So I finally finished Elizabeth and Mary by Jane Dunn. That was one hefty book. Come in at 418 pages, I think it took me a solid 3 months to read.
The book was so rich that I could only read 3-4 pages at a time before needing to put it down. But it was thoroughly enjoyable. Anyone interested in Elizabethan history (which I’m fascinated by) would do well to get this book, which analyzes the relationship of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. They ruled at the same time, but lived completely different lives.
Intrigue, jealousy, rumors, threats of war, scandals, murders and plots of overthrow all were par for the course in the lives of these two women, and yet they went from beloved cousins (despite having never met each other) to bitter enemies as the years wore on.
I didn’t know much about Queen of Scots before reading this book – and I’m excited that I actually bought a biography about her a few months back. Once I’m done reading some of my pulp fiction I’ll probably pick that up to read a more detailed analysis of her interesting but ultimately sad life.