Three Queens (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) - Three Sisters

Gregory ends the novel with a little bit of information about Margaret, taking time to note specifically that little has been documented in terms of her life aside from broad strokes. I knew this already going in, but Gregory's writing betrays this fact as well. There are a couple of unfortunate issues here, and I was surprised as Gregory has previously proven to be perfectly adept at spinning an entertaining story out of very little (or potentially biased) source information.

First, as others have noted, this is indeed the story of one Queen: Margaret. A good portion of it is told via letters exchanged between the other queens; any character information filled in about them is purely supplied either by Margaret's take on them or by their letters themselves. Margaret has always been discussed in broad strokes only; her personality is normally described as "lusty," and Gregory obviously took this information about her and chose to make it a defining point with a little less nuance than I'd have thought. Katherine of Aragon has had much written about her already, so the lack of input from her isn't such a terrible thing in her case; it's quite unfortunate with Margaret's sister, Mary, as she's given very little depth and is painted purely as a frivolous woman with very little going on in her mind otherwise. It seems like a poor caricature indeed.

Second, this feels more like a recitation of events that took place in Margaret's life than an experience relayed in first person. If readers aren't already familiar with some details about life in this particular era, there's a lot that isn't really filled in. Again, Gregory wasn't working with a lot of source material, but she's previously proven that her imagination is perfectly capable of filling in gaps (perhaps too ably so; I will never stop disagreeing with her about her take on Richard III, though I very much enjoy reading her work about him regardless, and of course anyone is entitled to their opinions!). What were Margaret's hobbies? What did she do with her time when it wasn't wholly focused on statecraft? It feels like a lot is missing. This is historical fiction; she could really have embellished many things and clarified in the afterword if she was concerned that readers would take her word as gospel. I'm always reluctant to ding authors for historical inaccuracies in historical fiction for this very reason. It's fiction! Go for it, if you feel that it's in keeping with your understanding of the person.

Third - and perhaps most maddening of all - this is actually an incomplete portrait of Margaret's life. In fact, when I finished I was so confused that I thought perhaps my kindle version was missing pages. It ends with the end of Mary's life (which would have made sense, potentially, as an ending point had Mary herself been more of a figure throughout). It ends leaving the reader with the impression that Margaret's third marriage is on solid footing. In fact, her third marriage was just as disastrous as her second and created turmoil with her son, which would have been a fascinating area to explore in the book. Instead, it ends so abruptly as to feel like Gregory ran up against a deadline and just turned the manuscript in.

I realize that this review sounds very negative and I do want to emphasize that I always enjoy reading Gregory's work otherwise; it is perhaps not always wholly rooted in historical fact, but as I've said: that's fine! It's entertaining and she generally handles character work much more adeptly than this. I had looked forward to reading this book for a long time and was sad to see that it just isn't quite up to snuff as far as her previous work is concerned.

Reading historical fiction is always hard for me. It sets me into such a resentful angry mood at how oppressed women were back then, how long it lasted, and how far we still have to go. Gregory does an amazing job with characters and development, the immaturity of Margaret in the beginning and how her life shapes and hones her character to the women she ends up being. I'm fascinated by these three women and their dynamic but I'm also saddened. What that time period, men, women, and themselves did to ruin such a family is depressing.

I hope they all found peace in the afterlife if there is one. I hope that if reincarnation is real, they all are women of power and position secure in their lives and full with love.

For everyone who has read all books from the historic series of Philippa Gregory, this one puts some needed details to the historic period. It is amazing how much one can learn and understand through the lives of women, who seem to be in the shade of men. The book is inspirational, exciting and sad. One would never even imagine that in mid centuries a woman, a queen, would first marry for love and then get official divorce from the Roman Pope.
Betrayal between women was based on loyalty to their husbands. The desires of one of them ruins the life of another.
The book is a great read for anyone who is already enchanted by the amazing writing of Gregory.

