Book Review- The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel

For those who don't know me well, one of the things that makes me quirky is that I had a double major in university of History and Medieval Studies (yeah, I know... the two most likely degree subjects to land me a job, not...), but my plan at the time was to become an elementary school teacher and that required a BA in something and a B ED in Ontario, so the BA was a present to myself... courses I knew I would love!

Since University, I have strayed from the typical text book type readings, but still love to read about historical women in fiction and biography - their lives are a fascinating glimpse not often found in traditional scholarship... so I was incredibly honoured and pleased to become part of the Virtual Book tour for The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel by C.W. Gortner through pumpupyourbook.com 

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel begins with snippets of Catherine as a young girl, profiling her spirit and resourcefulness at a young age.  Her rise to power as the last of the powerful Florentine Medici family and Queen and subsequently Regent of France and through to the end of her life is beautifully worked through fast paced chapters that bring to life the intrigue of court life and the shifts of power that move Europe through the Renaissance period.

I found the struggles between being a mother and a powerful political figure particularly interesting.  The time period of Catherine de Medici's life is one of constant war and upheaval as France and all of Europe are dividing along religious lines - Catholic and Protestant.

C.W. Gortner's portrayal of Catherine de Medici is both sympathetic and beautiful and I highly recommend that you pick up this book!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of writing this review.  This did not in any way influence my opinions or thoughts about the book.