Philippa Gregory's "Earthly Joys" series- 4*

  I wonder what they do with all those flowers.

The Netherlands in May

 At first glance, it looks like a giant child armed with a box of crayons has been set loose upon the landscape. Yet far from being a child's sketchbook, this is, in fact, the northern Netherlands in the middle of tulip season. The Dutch landscape in May is a kaleidoscope of color as the tulips burst into life. The bulbs are planted in late October and early November. More than three billion tulips are grown each year and two-thirds of the vibrant blooms are exported, mostly to the U.S. and Germany . 


 After you enjoy these colorful pictures, check out this fabulous series by Philippa Gregory. If you like historical fiction or gardening, these are excellent books that give you some insight into the history of plants and gardens of the royal family. I loved them both and give them a 4* rating.

Tremendous historical novel of the early 1600s, as seen through the eyes of John Tradescant, gardener to the great men of the age. A traveller in a time of discovery, the greatest gardening pioneer of his day, yet a man of humble birth: John Tradescant's story is a mirror to the extraordinary age in which he lives. As gardener and confidante to Sir Robert Cecil, Tradescant is well placed to observe the social and political changes that are about to sweep through the kingdom. While his master conjures intrigues at Court, Tradescant designs for him the magnificent garden at Hatfield, scouring the known world for ever more wonderful plants: new varieties of fruit and flower, the first horse chestnuts to be cultivated in England, even larches from Russia. Moving to the household of the flamboyant Duke of Buckingham, Tradescant witnesses at first hand the growing division between Parliament and the people; and the most loyal of servants must find a way to become an independent squire.

Terrific, free-standing sequel to the historical bestseller EARTHLY JOYS, as John Tradescant the Younger witnesses the English Civil War and its aftermath from his position as royal gardener. John Tradescant the Younger has inherited his father's unique collection of plants along with his unerring ability to nurture them. But as gardener to Charles I, he confronts an unbearable dilemma when England descends into Civil War. Fleeing from the chaos, John travels to the Royalist colony of Virginia in America. But the virgin land is not uninhabited. John's plant hunting brings him to live with the native people, and he learns to love and respect their way of life just as it is threatened by the colonial settlers. In the new world and the old, the established order is breaking down and every family has to find its own way of surviving. For the Tradescants, through the upheavals of the Commonwealth and the Restoration, this means consolidating their reputations as the greatest gardeners in the country.

Their dazzling colors are thanks to the years in the 17th century when tulip mania swept the 

globe and the most eye-catching specimens changed hands for a small fortune. But like a 

Rainbow, this colorful landscape is a short-lived phenomenon. When the flowers are gone, 

the land will be cultivated for a rather more mundane crop of vegetables. The Netherlands 

produce more than nine million bulbs a year.

The Red Queen: A Novel (The Cousins' War) by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Red Queen: A Novel (The Cousins' War)

Author: Philippa Gregory

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: * * * 1/2

Publishers Date: August 3, 2010

Hardback: 400 pages

Publisher: Touchstone

ISBN: 1416563725

FTC Disclosure: I was given a free copy by the publisher  for my unbiased review.

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales.

Married to a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only fourteen, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she names him Henry, like the king; sends him into exile; and pledges him in marriage to her enemy Elizabeth of York's daughter. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret charts her own way through another loveless marriage, treacherous alliances, and secret plots. She feigns loyalty to the usurper Richard III and even carries his wife's train at her coronation.

Widowed a second time, Margaret marries the ruthless, deceitful Thomas, Lord Stanley, and her fate stands on the knife edge of his will. Gambling her life that he will support her, she then masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of the time - all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and now waits for his opportunity to win the greatest prize. 

