Book Review Monday

Today’s Product Review Monday is actually Book Review Monday … and the books I am recommending feature two of my favorite women from history: Queen Elizabeth I and Katherine Swynford.

“Legacy,” by Susan Kay,  is a fictionalized biography of Queen Elizabeth I. I picked up this book back in the late 1980s and have cherished it ever since. I have read broadly on the Tudor Period, and “Legacy” is a stunningly rich and lavish portrayal about this most famous of English queens. It is, as far as I can tell from my extensive reading, historically accurate; and it portrays the good, the bad, and the ugly of this remarkable woman.

I have read and re-read and re-read this incredible book numerous times. If you’re interested in Tudor history, “Legacy” won’t let you down.

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My second book recommendation this week is Anya Seton’s “Katherine,” a classic of historical fiction.

To the best of my knowledge, “Katherine” has never been out of print since it was first published in 1954. In 2003, the book was chosen as Britain’s 95th best-loved novel of all time in a nationwide poll conducted by the BBC. There is an excellent reason for this enduring popularity; it is a phenomenal story.

Taking place in the high Middle Ages, Katherine Swynford was the long-time mistress and (eventually) the third wife of John of Gaunt (fourth son of King Edward III). Their children were the direct ancestors of the Tudors, Stuarts, and the modern British royal family.

That said, Seton took some literary liberties with Katherine Swynford’s life (which in no way detracts from the glorious writing). For a more historically accurate, though drier, nonfiction analysis of Katherine’s life, I can recommended “Mistress of the Monarch,” by historian Alison Weir.

This is an excellent supplement to Seton’s “Katherine.” If you’re interested in this time period, this is one of the few times I would recommend the work of fiction first, to bring the characters to life, then follow up with Weir’s historical analysis.

I have an extensive library of both fiction and nonfiction works concerning Medieval and Renaissance history, and these are among the best.

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