Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. And I am adding what I purchased, swapped, etc.

I know that many of you.. and me.. are out there at the pool getting a sunburn so you may not be seeing this post on Monday.. so I'll put up some books to welcome those who do take the time to visit this week and save the rest for a rainy day. That's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Zero review books this way, these were all purchases by me:
Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold M Packard (1999)
Five women who shared one of the most extraordinary and privileged sisterhoods of all time...

Vicky, Alice, Helena, Louise, and Beatrice were historically unique sisters, born to a sovereign who ruled over a quarter of the earth's people and who gave her name to an era: Queen Victoria. Two of these princesses would themselves produce children of immense consequence. All five would face the social restrictions and familial machinations borne by ninetheenth-century women of far less exalted class.
Researched at the houses and palaces of its five subjects— in London, Scotland, Berlin, Darmstadt, and Ottawa— Victoria's Daughters examines a generation of royal women who were dominated by their mother, married off as much for political advantage as for love, and passed over entirely when their brother Bertie ascended to the throne. Packard, an experienced biographer whose last book chronicled Victoria's final days, provides valuable insights into their complex, oft-tragic lives as scions of Europe's most influential dynasty, and daughters of their own very troubled times.

The Princes in The Tower by Elizabeth Jenkins (1992)
A landmark look at one the most heartrending, tragic acts in British history: the murder of two defenseless young princes in the Tower of London by their uncle, King Richard III. Written by the bestselling author of Elizabeth the Great, it uses contemporary scientific research to examine what really happened. Was Richard a cold-blooded, villainous killer? How did political events of the time affect the king's behavior? Truly compelling.






The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans (2005)
The year is 1450, a dangerous time in medieval Britain. Civil unrest is at its peak and the legitimacy of the royal family is suspect. Meanwhile, deep in the forests of western England, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne.
Fifteen years later, England emerges into a fragile but hopeful new age, with the charismatic young King Edward IV on the throne. Anne, now a young peasant girl, joins the household of a wealthy London merchant. Her unusual beauty provokes jealousy, lust, and intrigue, but Anne has a special quality that saves her: a vast knowledge of healing herbs. News of her extraordinary gift spreads, and she is called upon to save the ailing queen. Soon after, Anne is moved into the palace, where she finds her destiny with the man who will become the greatest love of her life — the king himself.
Elizabeth: Captive Princess by Margaret Irwin My copy is a 1945 hardcover, but Sourcebooks is reissuing this second novel in a series in October 2010. This is a follow up to Young Bess, which I enjoyed.
In this, the second of Margaret Irwin's great trilogy about the life of 'Good Queen Bess', Elizabeth I, the imperious, high spirited heroine of Young Bess finds herself the prey of her sister Mary's jealous...


Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick (2005) I had purchased Lords of the White Castle previously, but then I read that Shadow and strongholds was a prequel to White Castle, to I had to get this one. Naturally. =) Laws of Physics at work within the Burton home.
A medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power.
England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother. In an attempt to encourage Brunin’s development, his father sends him to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Brunin will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back.


Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin, soon forms a strong friendship with Brunin. Family loyalties mean that her father, with the young Brunin as his squire, must aid Prince Henry of Anjou in his battle with King Stephen for the English crown. Meanwhile, Ludlow itself comes under threat from Joscelin’s rival, Gilbert de Lacy. As the war for the crown rages, and de Lacy becomes more assertive in his claims for Ludlow, Brunin and Hawise are drawn into each other’s arms.
Now Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and put to use all that he has learned. As the pressure on Ludlow intensifies and a new Welsh threat emerges against his own family’s lands, Brunin must confront the future head on, or fail on all counts....

Young Bess by Margaret Irwin
Product ISBN: 9781402229961
Price: $14.99
Publication Date: March 2010 Reissue, original publication date 1944
Review Copy provided by the publisher, thank you!
The Burton Review Rating:

"Young Elizabeth Tudor lives in the shadow of her infamous mother, Anne Boleyn. Declared a bastard and banished from her father’s court, young princess Elizabeth has become adept at dodging the constant political games and royal whims that ensure her situation is never secure.

After Henry VIII’s death, Elizabeth is taken in by the king’s last wife, Katherine Parr, and Katherine’s new husband, Tom Seymour. But handsome Tom is playing for higher stakes. Marrying a widowed queen is one thing, but courting the King’s daughter and second in line to the throne is another. Seymour pursues the adolescent Elizabeth, as she finds herself dangerously attracted to him. And with her brother’s death, Elizabeth faces a perilous and uncertain future with danger encroaching from all sides…"

Young Bess is a story that is familiar to many Tudor fans, as it focuses on Tudor times that surrounded Elizabeth I as she was growing up. Although this is a historical novel, I found it full of interesting facts regarding the important players of the time, but it was written in such a way that it felt like Margaret was right here telling us the story as she knew it. Originally written in 1944, I didn't find the prose too outdated, except for a few mentions of the word 'gay' which has now been turned from meaning happy and joyful into something of a sexual leaning. In fact, it is such an easy verse that I would not hesitate to recommend this to young adult readers as well, which perhaps this audience was intended by Margaret Irwin in the first place.

