The Other Queen

by Philippa Gregory

Book Overview

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"...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416549145
• ISBN13: 9781416549147
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I loved this story, too. I am a fan of Philippa Gregory since the Other Boleyn Girl....

Ms. Gregory Does It Again

Another installment from the Tudor era. Rich with detail. Philippa Gregory is a brilliant story teller. I loved this book!

The Other Queen and A fool for an Earl

The book is fabulous as only Phillipa Gregory can write 'em. The surprise is the Earl of Shrewsbury who bankrupts himself for this scheming woman. I found a new role model in the Countess of Shrewsbury aka Bess of Harwicke--an independent woman when such things did not exist and smart enough to separate from the Earl as he pursues his incredible infatuation with Mary,Queen of Scots and loses the esteem of his peers.

Like a fly on the wall

I bought this book with some trepidation because though I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl (long before the dreadful film) and its sequel, the others in the series, not so much. But this was written in such concise, compelling prose from the respective points of view of the main characters that I found myself taking the book with me wherever I went, just to be able to read it whenever I had a free moment. It does not disappoint in any way. Characters you can identify with, although all three have separate agendas; historical fiction that is informational in an organic way; a story stranger than fiction but most of it, based on fact; dialog (and internal monologues) that are as if you are a fly on the wall. Brava, Ms. Gregory!

There's something about Mary

I love it when historical figures are brought to life. The facts are easy to look up: Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in 1542, became queen of Scotland as a baby, and grew up in the French court. She had a legitimate claim to the English throne, where her cousin Queen Elizabeth ruled. Mary was forced to abdicate her crown in Scotland, fled to England, and was held in custody there for many years. At first George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Bess were charged with the responsibility of confining Queen Mary. In 1587 Mary was beheaded for treason against Queen Elizabeth. These dry truths cry out for a writer of Philippa Gregory's talents to make them come alive. "The Other Queen" focuses on the first years of Mary's imprisonment in England, begun when she was just 26 years old. The timeframe of the book is from 1568 through 1572, with a final entry in 1587. The book alternates between three narrators: George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury; his wife Bess; and Mary herself. Each of the three writes just a few pages at a time, so you get all three viewpoints in quick succession. It's like reading a diary of the events, written by the three main characters. It is easy to get caught up in the intrigues and double-crosses, and to care for the characters. The decent George quietly becomes obsessed with the beautiful queen he is forced to hold in custody. Bess hardens her heart as she watches her newly wed husband fall in love with Mary, and spend their fortune on the queen's upkeep. Mary desperately tries to extricate herself from her predicament, all the while keeping up her charming royal demeanor. It is an eye-opener to be reminded of how women were thought of in those days. Over and over, men and women alike refer to women as lesser beings, unable to think for themselves. George Talbot writes of his wife, Bess: "Sometimes I ask too much of her. She is only a woman and she takes strange fearful fancies. She cannot think clearly like a man, and she has no education and no reading. She is only a woman: everyone knows that women have no steadiness of mind." Over and over this sentiment appears, while both Bess and Queen Mary -- not to mention Queen Elizabeth -- are planning and plotting elaborate schemes. Indeed, the simplest and least cunning person in the book is George Talbot himself. I recommend this book to anyone wanting history to live and breathe. Other books by Philippa Gregory include The Boleyn Inheritance, The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl.

"Born Queen of Scotland, crowned Queen of France, heir to the throne of England."

Set in 1568-72 and a climactic 1581, great forces converge in this powerful novel of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her throne usurped by an ambitious half-brother, Mary is a guest of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, while Mary's claim to the Scottish throne is sorted out. Mary is outraged when Elizabeth does not immediately demand her restoration; but Elizabeth, in collusion with her most trusted Secretary of State, William Cecil, must carefully assess the merits of Mary's case, a woman with a strong royal bloodline that rivals Elizabeth's. A Reformist, Elizabeth is the future, England's coffers greatly enriched by the plundering of churches and monasteries. Stuart, on the other hand, personifies the old ways, the old religion, clinging stubbornly to tradition. Certainly there is a risk in Elizabeth's prescient ambition, Cecil's impressive network of spies marking him the most powerful man in the land, much to the dismay of the nobles who would counsel Elizabeth in his stead. Even after ten years, Elizabeth remains insecure: "I thought we could teach her how to live like a queen with pride, not like a usurper with terror." Elizabeth prevails upon her loyal northern lord, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his pragmatic wife, Bess, to shelter Mary at their estate, providing the young queen comfort and security. What begins as opportunity for the newlywed Talbot's becomes, many months later, the siege of a marriage, one founded on the acquisition of property. With great precision, Gregory deconstructs the Talbot's. The tension is exquisite, a perfect balance of unresolved issues between husband and wife, Bess acutely sensitive to an impending threat, George, oblivious, assaulted by a passion that undermines his sense of honor. Then there is the other queen, the beauty who sits in their midst like a spider, spinning webs and pronouncing innocence, mocking her hosts: "She can speak three languages but she can tell the truth in none of them." Played out on a smaller stage, the Talbot's dilemma is sharply contrasted with the larger issue: Mary's fate. George defends his honor, Bess distractedly counting her diminishing resources, while Mary studies the horizon for rescuers; meanwhile, manipulating events to her own advantage, "Elizabeth's justice is clamping down on our lands like a harsh winter." Thus is the great drama of the cousins framed; regardless of her torment over Mary's fate, Elizabeth is a survivor facing painful decisions when her throne is at stake, her attempts to protect Mary as a sister of royal blood nearly toppling the country as it falls to its knees on the cusp of war with northern lords who would restore Mary to Scotland and claim the throne of England for their queen. In an angst-riddled and terrifying preface to a pitched battle with the north, the Shrewsbury's and their guest shuttle from one residence to another, their once-hardy marriage assaulted with each precipitous escape. Gregory owns this material, her pivotal characters tor