Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile by Julia Fox

A remarkable and exceptional recreation of the lives of two nobelwomen.

Synopsis:

Daughters of the formidable Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, Katherine and Juana were born in to a world of privilege and luxury that came at a devastating personal price. They were trained from an early age to understand European diplomacy and to revere their position as defenders of Catholicism against any threat to their religion. In an age of family politics, the sisters were useful only as a way to secure new alliances through marriage; both at the mercy of the men they were to marry. Katherine's marriage to Prince Arthur appeared to go well until he died suddenly after ten months. Marriage to King Henry VIII did not result in the vital heir, and soon Henry was displaying his despotic nature, with the execution of 'traitors' and high-handed affairs. Juana fared no better with Philip of Burgundy, whose naked ambition and cruelty made her life equally difficult. Julia Fox's new biography vividly portrays the harsh realities of being a queen within a world dominated and run by men. She provides a fresh take on the sisters' characters and interior worlds by setting them within their family and Spanish contexts. In the case of both women, this vibrant biography graphically illustrates the dangers of being a royal commodity at such a perilous time, and gives a highly revealing portrait of two forceful female personalities thwarted by the men around them - including the men closest to them who should have cared for them the most.

Opening Sentence:

The snow-covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada were clearly visible from the high, castellated red walls of the citadel as the slight figure of Boabdil, the last king of Granada, slipped out of its gates for the final time.

Review:

Sister Queens is a biography about two Spanish sisters who became queen - Katherine of Aragon and Juana of Castile.

Both were daughters of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. From the very start, Isabella planned and schemed to marry them to the most powerful kings in Europe.

Katherine, heiress of Aragon, was married to Arthur, the elder brother of the notorious King Henry VIII who was a mere prince at the time and who was destined to become her second husband.

Juana, heiress of Castile, was married to Philip of Burgundy, a cruel, ambitious man hungry for power and control.

Philip of Burgundy

This biographical non-fiction book focuses on their equally tragic lives as they fell victim to the aspirations and ruthless power-seeking men in their lives. Although women could hold power and govern lands in their own right, they often faced insurmountable barriers by husbands, brothers, and fathers. Julia Fox did a wonderful job with researching lesser known facts about their lives. What results is an entertaining, sympathetic portrayal of two women who struggled against great adversity.

Although the book focuses heavily on the life of Katherine, likely due to the popularity of the Tudors, she delves a little less, but adequately into the life of Juana. There have been many novels written about these two fascinating queens, however none carry as much detail as Sister Queens. It is evident the author utilized authentic historical sources; she credits them throughout this book's pages, so there is an aura of credibility from start to finish.

I highly recommend this book for everyone interested in English and Spanish history. There is no doubt that Sister Queens will stand as a valuable resource because of its accuracy and veracity for generations to come. It was truly an enjoyable read, rich with life, strife, and trouble.

The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

The inspiring international bestseller of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself first into a prestigious couturier and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during World War II .

Between Youth and Adulthood . . .

At age twelve, Sira Quiroga sweeps the atelier floors where her single mother works as a seamstress. At fourteen, she quietly begins her own apprenticeship. By her early twenties she has learned the ropes of the business and is engaged to a modest government clerk. But everything changes when two charismatic men burst unexpectedly into her neatly mapped-out life: an attractive salesman and the father she never knew.

Between War and Peace . . .

With the Spanish Civil War brewing in Madrid, Sira leaves her mother and her fiancé, impetuously following her handsome lover to Morocco. However, she soon finds herself abandoned, penniless, and heartbroken in an exotic land. Among the odd collection of European expatriates trapped there by the worsening political situation back on the Continent, Sira reinvents herself by turning to the one skill that can save her: her gift for creating beautiful clothes.

Between Love and Duty . . .

As England, Germany, and the other great powers launch into the dire conflict of World War II, Sira is persuaded to return to Madrid, where she takes on a new identity to embark upon the most dangerous undertaking of her career. As the preeminent couturier for an eager clientele of Nazi officers’ wives, Sira becomes embroiled in the half-lit world of espionage and political conspiracy rife with love, intrigue, and betrayal.

Already a runaway bestseller across Europe, The Time In Between is one of those rare, richly textured novels that enthrall down to the last page. María Dueñas reminds us how it feels to be swept away by a masterful storyteller.

