Bookreporter.com - FOUR QUEENS: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone

FOUR QUEENS: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe
Nancy Goldstone
Viking
History
ISBN-10: 0670038431
ISBN-13: 9780670038435

FOUR QUEENS is set in 13th-century medieval Europe during a time of chivalrous knights, bloody crusades and courtly love. It is a time when love is unrelated to marriage and romance can, and often does, come outside of marriage. It is also a time when marriages are arranged to achieve material advantage to the betrothed and their families.

In the gentle climate of Provence, France, with its naturally beautiful landscape, abundant vineyards and lush gardens, the four daughters of Count Raymond Berenger V and Beatrice of Savoy are raised in a culture of beauty and love. These sisters --- Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia and Beatrice --- grow up to become queens whose power and influence change the face of Europe.

Marguerite, the oldest and "a girl of pretty face but prettier faith," is determined, spirited and resourceful. With the approval of the Catholic Church, her father and Blanche of Castile, the "White Queen" of France, Marguerite marries Louis IX, King of France. Marguerite's spirit is put to the test in a war of wills and power struggles with the White Queen.

Eleanor, the lively and passionate second daughter, marries Henry III of England. As the Queen of England, Eleanor's ambitiousness and political aspirations help fuel civil war.

Shy and lovely Sanchia marries Henry's brother, Richard --- the Earl of Cornwall, the richest man in England --- who buys the crown of the King of Germany for himself and neglects his beautiful wife.

Youngest daughter Beatrice weds Charles of Anjou, brother of the King of France, who later becomes King of Sicily. Beatrice is lovely, fearless and domineering. Her desire for power causes her to risk her life and the lives of others.

FOUR QUEENS is a beautifully written history book that reads like a modern-day adventure novel. Reading about the lives of these four sisters, their husbands and their families is fascinating. While FOUR QUEENS is dense with information, dates, names and places, the inclusion of explanatory texts and diagrams enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the book. The genealogical charts of the Four Queens, the French monarchy and the English throne helped me visualize where and how these sisters fit in with the French and English royal families.

FOUR QUEENS is expertly researched, well organized and easy to follow. Nancy Goldstone has written an intelligent book about an intriguing family of sisters who shaped the destiny of Europe. Women's history lovers and anyone fascinated with the Medieval Ages should add this one to their bookshelves.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

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