Zara Phillips by Brian Hoey

Title: Zara Phillips
Author: Brian Hoey
Source: Library

What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "Zara Phillips' story is definitely not rags-to-riches. Instead it is a fascinating tale of determination, the search for independence, and the will to succeed on her own merit. As the only daughter of Princess Anne and with a reputation as a rebel Royal for her tongue-piercing, sense of style, and controversial love life, Zara has long been the subject of public attention. But while her Royal lineage has ensured she is never far from the public eye, her success as a sportswoman received little attention until she was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2006 after winning the Gold Medal at the equestrian World Championships. This book looks beyond the public image to reveal the real Zara. It charts her childhood, including her parents' divorce and her mother's subsequent remarriage, her school years, and her relationships with other members of the Royal family, including Prince William, as well as her personal life and her rise to the top of her chosen sport. With original anecdotes from those who really know Zara, quotes from contemporaries in the equestrian world, and comments from fashion experts, this book is a revealing look at life as a young royal and champion sportswoman."

My Two Cents:
So I have to confess that I'm suffering from an acute case of Royal Wedding fever this week. My Easter basket was filled with all sorts of Will and Kate related goodies on Sunday from my parents as my mother especially seems to understand or at least tolerate my love for all things royal. But did you know that there is going to be another Royal Wedding this year? The Princess Royal's daughter, Zara Phillips (who also is William's cousin) is getting married to a rugby player later this summer.

I don't know much about Zara so I decided to pick this book up from the local library. It's definitely a fluffy, gossipy book (and okay, admittedly I do like that sometimes). It was entertaining but don't pick it up if you are looking for something particularly insightful. This book draws a lot of interviews with people who know Zara or know of Zara as well as a heady dose of hearsay. I did enjoy the book. It's interesting that Zara has become so accomplished in her equestrian pursuits and really cool to see the Royal family allowing her to do so.

The bottom line is that this book is fun but not much more than that.

My rating:
2.5 out of 5 stars