This was one of Philippa Gregory's best books. While I am an avid reader and fan, I have been a little disappointed in her last few books. This was not one of them. It was narrated by Margaret Tudor, a figure that we know about in history, but not as much as her sister Mary, and Sister-in- Law Katherine of Aragon. It was nice to see the world through Margaret's eyes, and to learn a little about the struggles that this remarkable woman went through, and the trials and tribulations that she endured. She was woman who was determined to live her own life, and do what she wanted. Though this did not always work out in her favor. She was dependent upon the many men in her life, when it was not safe to be a woman in power. These men let her down time and time again, and Margaret had to depend on herself, and use her wits to survive and maneuver in a very dangerous time and world that she lived in. I would recommend this read to anyone who is looking for something new, or to avid fans like myself. It was a great read, and a great little history lesson as well.

As always, Ms. Gregory delivers a beautifully written tale of Tudor love and loss. Her research and knowledge shine through and we are introduced to the lesser known Tudor Princess. The struggles and ties that all three women shared is uncanny, and that they all relied on the favor of one man is undeniable. While we can look up the history and cold facts, Ms. Gregory weaves for us the stories and perspectives and breathes life back into a forgotten past. She fills in the missing blanks with her own take on the personal thoughts and feelings of these women in a most fantastic way. She does not disappoint in this, nor any other novel of hers. I am inspired by Ms. Gregory and appreciate her for introducing us to history's forgotten royal ladies..

As always, Ms. Gregory delivers a beautifully written tale of Tudor love and loss. Her research and knowledge shine through and we are introduced to the lesser known Tudor Princess. The struggles and ties that all three women shared is uncanny, and that they all relied on the favor of one man is undeniable. While we can look up the history and cold facts, Ms. Gregory weaves for us the stories and perspectives and breathes life back into a forgotten past. She fills in the missing blanks with her own take on the personal thoughts and feelings of these women in a most fantastic way. She does not disappoint in this, nor any other novel of hers. I am inspired by Ms. Gregory and appreciate her for introducing us to history's forgotten royal ladies..

As usual Philippe Gregory never disappoints. Her stories pull you in like you are there witnessing everything that is being told in a way only she could.
I loved this book I was intrigued from page one to the end and I loved how she told the story of 2 Tudor sisters and Queen Katherine , King Henry The VIII's wife. She told a story with real events that happened and beautifully mixed it with fiction I recommend this book highly you won't loose interest i assure you. This is another NY Times best seller guaranteed

Thank you, Philippa Gregory, for introducing me to my 12th great grandmother in a way that brought her to life for me. Knowing who your ancestors are is fascinating, but having them described so clearly, even knowing it's in a fictional medium, is incredibly exciting. I couldn't put Three Sisters, Three Queens down, and read practically nonstop to the end. Even if Margaret Tudor, Queen Consort of Scotland, isn't your ancestor, I think you'll enjoy this book.

This novel is focussed on Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. The other 2 are Mary Tudor and Katherine of Aragon. The style is annoying, hence my rating, as Margaret's personality doesn't ring true. She is a heroine and a villain within the same paragraph with no real insight as to why this might be so.
So a character we know little about, but a bit of a soap opera read.

Ms. Gregory picked a very elusive subject this time. Margaret is a character that requires a special person to love her. Neither my mother nor myself were that person. We've had the book for a couple of months and neither of us has managed to finish the tale. Not so with the rest of Ms. Gregory's works. They were all read within days; the kind of books you can't put down. This is the book I just can't pick up. Rather disappointing.

Very long and reads more like a list of things that happened in her life rather than a diary entry. I only read 50% then got bored.. it's no way near as good as her other works written in this time period..

I love Phillipa Gregory and will read anything she writes.
Having said this, I am having a hard time with this book because I don't like people like the characters in the book. From a certain perspective, she portrays them in a flat one dimensional way. They may have just been vapid one dimensional people.
I have looked into them and I don't think I would have liked them as people.

I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan and have almost every historical novel she's written. I am looking forward to reading this!! Why 4-stars? Because the book arrive with about 30 pages crumpled! I hope they flatten out in time as this IS a 1st Edition!