that has Aethelred's wife Emma proving a strong force to maintain control of the land, and creating a personal rivalry between these two strong-willed women that will last throughout their lives.
Aelfgifu is a very interesting women, taught to read and write and do figures by her father who saw her potential, and an able ruler in her own right. She understands how to not only run a household, but an estate, a region, and possibly a kingdom. She doesn't abide fools however, and her disdain for those that don't see the logic of her actions can lead to the making of new enemies. She has a real love for Canute that is mutual, but their relationship also has political implications that sometimes forces them apart.
This novel brings Aelfgifu to life, letting the reader inside her experiences, her emotions, and her thoughts. The battle scenes are detailed, and the day-to-day activities drawn in a natural way that shows the real people. A great read.
This is a excellent first novel by a Canadian historian, and more is planned for this time period.

For another view on this time in history try Queen Emma and the Vikings by Harriet O'Brien.

We Are Not Ourselves

Finished March 27
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas

This novel begins in 1951, with ten-year-old Eileen Tumulty living in a small apartment in Queens with her parents, and a lodger. Eileen's father was a laborer who had a certain role in the community of giving advice to other men, setting himself up in a local pub every afternoon. Eileen longs to escape this life and studies hard, going on to get her nursing degree, and eventually her masters in nursing. When she meets Ed Leary, a research scientist, she thinks he will go on to great things and give her the upscale life she longs for. But Ed has different values, and his way leads to a limited academic career.
The couple and their son Connell live in a three family house in Jackson Heights, with the owner and his family members occupying the other two units. Even as things improve financially, Eileen feels limited by her surroundings and dreams of a house in a more upscale neighbourhood. Connell is also studious, doing well in school and gaining a scholarship into a better school in the city. He has a couple of friends in the neighbourhood, but feels out of place, constantly searching for an identity of his own.
As Eileen realizes a move to a new home, Ed's difficult behaviour is uncovered to be a health issue, and everything changes for the family. As Ed's health diminishes, Eileen becomes more and more isolated, living her life in a rotation of work, duty, and sleep that leaves her unhappy and unfulfilled. Connell also struggles, unable to support his father in the way Eileen wants, and unable to see what his own future holds for him.
As this tale takes us through these characters lives, up to 2011, we see the struggles, the dreams, and the hearts of them. It is really about these people, looking into what drives them, what frustrates them and what they feel about their world.
I particularly liked Eileen's venture back to her old neighbourhood near the end of the novel, and her enlightenment as a result.

Catherine the Great

Finished May 15
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K Massie, read by Mark Deakins

This biography is extensive and covers many aspects of Catherine's life and reign. She was born a minor Prussian princess and was named Sophie. She was born in 1729, and brought to Russia by the Empress Elizabeth as the potential bride for her nephew Peter (later Peter III). She was only 14, and was expected to marry as she was told. She had to convert to the Orthodox religion, against her father's wishes. Her husband Peter III, was a immature and many believe the marriage was never consummated. Catherine did have three children, but they are all believed to be illegitimate. She came to power in 1762 as a result of a coup d'etat, and what is believed to be an assassination of her husband Peter III. She was definitely more knowledgeable about politics, foreign affairs, and culture than Peter, although he was fascinated by the military, playing with toy soldiers even after their marriage.
This book covers her early life, her betrothal and marriage to Peter and how she gained the love and respect of the Russian people. Her lovers, her political maneuverings, the wars she was involved in, are all covered here. We see how she became Europe's biggest art collector, beginning a collection that eventually became that of the Hermitage Museum. We discover her interest in the enlightenment and her high goals for change in the country. Some of these she found she could not accomplish, such as the abolishment of serfdom, others took longer than she anticipated. Ruling until her death in 1796, she is still known along with Peter the Great, as one of Russia's best rulers. She expanded the Russian empire to the Crimea, into Poland, and the far east. She initiated lengthy correspondences with Voltaire, Diderot, and other members of the Enlightenment. She was an early adopter of inoculations against disease and was herself inoculated against smallpox as an example to her people. She was also a strong proponent of education for the people.
I found this book fascinating. Catherine was an extremely interesting woman.

The Favored Queen

Finished November 7
The Favored Queen by Carolly Erickson
I've been interested in the wives of Henry VIII since my high school days when I read a series of books about them. This novel is told from the point of view of his third queen, Jane Seymour, but also includes the end of Catherine of Aragon reign and all of Anne Boleyn's reign. Jane was a maid of honour to Catherine of Aragon and to Anne in turn. Here we see her own dreams and how her family's behaviour and her situation caused them to perish before she gained them. We see the relationship she developed with Henry and how her own good nature and moral sense brought her to her own fate.
This is an interesting characterization of the historical figure, reimagined by the author.