A review by serendipitysbooks
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang

informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

 Young Queens looks at the interconnected lives of three European queens - Catherine de Medici who was married the King of France, her daughter Elisabeth de Valois whose marriage made her Queen of Spain, and Mary, Queen of Scots who became Catherine's daughter-in-law and who spent much of her childhood in the French court being raised under Catherine's watch - and through them we get insight into key aspects of sixteenth century European history. Court politics, rivalries and intrigues, the focus on building up allegiances via marriage, and the importance of an heir (preferably male) ar just some of the topics covered through the eyes and letters of these three women. I was especially fascinated by Catherine and the way she worked to maximise the power that was available to her as a woman. A very smart and strategic woman. I felt sorry for the young princesses, sent from home at a young age to a foreign court, leaving them vulnerable and isolated from their own family. The misogyny of the era came through strongly, France's Salic law being a prime example. I listened on audio, which may have been a mistake. While the narration was excellent, the switching back and forward in time plus the repetition of names (Elizabeth I is featured and there are lots of Henrys) means print may have been a better choice. Undoubtedly a well-researched and well-written book, but possibly a bit long and overly detailed for my interest level. 
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