The one major theme in my reading for the past few years has been Tudor related. I almost always enjoy a story regarding Tudor times, and this was no exception, as I completed this novel over a span of 36 hours, reading pieces here and there. The fact that this novel was written in 1944 probably appeals to me more simply due to the sheer respectability of its nature, for lack of a better word. I enjoy reading the older prose as it seems more authentically written. The story of Bess as she falls in love with Thomas Seymour was written as if it were quite scandalous, as it should have been, yet it was not done in a bawdy nature. The overall tone of the book was to display the political upheaval of the time: Henry VIII and his six wives were no longer, his last wife Catherine Parr died soon after giving birth to Tom Seymour's daughter. Elizabeth was portrayed almost as being a typical teenager, with the devil-may-care attitude, until she ultimately matures and discovers the ultimate goal of her life, which was to become the Queen of England.

Those readers who are hoping for the simple coming of age story of young Elizabeth will be disappointed. Although this read does give insight into what might have been going through Bess' mind, there are almost full chapters where Young Bess is not mentioned at all. Instead, it would focus on the other people who were ultimately having a profound effect on England.

There was Elizabeth's younger brother, Edward, who became the King of England at age nine. Therefore, Edward Seymour, also called Somerset after his estate, is featured in abundance, not just because he is Tom Seymour's brother, but because he was the Protector of the Realm during Edward's early minority. I found Somerset to be a very interesting character, along with his wife Anne who was the one who ruled the husband. A very interesting back story to be sure, and is one that I would like to research further. Thankfully, there was not a lot on Elizabeth's much older sister, Mary, but I have a feeling that in the second installment of this trilogy Mary will feature quite prominently as she is one who rules after young King Edward passes. Of course, we cannot forget Lady Jane Grey, who is mentioned in Young Bess as more of a rival to the young Elizabeth and less as a friend. Also mentioned is the governess Katherine Ashley, and although Bess seemed distressed that she was imprisoned, at other times Ms. Ashley seemed taxing on Bess' patience, which is in opposition to countless reports of how Elizabeth and Kat doted on each other. But at this point as Bess was a teenager, Irwin's retelling seems to ring true.

I enjoyed the way that Elizabeth's brother Edward VI was portrayed, as a child thrust into such an exalted position, yet, still as a child, felt he had no control over certain matters. His uncles, the three Seymour brothers, were prominent in the story as Edward struggles with his uncles and ultimately tires of them. Two of the three Seymour brothers are executed once the novel is done. Edward always complained he had too many uncles! Towards the end of the novel, John Dudley was holding the reins for Edward while he patiently waited for Edward to die. It was not a great stopping point for the novel, but the next installment will be reissued in October, and the last one comes in April 2011. I will be sure to read them all, this was an informative and entertaining read and I am going to look into some more of Margaret Irwin's works. Young Bess is a must read for anyone interested in the Tudor times and to get a feel for what it was like to Elizabeth I as she grew up without a real home or many loved ones.

As I was reading my current read, Young Bess, by Margaret Irwin, I felt I came across a very important passage. So you must forgive me that it is not exactly two sentences long as the 'teaser' asks for.

Page 246
(From a fictional book on Tudor times)
Somerset, Protector of the Realm, Edward Seymour, King Edward VI's uncle who was making all of the fundamental decisions says:
"You are telling me that all they care about is hard cash....But no laws can make good men. Men have never been so mad as now to make money at expense of their meighbour. But that is not a cause, it's a consequence. Debased coinage, debased goods, they're the result of debased ideas. All the old ways are gone. The world is in the melting-pot. We have the chance now to build a far greater and happier State than ever before. But they cannot take that chance; they cannot even see it. They are blind with greed. They are like wasps in a honey-jar, never seeing that their neighbour's deaths lead only to their own."

Margaret Irwin published this novel in 1944, yet she was speaking of a period that was 500 years ago in England. How much of our present day political and economical situations mirror those that are quoted? Has anything changed? Will anything ever change? Why don't we ever learn? I believe that anyone running for any political office should be required to get straight A's in World History and American History classes for 4 years straight. This should be a pre-requisite before becoming a person that citizens are supposed to vote for. Perhaps learning from history, and applying that learning, we can cultivate ourselves for the greater good. Become that nation that stands as something to be proud of. Does being a policeman of the world give us that satisfaction? Does continuous war and grief bring us glory?