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"From the award-winning author of the controversial international bestseller The Jewel of Medina, a historical novel that chronicles the lives of four sisters, all daughters of Beatrice of Provence--all of whom became queens in medieval Europe. When Beatrice of Savoy, countess of Provence, sends her four beautiful, accomplished daughters to become queens, she admonishes them: Family comes first. As a result, the daughters--Marguerite, queen of France; Eleanor, queen of England; Sanchia, queen of Germany; and Beatrice, queen of Sicily--work not only to expand their husbands' empires and broker peace between nations, but also to bring the House of Savoy to greater power and influence than before. Their father's death, however, tears the sisters apart, pitting them against one another for the legacy each believes rightfully hers--Provence itself. Told from alternating points of view of all four queens, and set in the tumultuous thirteenth century, this is a tale of greed, lust, ambition, and sibling rivalry on a royal scale, exploring the meaning of true power and bringing to life four of the most celebrated women of their time--each of whom had an impact on the history of Europe. "--
"This historical novel follows four daughters of Beatrice of Savoy, all of whom became queens in medieval Europe"--
Reviews with the most likes.
This book was an interesting read. It not only showed how families sought to better themselves with marriages, but the lengths that they would go to. These four sisters, although they tried to band together, ended up working against each other in some instances, but as their mother always reminded them, family came first. These four girls were extraordinary for their times. They rose from Count's daughters to royal queens, and used their power not only to negotiate with their husbands but to help out their sisters as they were able. I would definately recommend this book to read. There were some parts that were rather slow and took me a little while to get through, but there are a few other books that go hand in hand with it and give some extra information.
Enjoyable, although I think I might have read it too soon after “The Sister Queens” by Sophie Perinot (which deals mainly with Marguerite and Eleanor).