I truly detest reading a book from the first person POV. I just never get really comfortable nor lose myself in the story. I was acutely aware at all times that I was reading a novel. Except for a few chapters toward the end of the book that were third person, I never got entrenched in the story. I knew that Margaret Beaufort was a religious fanatic (but then during that time most were) but I got tired of hearing about her “Joan of Arc” obsession, two or three times on every page. She truly was an annoying and self absorbed person. Even as a child she was very full of herself. The only time I came close to feeling pity for her was when at 13, she gave birth to Henry. It amazes me that any woman lived to have more than one child. While I enjoyed The Red Queen more than The White Queen, neither was as riveting as the Tudor wives books nor the royal gardener books which I adored.  Again, this book was thin on the areas that I so loved in her earlier Tudor books, descriptions of the homes, foods, court life and clothes. I like to be able to “see’ as well as read about what was going on in this era. I dislike being told what is happening. It wasn't a great book but I’m still holding out hope that the rest of this series will live up to my expectations.

Cousins' War

1. The White Queen (2009)

2. The Red Queen (2010)

The White Queen: A Novel (Cousins' War) by Philippa Gregory

Title: The White Queen: A Novel (Cousins' War)

Author: Philippa Gregory

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: * * *

Publishers Date: April 6, 2010

Paperback: 464 pages

Publisher: Touchstone

ISBN: 1416563695

FTC Disclosure: Received a free copy from publisher for my unbiased review

Presenting a new series set amid the deadly feuds in England known as the Wars of the RosesBrother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They ruled before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women.The White Queen tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, who secretly marries the newly crowned boy king. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London.
 Even though I don’t ordinarily like a book written in 1^st person POV, it did not bother me near as much as usual. The White Queen was a vast improvement over The Other Queen although still not as great as her books on Henry VIII’s wives or the royal gardener books which I though were 5 star reads. Even though the novel took place over 20 years, I never reached the point where I really cared about the characters in this story. They seemed pretty flat and frankly not very interesting. This novel did not contain the rich details about the foods, clothing, and parties that I enjoyed so much in the Tudor series. These rich details was what kept me reading as much as the storyline. I loved the intrigue of the Tudor era and though there were some mention of politics in this book not nearly enough that you felt the danger that existed during this time. Gregory tells you about it but you never have that edge of your seat feeling that I got in the Boleyn books. The writing was repetitive to a fault about her ancestor Melusine and I didn’t think it really added anything to the storyline. It felt as though the editor said we need some paranormal to draw in the reader so witches and magic was thrown in the mix. It was an interesting read as I was unfamiliar with this era in English history but not a rush out and buy read. So for that reason I gave it a 3 star rating.

Cousins' War

1. The White Queen (2009)

2. The Red Queen (2010)

If you would like a chance at a copy of Gregory's next book due out on Aug 3, 2010, check out the giveaway that Simon and Schuster is hosting HERE. This is a WORLDWIDE competition to win 1 of 10 SIGNED copies of the UK hardback – the competition will run for the length of the blog tour, closing at the end of September. 

Wideacre By Philippa Gregory

                    Wideacre

         Author: Philippa Gregory

          Book Type: Paperback

           Rating:* *

            Review Date: 8/19/2008

•             Paperback: 656 pages
•             Publisher: Touchstone (July 2, 2003)
•             ISBN-13: 978-0743249294

"Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is 
beautiful, refuses to conform to the social 
customs of her time. Destined to lose her 
family name and beloved Wideacre estate 
once she is wed, Beatrice will use any 
means necessary to protect her ancestral
 heritage. Seduction, betrayal, even murder
 -- Beatrice's passion is without apology or 
conscience. "She is a Lacey of Wideacre,"
 her father warns, "and whatever she does, 
however she behaves, will always be fitting."
 Yet even as Beatrice's scheming seems 
about to yield her dream, she is haunted 
by the one living person who knows the
 extent of her plans...and her capacity for evil."
Generally, I have fallen in love with most of 
Gregory's stories about Henry VIII's wives so I 
guess I was expecting too much from this 
series of books. Although, the book was okay, 
it definitely was not as good as her books on 
the royal family or even the gardeners of the 
royal family. I just never got really got hooked
 on the story of Beatrice, even though she was
 certainly an unusual character. She came off
 pretty much as a spoiled bitch and it was hard 
to find any sympathy for her. Everything that
 happened to her was brought on by her own 
selfish acts. Even though I am going to try to
 read the other two books in this series, I 
intend to wait awhile and see if they are better
 after an absence of Gregory's writing.

Wideacre
1. Wideacre (1987)
2. The Favoured Child (1989)
3. Meridon (1990)