There is a new novel coming out about Queen Mary Tudor, entitled Her Mother's Daughter by Julianne Lee. Here is a review by book blogger Marie Burton, who says:Julianne Lee attempts to bring to modern day readers the sympathetic view of Mary Tudor, the misunderstood queen of the sixteenth century. Queen Mary did not have an easy life, and the author immediately sets off to show her readers the myriad of different situations that she was placed in due to the fact that she was the daughter of King Henry VIII. Most Tudor era fans know the story of this Mary Tudor, who was otherwise known as Bloody Mary due to her excessive execution of heretics. She was the only surviving issue of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII; at first treated as a princess should be until Henry divorced her mother. Yet, it is her younger half-sister, Elizabeth I, who gets the credit for being a strong female monarch in the sixteenth century.Share
6 comments:
Her Mother AND her father's daughter. I believe the 'Bloody Mary' aspect of her character was because the blood of Henry VIII ran through her veins. Too bad she did not solely have the indomitable spirit tempered with wisdom from her mother.
Thanks for posting this =) Just happened along seeing this.
I did want to mention that I have an interview and giveaway valid through 12/11/09 as well, so your readers can feel free to stop by and enter.
Thank you, Marie, you write great reviews!
The geekish historian in me is itching to point out that Katherine of Aragon wanted to send over the mutilated corpse of King James IV after he fell to the English armies at Flodden as a gift to her husband King Henry VIII, whilst he was campaigning with a huge amount of expense and minimal impact, in 1513. It was only the entreaties of the horrified Privy Council that eventually forced the Queen to change her mind and send only the Scottish Sovereign's blood-spattered coat. So, I'm not sure I would agree that Katherine was a paragon of spirit tempered with restraint.
I'm very much looking forward to this novel, because as Elena Maria probably knows, I have sat ostentatiously on the historiographical fence at the recent attempts to rehabilitate Mary I's political reputation. My essential problem being that the only way Mary's modern-day champions seem to have been able to bolster their heroine is by denigrating everyone else from the 16th century who happened to disagree with her: Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey and Elizabeth being the first three in the collective firing line (being cast in the lights of a shrill harpy, a bigoted fanatic and a duplicitous vixen, respectively.)
However, I recently read Linda Porter's excellent biography of Mary and I can't recommend it highly enough. Firstly, it is completely devoid of saccharin attempts to over-sentimentalise Mary's life or her experience during her parents' divorce. Porter is completely fair to the Boleyns, Catherine Howard, the Duke of Northumberland, Jane Grey, Philip II and Elizabeth. All of whom, in one way or another, are usually cast as the 'villains' who ruined Mary's otherwise perfect life. She is fair but severe in her occasional criticisms of both of Mary's parents and argues that the epic feud between Mary and her first stepmother was as much Mary's fault as Anne's. She also completely rejects the notion that Mary was a traumatised victim of context by arguing that she was every bit as tenacious, courageous and infuriatingly stubborn as her siblings and she presents a far more persuasive argument that Mary deserves our respect for functioning as a competent and highly dedicated Queen-Regnant in incredibly trying circumstances. I would say, politically, I'm more inclined to applaud Mary Tudor than I was before and once again, I'm delighted and unsurprised that this blog has given me yet another book to add to my reading list!
Alison Weir has a new book coming out about Anne Boleyn that sounds like a MUST READ for Mr. Gareth Russell. ;-) I will be posting on it soon.........
Elena, thanks for this post and all your great posts on Mary I, my favorite Tudor character.
I have not read this book as yet but hope to do so soon. I was curious by the comment made by the previous poster who claims Mary's "modern-day champions" try to denigrate everyone else who disagree with her. I am familiar with the recent authors who have come out with new material on Mary like Linda Porter, Judith Richards, Anna Whitelock and Eamon Duffy and all of them are serious scholars whose biographies of Mary and/or her Queenship are excellently researched and avoid unnecessary polemics.
Is there someone I'm missing??
Ironically, the only recent author who can be said to "bolster her heroine" by "denigrating everyone else" is that noted Bullenite Joanna Denny - and I am yet to find her Marian equivalent!
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