Author: Carolly Erickson
First Published: August 2009
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
309 pages
I’ve always had an interest in historical royalty, and lately I have been filling my bookshelves with historical fiction novels that deal with queens and princesses and such (mostly more Erickson works, and Philippa Gregory as well). I actually did not really know much about Mary, Queen of Scots, prior to reading this book. I have come to really fall in love with her tragic tale. Perhaps it was the way it was portrayed in this book, but I really sympathized for Mary and felt bad that she was the victim of so much unfortunate luck.
If you know a little about Queen Mary’s real life, then the plot of this story shouldn’t be too surprising to you, though there are, of course, some creative liberties taken and some completely fictional elements added to it (elements that I did not know never occurred to the real Mary until I looked up the facts later). Mary became Queen of Scotland at a mere six days old. She was married to King Francis of France when she was fifteen (and he, younger) but he died shortly. Unfamiliar with Scottish politics, Mary returned to Scotland eager to rule her realm, but due to her upbringing in France and her religion that clashes with those of her people, she finds herself facing many obstacles. She finds she must flee Scotland and looks for safety in England, with her cousin Queen Elizabeth. However, she is not safe even there as the Queen fears Mary will take her throne — and indeed, it is said Mary has a better claim to the English throne than Elizabeth — and so Mary is imprisoned for years until she manages to escape and attempts to fight for her right as a Queen.
Like I mentioned earlier, I knew pretty much nothing about Queen Mary going into this book, and I’m delighted that it has sparked not only a genuine interest in the life of Queen Mary and all the mysteries, scandals and modern day theories that go along with her, but also a renewed interest in history itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I liked this portrayal of Queen Mary, a kind girl/woman who has been Queen all her life and does not want to settle for less. I am aware that there are some completely made up parts to the story that I suppose a historical purist will frown upon, but I’m the type of person who isn’t too concerned about factual stuff in this genre of books (I mean, that’s why it’s fiction!) and I personally enjoyed it, though I do admit some parts were a little hard to believe (for example, one of her fictional escapes from imprisonment was done a little easily, among other events. Another thing that I admit bugged me a little was the inclusion of her fictional daughter, who never existed in real life. That’s kind of a big thing to make up, and it had little impact on the story in the end, so it felt kind of pointless).
On that topic, some parts of Mary’s personality did irk me. I wasn’t sure if it was just an inconsistent character, or some sort of naivety on her part, but it was really bizarre to me how she sought protection from her cousin Queen Elizabeth, yet at the same time, would openly say to others that she is the rightful Queen to the English throne and that Elizabeth really isn’t a Queen at all. I mean … that’s kind of a dumb thing to say to about the person you wish to protect you, right? However, I suppose it just goes to show how sure of her rights as a queen she is, though I still think it’s foolish to proclaim yourself the rightful ruler of a throne whose current ruler you seek help from, while you are in their country as well.
Regardless if you’re into historical fiction or not, I think this book is an enjoyable and fun read. Mary’s life already lends itself to a fascinating story, and easily lures readers into wanting to discover more about this tragic queen.
My Rating: 3.5/5
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