THE LAST QUEEN
Author: C.W. Gortner ISBN: 9780345501844 8/2008 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: BALLANTINE
Time Period: 1479-1555 Europe
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Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel, C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.
The third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, Juana is born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify their kingdom, bearing witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, the archduke of Flanders, as part of her parents’ strategy to strengthen Spain, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.
Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, the sole heir to the Habsburg Empire. At first she is content with her children and her life in Flanders. But when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything. |
 RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: 
C.W. Gortner's THE LAST QUEEN is a poignant, in-depth account of the life of one of history's most misunderstood royals. It is well written, emotionally gripping and, at times, consuming. I could not help but be drawn to the woman who, even in her worst moment, hung to her belief that she was a queen and as such would fight until she had nothing left to fight with. It's impossible not to admire a woman like that.
Often ignored by historians, passed over because of her "unbalanced" nature, Juana of Castile was the rightful queen of Castile who, when she refused to abdicate, was incarcerated—merely for demanding her due. Called Juana la Loca, this is a woman whose standing up for what she believed to be justice cost her dearly. What may have been an otherwise enchanted life became, instead, a grief-stricken, lonely, tortured existence.
THE LAST QUEEN brings Juana of Castile vividly to life. Through her example we see that privilege often has its price—and that Juana paid dearly for it. Well done!
Kay James |
