William's Wife

Rating:
Summary: A perfectly nice book, but nothing spectacular
Review: I got this book because I love anything having to do with Dutch history, of which William of Orange is an important figure. Better known as the William half of England's William and Mary, he helped cement Protestantism in England and make the fledgling Netherlands an actual power in Europe.

However, the novel's narrator, Queen Mary, takes a rather dimmer view of William. I suppose it's her prerogative, since she had to live with him. Still, I would rather Plaidy had based her condemnation of William on something a little more than the fact that a spoiled princess didn't like his serious nature. This is a symptom, of course, of the larger malady that aflicts any historical novel that features women characters. Invariably, even the most powerful queens are reduced to vapid, fluttering girls who rule their countries by batting their eyelashes and choose kings by virtue of how their manly legs look in tights, then express vague, hurt confusion when things go wrong.

Here, vapid Lady Mary becomes vapid Princess Mary and, eventually, vapid Queen Mary when her uncle, King Charles, dies and the people (with the help of William) oust her Catholic father, James II. Mary, who has been sent to Holland after her marriage to William and hates it, is torn between loyalty to her father, whom she loves but has no respect for, and her husband, whom she has respect for but mildly despises. William spends a lot of time off at war or diddling his mistress, Mary pouts but manages to be a reasonably competent ruler in his absence, then she forgives both her father and husband and dies of smallpox. That's about it.

I was disappointed, but I think that's more because I had very specific expectations for this book - I wanted to read more about Mary's life in Holland and the politics there, rather than her endless dithering about whether she's betraying her father and how mean William is to her. The actual politics and history - which are hugely significant, and also complimentary to Mary, who as I said turned out to be a pretty good Queen - are downplayed, and somewhat condescendingly so.

A perfectly nice, easy read for anyone interested in the period, but it would make little sense to anyone who's not.

Rating:
Summary: THE TORTURED ROAD TO THE REIGN OF WILLIAM AND MARY...
Review: The author, Jean Plaidy, who is also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, is a masterful writer of historical fiction. This book, the ninth volume in her "Queens of England" series, is an engrossing portrait of Lady Mary of York, daughter of King James II of England, who would be a future Queen of England. The story is expertly woven with sufficient historical detail so as to satisfy the most discerning readers.

Growing up the beloved daughter of the Duke of York, an ardent Catholic who would one day be crowned King James II of England, Mary was reared as a Protestant to conform to the will of the people. At fifteen years of age, she was forced into a political and loveless marriage with her Protestant first cousin, the dour and reserved Prince of Orange, William. She then left her beloved England to live in Holland with William.

Mary was to spend a number of lonely and desolate years in Holland with William, during which her uncle, King Charles II of England, died. Her father, the Duke of York, was then crowned James II. In turmoil over his avowed Catholicism, England was ripe for change. Mary's husband, William of Orange, being an ambitious man who coveted the English crown, lost no time in making sure that England stayed Protestant and took on his royal father-in-law. His victory over James II paved the way for the reign of William and Mary.

The author paints a portrait of a woman in conflict, torn between her love for her father and her loyalty to her husband. It details the political intrigues of the day that were to have such impact on Mary's life and shape her destiny. It is a wonderful and engrossing blend of fact and fiction. This richly textured novel is sure to delight those who enjoy historical fiction.