A review by thebooktrail88
Another Woman's Husband, by Gill Paul
5.0
Wow wow and wow again. How have I not heard of this true life story before? Wallis simpson and Princess Diana are such iconic figures but Wallis's childhood and life up until and after she married the king of England is utterly fascinating! With a brilliant touch of phrase and a deft touch of historical intrigue and creative flourish, the period and the people come to life from the page. I half expect the finished book to have gilded pages and be displayed in the shops on a velvet cushion.
The stories of both Diana in 1997 and Wallis Simpson in 1911 are stories you might think you know but I had no idea of the link! A mystery hidden in plain sight! A puzzle solved across the years! Some of it might be fictionalised of course but I can't say anything else other than read this with your mouth wide open like I did. It plays out like a film in your mind with classical music mixing with the jazz of the 1920s.
The historical research must have taken ages - as although the book is written with a light and deft touch, you're sure that beneath the velvet there's some history stuffed in there - making it a very comfortable, enticing read with a glorious mix of facts and intrigue.
Gill has taken me to some amazing places and moments in time - Elizabeth and Richard Burton's affair on set of Cleopatra in Italy, the Titanic in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and even the middle of the Crimea with Florence Nightingale. This HAS to be an epic film or at least given to those who want to relive history - Gill has such a skill, I half expected to wake up this morning clutching a bracelet or facing a portrait picture on my wall (when you read the book you'll see why)
Stunning! Out in two weeks. Put it on your list now. And buy that red velvet cushion in preparation.
The stories of both Diana in 1997 and Wallis Simpson in 1911 are stories you might think you know but I had no idea of the link! A mystery hidden in plain sight! A puzzle solved across the years! Some of it might be fictionalised of course but I can't say anything else other than read this with your mouth wide open like I did. It plays out like a film in your mind with classical music mixing with the jazz of the 1920s.
The historical research must have taken ages - as although the book is written with a light and deft touch, you're sure that beneath the velvet there's some history stuffed in there - making it a very comfortable, enticing read with a glorious mix of facts and intrigue.
Gill has taken me to some amazing places and moments in time - Elizabeth and Richard Burton's affair on set of Cleopatra in Italy, the Titanic in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and even the middle of the Crimea with Florence Nightingale. This HAS to be an epic film or at least given to those who want to relive history - Gill has such a skill, I half expected to wake up this morning clutching a bracelet or facing a portrait picture on my wall (when you read the book you'll see why)
Stunning! Out in two weeks. Put it on your list now. And buy that red velvet cushion in preparation.