Saturday 29 September 2018

Three Sisters, Three Queens

I read The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory last year and enjoyed it so much that I immediately downloaded Three Sisters, Three Queens by the same author onto my Kindle, however, I've only recently got round to reading it.


Three Sisters, Three Queens is about Henry VIII's elder sister, Margaret, who married James IV of Scotland, Henry VIII's younger sister, Mary, who married Louis XII of France, and Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It's told from Margaret's perspective from the time when Catherine of Aragon arrived at the Tudor court right the way through to the early 1530's.

Much has been written about Henry VIII and his six wives but I knew much less about his sisters so I enjoyed getting to know more about them. Obviously, being a novel, fiction is mixed in with fact, but I've found only recently that I enjoy reading books of this kind. They certainly encourage me to look into particular events and I find myself googling to find out more.

The relationship between the three queens was complex, changeable according to what was happening in Tudor England and Scotland at the particular time, but they eventually discovered that their special connection bound them together.

I really like the way in which Philippa Gregory writes, she makes the books easy to read and easy to follow, however, I must admit that I preferred The Constant Princess to this book. I found Three Sisters, Three Queens to drag a little in places, however, I would still recommend it.

30 comments:

  1. Will have to investigate those titles, I used to enjoy reading those type of historical novels, used to read Jean Plaidy alot years ago. xcx

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    1. I this these are along similar lines to Jean Plaidy so perhaps you'd enjoy them. I shall definitely be reading more by Philippa Gregory.

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  2. Delightful to find an author, whom you want to continue reading. And of course, it's hard for another book, to "stand up" to the first, sometimes. If we really, really loved the first. :-)

    Yes, part-history-part-fiction can give us many things, to delve into, after reading the book. Which can be just as enjoying, as the book read.

    Thank you for reading suggestions. I always love them.

    ✨🍁🎃🍁✨

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    1. There's a few authors who I really enjoy so I read whatever they release. It's good to know that you're going to enjoy a book when you pick it up. I'm really enjoying reading historical fiction, finding out more about particular events from time gone by is fascinating.

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  3. Hi,not my thing,but glad you are enjoying your book.I love reading a good book.How is Archie.Happy Weekend.xx

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    1. I'd hate to be without a good book when I go to bed. Archie is well, thank you for asking.

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  4. Many thanks for the review Jo.
    I've not read any of her books … next time I am at the local library I will have a look out for her books.

    All the best Jan

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    1. This is the second Philippa Gregory book I've read and I shall definitely be reading more, I'm really enjoying them.

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  5. I’ve read quite a few Philippa Gregory novels and enjoyed them but I haven’t read any for a while. Maybe I should reconnect with her writing.

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    1. I know she's written quite a few books so I've got plenty to go at. I'm enjoying this Tudor Court series.

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  6. I really enjoy Philippa Gregory, excellent writer and I love historical fiction xx

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    1. I'm quite new to this genre but I'm enjoying historical novels more and more.

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  7. I love historical novels. Excellent review, Jo. P.x

    PS. I'm sorry to say I have bad news on my blog.

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    1. I find the Tudor period fascinating. I shall pop over to your blog.

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  8. I've read this one and thoroughly enjoyed it. x

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it too. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.

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  9. It's always good to read books like this where you want to find out more about particular events. Happy reading. xx

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    1. I'm really enjoying reading books about historical events, they always leave me wanting to know more.

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  10. The book looks very interesting Jo, thank you for telling us all about it. Be well,
    M

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    1. I'm enjoying reading about this period in English history, it's a fascinating time.

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  11. I love PG's books. I've read quite a few over the years, this one is a new title to me and I like the fact it's about Henry's sisters. I know nothing about them, I bet it was really interesting.
    Lisa x

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    1. I knew nothing about Henry's sisters either, it was really interesting finding out about them. The Tudor period was fascinating.

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  12. I too enjoy fiction/fact books although I am not a Philippa Gregory fan.

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    1. I'm finding her books really interesting and easy to read. I'm quite new to this genre though so I don't have much to compare her with.

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  13. Oh, this sounds so interesting! I feel like I've seen this at my library, it sounds perfect for a chilly autumn evening read! :D

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    1. It's a really good read. So many twists and turns at the Tudor court.

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  14. When I first discovered Philippa Gregory it was though The Other Boleyn Girl, since then i've collected all her books and love anything to do with the Tudors. She makes the time line easy to understand and keep up with. I went to one of her talks a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, although I was slightly put off by her as a person as she comes across as a really strong feminist, not that i'm against Feminism as such, just not in the extreme, lol. I still love her books though.

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    1. The Other Boleyn Girl is next on my list to read, I've seen the film but want to read the book now. I enjoy learning more about the Tudors, it's such an interesting period with so much going on.

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    2. You will enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl Jo, it's so much better than the film. If you enjoy reading Tudor books try Jean Plaidy and Margaret Campbell Barnes too, both are good for historical novels. Happy reading :-)

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    3. Thanks for the recommendations, I shall look into those authors once I've finished with Philippa Gregory, though I've still got many more of hers to read.

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