This is a pleasant book about the life of Hortence, daughter of Josephine Bonapart, and step daughter to Napolean Bonapart. This book seems to be a well researched book about her life. Unfortunately her life is a bit of a bore. If you have the chance read it, if not don't kill yourself to get the book. However, don't be discouraged from Norah Lofts. Try her books "Kings Pleasure" "The Concubine" or one of her bests..."Lost Queen."

...if you have a weekend to kill. It's rather short, and I'd honestly never heard of it until I picked it up one day for ten cents at the Salvation Army, I'm assuming because it's out of print. :)

In my opinion, Isabella's experience is dated. Lofts applied the Madonna-whore complex to pretty much every woman in this book. It was a pleasant surprise to find a book about Isabella in the 'first person,' but there isn't a great amount of character development. I'd imagined Isabella a far fiestier queen.

Still, Lofts moves the plot along well, and gives a good description of the war of succession resulting from Henry's imbecility, la Beltraneja's question of legitimacy, and the shoddy treatment Isabella had received from her nobler relative for most of her early life. Worth the read if you have any knowledge of Spain during the time period.

This is not Lofts's best book, but her writing talents are so incredible I found myself faulting Isabella for not leading a more dramatically satisfying life. Anything by Lofts is worth a read for her uncanny ability to get into the minds of her subjects.