The Time in Between is a novel that became an international bestseller in Europe through the power of word-of-mouth. This comes as no surprise; the story unfolds with a luscious first person narrative and detail that truly creates some incredibly vivid scenes.

In 1920’s Spain, Sira Quiroga is the daughter of a poor seamstress who must work alongside her mother in order to earn a scant living. Through painstaking tutelage, she hones her skills. Although engaged to marry a well-established, kind-hearted man, she leaves him for an extremely handsome and charismatic man who sweeps her off her feet with his romantic attentions. Against her mother’s better judgement, she moves in with him, without the benefit of marriage.

One day, the father she has never known mysteriously summons her. Due to the turbulent political situation, he is fearful of his life and is prepared to flee from Spain. He hands her an incredible amount of money and jewellery to take care of her future.

Her lover convinces her to move with him to Tangier and Tetouan on a business scheme. There they live the high life until the day Sira learns she is pregnant. When she returns home to tell her lover, she discovers he has abandoned her, taking all the money and jewels, and leaving her without a penny to pay the extensive hotel bill.

Devastated, Sira struggles to pay off her debts and earn a decent living, enough so that she can bring her mother out of the dangerous political situation in Spain. She opens shop as a seamstress and soon attracts a cliental of rich German women. Soon, she is lead into a dangerous role ad risks her life spying against Hitler’s growing regime.

The appeal of this novel is definitely the human portrayal of a brave heroine who must overcome insurmountable circumstances. Add to that the politics of a volatile world on the eve of World War II, and you have a novel with a fascinating plot. Filled with peril, deception, poverty, corruption, and excessive wealth, we feel as if we are actually experiencing the heroine’s pain and troubles with each page turn.

Written with vivid prose that evokes deep emotion in its reader, The Time in Between is a timeless novel of treachery, duplicity, and bravery.

The Fabulous Voyage Across The Ocean Sea by Jay Prasad

The Fabulous Voyage across the Ocean Sea is the story of three young men who cannot escape their heritage. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Sephardim, in the period of the mass persecution and expulsion of the conversos from Spain in the late 15^th century. 

It is 1486, when Miguel de Avila’s father summons him from his home in Barcelona back to his birthplace in Toledo. Miguel, a gem dealer, and his father have been estranged since the father’s affair with Miguel’s betrothed. The Spanish monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon have sponsored the nationwide persecution of the Spanish descendants of Jews, whose property the Crown confiscates, before Dominican friars preside at auto-da-fe rituals. The victims have two choices: to profess their devotion to the Christian faith and die by strangulation, or to continue their supposed adherence to the Jewish religion and suffer death at the burning stake.

The conversos are damned either way, something that Miguel’s experiences drive home. He witnesses one of the executions in the company of his father’s housekeeper, who takes a lustful interest in him. Later, when her guilt overwhelms her, the woman accuses Miguel and his family of being secret Jews. He and his father escape trial. Miguel undertakes his father’s last command, to find his illegitimate brother, Luis, sired on Miguel’s former betrothed. The precariousness of life as a converso makes the prospect of Christopher Columbus’ plans for a voyage to the East, via a western route, interesting to Miguel. He meets with Columbus and his brother, promising to finance a journey. He questions whether Columbus has truly found the route he promised, as the natives whom the sailors encounter are entirely unlike what they expected.

In 1493, Luis de Avila enters the court of the Catholic monarchs, as Isabella’s secretary. Christopher Columbus and his co-captain have returned to Spain at odds with him. While Luis experience some disappointment that his brother Miguel is not among the sailors who have returned from the Indies, he remains painfully aware from his childhood experiences of the instability of life for the Sephardim. Luis is eager for an opportunity to discover his brother’s fate, as Columbus plans his next voyage. His responsibilities take him back to Spain, and a new wife and son. He also finds Miguel’s own illegitimate son, Aurelio, living in an orphanage. The interference of his in-laws puts Luis’ life in danger and he flees, leaving Aurelio to fend for himself.

Aurelio de Avila is a bright boy, with a seemingly bright future ahead of him. He trains as a lawyer at the prestigious Salamanca University. One of his first tasks requires him to review the petition of Christopher Columbus for revenue he has not received from his voyages. In doing so, Aurelio learns of Columbus’s possible origins and the final fate of the man who rescued him from the orphanage. Can Aurelio escape the troubles that arise from his family’s history?

