"The Red Queen" by Philippa Gregory

"The Red Queen" is the second book in Gregory's "The Cousins' War" series (after "The White Queen").  The interesting thing about this series so far is that it takes many of the same events and shows them from differing perspectives.  It was an interesting book set during a period that is less often covered in historical novels than many other areas of English history.  Although it wasn't my favorite book of hers, Phillipa Gregory is the queen of historical novels set around the English court.

For my review of "The Red Queen", click here.

Jane Austen's Winchester

 I feel as though I've gotten to know Jane Austen over the past few months as I've read her novels, fan fiction, some critical essays on her work, and a few biographical bits.  Through Jane Austen I've gotten to know not only the extraordinary author herself, but her time.  One of the reasons that Austen's novels are still so popular is because they open up a doorway for us to experience life in a different time.

For me, it is life in a different time, but not a different place.  Austen was from Hampshire, England.  At the end of her life, Austen lived in Winchester.  She died in Winchester, and is buried in the cathedral there.  Before I was married I lived in Winchester for a year, and could hear the cathedral bells from my flat.  This week I was able to spend a day in Winchester with my children.  It was a spontaneous decision to spend the day there, and we enjoyed wandering around the city exploring together. 

At one point we happened to walk by Jane Austen's house (luckily I had my camera on me, so you can see pictures).  It struck me at that point how much of Winchester is the same as it was when Jane Austen lived there.  We had explored the Wolvesey Castle ruins, walked along the river and by the water meadows, and meandered around the cathedral.  These are all places that Austen would have been familiar with, and probably walked around the same way that we did.

Winchester is a beautiful town that is still very vibrant (there was a bustling market and fashion week events while we were there), but it's also a city deeply seeped in history.  Winchester still lives, but it is also still Jane Austen's Winchester.  If she could somehow visit now she would surely be shocked by many things, but I think she would still recognize and feel at home in Winchester.

"The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory is pretty much the queen of historical fiction, especially if it's about the British monarchy.  Once again, Gregory proves with "The White Queen" why her books are best-sellers.  It's an excellent historical novel with a lot of well-researched facts, great writing, and an intriguing story line that involves the reader.

"The White Queen" is set during the War of the Roses.  The main character is Elizabeth Woodville, the Lancastrian associated widow who became King Edward IV's York Queen.

To read my slightly longer and more in-depth review of Philippa Gregory's "The White Queen", click here.

The next book in The Cousins' War series (Philippa Gregory's trilogy set during the War of the Roses) is "The Red Queen".  The main character in "The Red Queen" is one of Woodville's adversaries who appears in "The White Queen" as a minor character.  I look forward to learning more about her and seeing history through her perspective.

To visit Philippa Gregory's official website to find out more about these or any of her other books, click here.