Princess Margaret is so full of her importance.  She is so much more grown up than her 5-year-old sister, Mary. She is so unwilling to befriend the bride of her beloved brother, Arthur, as only a girl can be who is “all but twelve.” She refers to her sister-in-law as “Katherine of Arrogant” and tries to ignore Katherine’s gentle kindness. Anyway, she knows that she will soon be married to James IV of Scotland and will be a queen while Katherine is still only a princess and will have to walk behind her.  Two sisters and a sister-in-law. The three are destined to be queens, Mary of France, Margaret of Scotland and Katherine of England, and the three remain friends and rivals throughout their lives. The story is told through the voice of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, and as she matures and endures countless trials, and makes bad decisions, the voice changes. Slowly, gradually, she matures, comes to be a bit less self-absorbed, comes to understand the sorrows of others. Philippa Gregory does a masterful job. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book and highly recommend it.

eGalley review                    Publication date 8.9.16