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saliwali's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
This book is well-written and, were it pure fiction, I would have found it purely enjoyable. I believe that there is a greater responsibility when writing based on very recent history (many characters are still alive), because it is so hard to separate fact from fiction. I was especially disappointed about the single paragraph about Prince John, which served no purpose except to further darken the reader's perspective on the royal parents. I immediately went to read more about this and found the truth to be very different, even in what is portrayed by British media. What this book did do was whet my appetite for seeking out more factual sources that might be available, especially Wallis Simpson's experience. There is so much about this that will never be known and provide much room for fictional manipulation, but I think we might need another generation of distance for this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Death, Classism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Child death, Addiction, Chronic illness, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: War and Drug use
tiasreads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
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