I usually love historical fiction.  I think it's fascinating when a writer does her research and presents a story that, while true in its historical accuracy, manages to bring a character to life and lend it a bit of modern sophistication.  I love feeling that connection with a character from the past, so I was looking forward to reading this novel.  The problems are many.  First of all, Ms. Gregory has cast aside much of what modern historians accept as fact; namely, that Mary was the older sister, that her children's paternity was always questioned, and there is no evidence to suggest their brother was gay.  The addition of these elements serves to cheapen this novel, relegating it to a tabloid of sorts.  Historical inaccuracies aside, I also found flaws in the writing itself.  Run-on sentences abound, affecting the overall fluency.  Also, the characters are so exaggerated as to be quite unbelievable.  Anne is portrayed as purely evil, seeking her own selfish ambitions with no regard for her family, while Mary is portrayed as a pure and innocent child who is used unwillingly by her ambitious family.

The reason I decided to give it 3 stars is because, if you can ignore the "historical" aspect, it is a riveting tale.  The 600+ pages went by fairly quickly for me, and I was honestly interested in the story, particularly that of Mary and William's courtship.  It takes a large imagination and no small amount of talent to invent such a touching courtship, and for that, she is to be commended.
I usually love historical fiction. I think it's fascinating when a writer does her research and presents a story that, while true in its historical accuracy, manages to bring a character to life and lend it a bit of modern sophistication. I love feeling that connection with a character from the past, so I was looking forward to reading this novel. The problems are many. First of all, Ms. Gregory has cast aside much of what modern historians accept as fact; namely, that Mary was the older sister, that her children's paternity was always questioned, and there is no evidence to suggest their brother was gay. The addition of these elements serves to cheapen this novel, relegating it to a tabloid of sorts. Historical inaccuracies aside, I also found flaws in the writing itself. Run-on sentences abound, affecting the overall fluency. Also, the characters are so exaggerated as to be quite unbelievable. Anne is portrayed as purely evil, seeking her own selfish ambitions with no regard for her family, while Mary is portrayed as a pure and innocent child who is used unwillingly by her ambitious family. The reason I decided to give it 3 stars is because, if you can ignore the "historical" aspect, it is a riveting tale. The 600+ pages went by fairly quickly for me, and I was honestly interested in the story, particularly that of Mary and William's courtship. It takes a large imagination and no small amount of talent to invent such a touching courtship, and for that, she is to be commended.