Author Jay Prasad has written a tragic and compelling story of Jewish life in 15^th century Spain. The triumphs and tragedies of each of the three protagonists are vivid. The author’s portrayal of Spain during the period is fascinating and full of rich detail.

Underground by June Hutton

First Line: A mud sky churns over a mud field broken by coils of barbed wire, a wheel severed from a cart, a tangle of brown limbs.

Underground by June Hutton is a compelling novel about one man’s journey to rediscover and redefine himself after a set of devastating experiences in World War I.

Al Fraser volunteered for war. He finds himself in a trench on the front line of a battle in Somme. Before long he is struck down by an explosion that buries him alive in the mud and muck. He manages to climb out and survives, shell-shocked and riddled with shrapnel. When physically able, he is returned home to British Columbia a lost soul, broken and desperate to overcome the horrors in his mind. Somehow, he must create a new life for himself.

Life is hard and his family poor. He finds work as a painter of ceilings for the homes of the affluent. But luck runs out when is engulfed by the desperation of the Great Depression and is forced to live as a hobo. He finds himself in a bit of trouble with the law and travels to northern Canada where he finds home and love for a while. But something inside of him demands that he fight again in order to fully heal, and Al soon volunteers to fight again in the Spanish Civil War.

The prose is intuitive, discerning, and often gut-wrenching. The story has a very realistic and eerie feel to it because it is based on June Hutton’s own grandfather who actually suffered the protaganist’s fate in the battle at Somme, and to some extent, thereafter. It is a compelling tale of one man’s journey of self-discovery through pain, love, war, and hardship. And for a debut novel, it’s incredibly engrossing.

Scoundrel's Kiss by Carrie Lofty

Carrie Lofty sweeps her readers away to exotic Moorish Spain, in her newest novel Scoundrel’s Kiss, a fabulous follow-up to her Zebra debut, What a Scoundrel Wants.

In a land of contrasts, divided by several faiths, Ada of Keyworth is in the throes of a debilitating dependence on opium. Once a scholar in England, now Ada seeks only a mindless, blissful escape from brutal memories of her past in England. In her desperation, she rushes headlong into danger.

Gavriel de Marqueda is a novice of the knightly Order of Santiago, also determined to leave the past behind him. He blindly follows his master, Gonzalo Pacheco, who has one final test of Gavriel’s devotion before he can join the Order. Gavriel soon finds himself standing in a brothel, where the beautiful Ada, in the clutches of the opium, awaits the highest bidder. Her friend Jacob rescues her, but knowing he cannot ease Ada’s addiction, he asks Gavriel to help her overcome it. She will be his final test.

Traveling north beyond the ragged mountains of Toledo, Ada awakens from her stupor to find herself in the company of Gavriel, his master and another novice, Fernan. Neither man is truly as he appears, each carrying a secret of his own. Ada teases Gavriel with her bold sensuality. He struggles with a growing attraction to her, which threatens to undo his tenuous control. Later, Gavriel separates from the brothers of his Orders, and travels alone with her. Danger stalks them along the frontier. Shadowy men with ties to Gavriel’s past are on their trails. All his personal oaths are soon in jeopardy, for in addition to a vow not to kill, he’s also taken a vow of celibacy.

When Ada arrives at the Order’s stronghold, she seemingly free of her opium dependence, but another addictive need, for Gavriel, has replaced it. The old temptation of the drug is also never far from her. Yet, Gavriel remains steadfast at her side. Their bond strengthens when he reveals his past, and recognizes the danger which surrounds them. But unknown to both of them, Ada holds a stunning connection to his past, one that will determine their fates, and the survival of a Spanish kingdom.

Carrie Lofty is a wonderfully, talented writer, and her Scoundrel’s Kiss is an engaging story. Ada and Gavriel, both haunted by their pasts, find common ground and absolution in each other. They are memorable, for their bravery and resilience with each new trial, but even more, for the power of their love. Their story was a great pleasure to read and I highly recommend Scoundrel’s Kiss.

Remember to leave a comment to win a copy of Scoundrel's Kiss, and join us tomorrow, with our guest blogger Carrie Lofty.