A review by empheliath
Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster by Alison Weir

3.0

I wish I could give 3.5 stars. The trouble with this book is not one that is the author's fault -- it's simply that there isn't that much information about Katherine Swynford out there. None of her writings survive, no letters written to her, most of the places she lived are now ruins. So a lot of what we know about her comes indirectly -- from things the people around her were doing, inferences that can be made based on patterns of gifts and payments to her in other people's financial registers, etc. As a result, this biography suffered from a lack of the personality insights that I enjoy so much in Weir's other biographies, where she is able to use letter and diary excerpts to good effect.