The Other Queen (Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) - Softcover

Gregory, Philippa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1416549145 ISBN 13: 9781416549147

Publisher: Washington Square Press, 2009

Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory--a dazzling new novel about the intriguing, romantic, and maddening Mary, Queen of Scots.

Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for sanctuary. Though promised protection, Mary, perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, is soon imprisoned by her former friend as a "guest" in the house of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcomes the condemned queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court.

To their horror, they grow to realize that the task will bankrupt their estate and lose them what little favor they've managed to gain as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. And Mary is not as hopeless as she appears, manipulating the earl and spinning her own web of treachery and deceit, as she sharpens her weapons to reclaim her Scottish throne--and to take over Queen Elizabeth's of England.

About this title

Review:

Philippa Gregory has long been one of the most assured practitioners of historical fiction, but her profile was raised even higher by the film of her novel The Other Boleyn Girl. Gregory admirers, however, were heard to remark of that movie: ‘Not as good as the book!’ And if her new novel, the highly accomplished The Other Queen is ever afforded the Hollywood treatment, there will no doubt be a similar chorus. The reason for this dedication by her readers is not hard to fathom: assiduously researched historical facts are married to consummate storytelling skills – and the effortless ability to rescue historical figures from the dusty pages of the past.

At the centre of this novel is Mary Queen of Scotland, forced to flee into England. Mary, a devout Catholic, is, of course, a living threat to the rule of her cousin Elisabeth, whose Protestant reign is uncertain. We’ve been here before, of course, in various books and films. But Philippa Gregory’s story this time has a different emphasis: Elizabeth’s chief advisor, Cecil, formulates a plan in which the destabilising Mary will live under guard with his faithful friend, Bess of Hardwick. Bess is a remarkable woman herself; someone who has forged her own destiny, and is now in her fourth marriage, to the distinguished Earl of Shrewsbury. But soon Bess and Mary find themselves plunged into very different personal crises – with Bess’s marriage under considerable strain.

The Other Queen is wonderfully accomplished stuff, evoking a much-pored-over era with a totally fresh eye.
--Barry Forshaw

Review:

"Mary's hell-bent assuredness combines deliciously with brisk chapt ers and rich historical detail. Indulge." -- People

"A mesmerizing novel that will keep readers turning pages deep into the night...as sweet and thorny as a wild English rose." -- BookPage

"Mary's hell-bent assuredness...combines deliciously with brisk chapters and rich historical detail. Indulge." -- People

About this edition

• Publisher: Washington Square Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416549145
• ISBN 13: 9781416549147
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464