Blog Tour: Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner

Title: Confessions of Catherine de Medici
Author: C.W. Gortner
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: Received a copy through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "The truth is, none of us are innocent. We all have sins to confess.

So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history’s most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter into the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power."

My Two Cents:

There are many people in history that seem to have only one story about them. For Catherine de Medici, it's a story of scheming and poisoning anyone who dared to defy her. I didn't know much about Catherine de Medici before this book but I did know her reputation for being in love with power and relying on some pretty ugly things to maintain the power of herself and her family.

Portrait of Catherine de Medici

C.W. Gortner is able to humanize the Queen as a person who had seen a lot of trauma in her life. She found herself parentless and in a convent during much infighting in her native Italy. As a young teenager, she is married to a prince of France, Henri who is in love with a much older woman, Diane, who seems to only want to complicate her life.  Catherine eventually becomes a mother, a job that she relishes. She only wants the best for her children which seems to play into her being a little, shall we say, poison happy. She faces many challenges including religious fighting that threatens her family's place on the throne.

Sometimes in seeing the motives for an action, while we may not condone it, things are made a little more clear. Is it right to poison your rivals? Probably not but we can at least see Catherine in a new light and what her thinking was when she committed some of the actions that she did. I really liked this book. As I said, I didn't know much about Catherine besides the tales of the various people that she poisoned to get her way before reading this book but she is definitely an interesting historical figure. I feel like I definitely understand  her a little bit better. 


Bottom line, this book is perfect for any history lover who wants to see Catherine de Medici in a new light and is definitely a good read.


My Review:
4 out 5 stars


This is the last day of the book tour but be sure to go back and look at other posts for the blog tour.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 24

Review at Adventures of an Intrepid Reader & Historical Tapestry

Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, May 25

Review at Rundpinne
Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, May 26

Review at Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog

Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, May 27

Review at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, May 30

Review at Broken Teepee

Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Queen of Happy Endings

Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, May 31

Review at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, June 1

Review & Giveaway at Wendi’s Book Corner

Author Guest Post & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Thursday, June 2

Review at Luxury Reading

Author Guest Post (Books of a Lifetime) & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Friday, June 3

Author Interview & Giveaway at Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog

Review at Historically Obsessed

Monday, June 6

Review at A Bookish Affair

Author Interview at Luxury Reading