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A review by mbenzz
Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones
5.0
This was a great book. It takes place much earlier than most of the books I read (I tend to stick with the 14th, 15th century), so I didn't know anything about these sisters before starting this. Ms. Jones writes in a style that flows nicely and she always keeps the story moving...not focusing too much on trivial events. There are times when two or three years will have passed between chapters.
I'm not going to summarize this book too much since it's already been done here, but if you're interested in reading it, I definitely recommend it. Each sister has her own, very vivid voice (Sanchia's is a bit weak, but she was the weakest of the four sisters, so that's to be expected), and you'll like them all for different reasons.
You will most likely come to dislike Marguerite as the novel wears on though...she becomes bitter and mean the older she gets, but she certainly has reason for becoming that way. Eleanore is tough and capable. She has a very hard time bending to the will of the men around her, especially when she knows they're wrong.
Beatrice, the youngest sister, was my favorite, though she made me sad. She and her husband were happily married (very odd for that time period) and they shared their ever-expanding power equally. She loved her sisters with all her heart, but she was extremely misunderstood by them, and therefore never really 'one of them', something that pained her until her death. And Sanchia...sweet little mouse-like Sanchia. What a sad and unhappy life she had. All she wanted was to give herself to God and live out her days in a convent, but the enormous ambitions of her mother would not allow it. She was married to a cruel and abusive husband and became more and more dependent on alcohol.
Overall, a very entertaining book. I realized only after starting this that there's a short prequel to this book called White Heart...the story of Blanche de Castille (the White Queen of France). It's only 58 pages long, but I've just downloaded so I can find out what made her such a absolutely horrid woman. I'll definitely be keeping my out out for future books by Sherrie Jones.
I'm not going to summarize this book too much since it's already been done here, but if you're interested in reading it, I definitely recommend it. Each sister has her own, very vivid voice (Sanchia's is a bit weak, but she was the weakest of the four sisters, so that's to be expected), and you'll like them all for different reasons.
You will most likely come to dislike Marguerite as the novel wears on though...she becomes bitter and mean the older she gets, but she certainly has reason for becoming that way. Eleanore is tough and capable. She has a very hard time bending to the will of the men around her, especially when she knows they're wrong.
Beatrice, the youngest sister, was my favorite, though she made me sad. She and her husband were happily married (very odd for that time period) and they shared their ever-expanding power equally. She loved her sisters with all her heart, but she was extremely misunderstood by them, and therefore never really 'one of them', something that pained her until her death. And Sanchia...sweet little mouse-like Sanchia. What a sad and unhappy life she had. All she wanted was to give herself to God and live out her days in a convent, but the enormous ambitions of her mother would not allow it. She was married to a cruel and abusive husband and became more and more dependent on alcohol.
Overall, a very entertaining book. I realized only after starting this that there's a short prequel to this book called White Heart...the story of Blanche de Castille (the White Queen of France). It's only 58 pages long, but I've just downloaded so I can find out what made her such a absolutely horrid woman. I'll definitely be keeping my out out for future books by Sherrie Jones.