Tag: politics

What’s Ashley Reading?: Lady Clementine

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict

First line: I always feel different.

Summary: Clementine Churchill was the wife of statesman, Winston Churchill. Growing up in a lower class of the aristocracy she was not sure where her life would go until she met Winston. With the marriage brought advancement but also many challenges. Alongside him during two world wars she helped strengthen his political career as well as using her status to help the English people.

My Thoughts: When I was younger I read a lot about World War II but I never remember reading anything or even knowing about Clementine Churchill. And I knew as soon as I saw that Marie Benedict was writing a book about her that I needed to read it. Benedict does a great job of finding women in history that have been forgotten or overshadowed by their male counterparts and bringing them back to the spotlight of the general public.

Clementine Churchill
with Eleanor Roosevelt.

I loved seeing how much Clementine did for Winston. He may never have reached the heights of Prime Minister without her help and support. And much like the Queen Mother during the Second World War, she helped the people of London during the Blitz and visited the people most affected by the bombings. She sounds like a very strong woman who cared about her family and the English people but has been forgotten. Glad that now she can be known by more through this story.

FYI: Read Marie Benedict’s other works to learn more about women like Clementine and their accomplisments.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Borgia Confessions

The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo

First line: The day I learned of my father’s plans for me, I was but nine years old.

Summary: In the summer of 1492 in Rome Cesare Borgia sees his father rise to the become the newest pope. Cesare has been forced to follow his father into the church but he knows that he is destined for something more. He has a strong military mind and passion to rule. However, his father is blinded by his ambitions to consider what Cesare wants.

Maddalena Moretti has come from the country to work in the Vatican. As a servant she sees into the world of powerful men who rule Europe. When she catches the eye of the handsome cardinal, Cesare Borgia, their lives become entwined as Rome and the rest of Italy fight the changes that are coming for them all.

My Thoughts: I love Alyssa Palombo. She is such a talented writer. She brings her stories to life and makes the characters believable. Even though many of the characters in this story are not likeable she does a fantastic job of getting the reader to at least understand them. I have been fascinated by the Borgia’s since picking up The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. I was very excited when I saw that Alyssa Palombo’s newest book would be centered on this notorious family.

I love the intrigue and drama of the Borgia family. They were people who schemed for everything they got but were at the center of religious power in Europe. I am very familiar with their story so there was not much that surprised me in the narrative but I loved the naughty bits which were more prominent in this novel compared to her other ones. I liked seeing the world from the eyes of a servant. At the end the author discussed how she wanted to look at the events from someone of power and someone without power. I agree it makes it much more interesting to see both sides.

FYI: Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir.

Book Review: The Hamilton Affair

The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs

First line: The boy frowned, pressed a folded handkerchief to his nose, and scanned the crowd for the third time.

Summary: Alexander Hamilton, a Revolutionary War hero and the first Secretary of the Treasury, was born in the Caribbean and moved to the American Colonies to attend college. He was not wealthy but he was brave and smart. Eliza Schuyler, a debutante and daughter of a famous general, is helping the war effort by assisting with the wounded at Valley Forge. When these two young people meet a love story begins. But the story still has its ups and downs even after the war is over.

Highlights: I knew basically nothing about Alexander Hamilton other than what I learned in my history classes, which wasn’t much. I had recently read a book about him but it stopped shortly after his marriage to Eliza. When I found out about the affair he had with Maria Reynolds I was completely shocked. I loved the author’s writing style and the flow of the story. I was completely engrossed in this story and I learned a lot. The pacing is really well done. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read more about the man who has become a pop culture phenomenon.

Lowlights: The political intrigue and problems with fellow founding fathers was a little confusing to me. It may all fall on my lack of detailed knowledge of the founding of the United States and all the problems that went along with it. I never realized that there was so much opposition to the changes and that they believed that Hamilton was interested in being King even though he fought so hard to end the rule of England over the colonies. Some of the pieces with the animosity with the fellow politicians was a little too much but it was building up to what led to the duel with Aaron Burr.

FYI: Great history lesson. Get the information that you missed in high school history.