This is a very interesting book about the life of Catherine de Medici, starting from when she was born in 1519 and going on from there. The main thing in her life is politics, the politics of people who want to kill her or use her for their own purposes. This includes people all the way up to the Pope himself.
Papal politics takes a lot of space in the book.
Catherine (or Caterina) is taken hostage at eight years old and kept in a convent where the people there hate her. She's half French, and a French ambassador takes an interest in her and she is taken to a better and friendlier convent.
The siege of Florence is described (more politics) and the effect of the plague. Around the age of eleven she has to go to Rome where the Pope takes a personal interest in her. The one friend she has is made into a cardinal just to get him away from her.
The decision is made to have her marry a son of the French king when she is only fourteen. She has no choice in the matter and she's married, but her husband totally ignores her and spends his time with his mistress.
She does end up pregnant, though, and is not sent back to Italy as she feared, and in the end she becomes the Queen of France.
Main Index
Yadult Index
