It’s been almost a month since I last updated this blog.

I haven’t been in a good mental frame for the past few weeks. Maybe I’ll write about it soon when I get things (i.e., my research proposal) in order. And I hope I get to do that soon.

So, to alleviate that stress, I read a few books at that time, and I am taking the opportunity to give a review for them.

I will be reviewing three books: The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp by Eva Rice, American Duchess by Karen Harper, and Anne Edwards’ Matriarch. I loved all three books for different reasons, and I hope the reviews would encourage you to read the books! 🙂

I shall post a separate review for each book. This post will be for Anne Edwards’ Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor.

Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor
Anne Edwards, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Kindle Edition

Whenever I read something about Queen Elizabeth II, her grandmother is also mentioned, and quite often at that. Matriarch was a very informative book, and I found it hard to put down. As someone who is very much interested about the British royal family, I have learned about Queen Mary–how she is related to Queen Victoria’s family, how her courtship with the then Prince George, aka. the Duke of York.

And man, this queen has been through so much in her youth. Imagine having to move around a lot because your family is in debt, not mention trying hard not to facepalm at your mother’s extravagant tastes (Her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide has been known to spend a lot). Imagine trying to fend off creditors at your father’s doorstep. Imagine having to cope with the death of a fiance. Just imagine.

Anne Edwards painted a very vivid picture of Queen Mary’s life in all its stages. Before I read this book, I honestly thought she was someone quite cold. But she wasn’t.

The only snag in this book is the presence of some distracting if related paragraphs. Distracting in the sense that it jumps off from one train of thought to another. Probably it is just me, but I initially found it hard to understand the biography. But if you’re a history lover, and biographies are your jam, this is a book you might love to read, distracting passages aside.