Shortly after the investigation into her husband's death, Mary, Queen of Scots, is sent to live with George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his Countess wife Bess. Initially, the couple is thrilled to have the honor bestowed upon them. Before long, however, Mary's imprisonment begins to cause problems that the couple hadn't thought of when they became her guardian.
Mary, Queen of Scots, Sent to Tutbury
In the beginning, Mary is sent to Tutbury, a dingy lodging which has been used only for hunting in the past. Bess scrambles to get the building and land ready for the queen, and from there the trouble begins.
George and Bess have been promised a small stipend for guarding Mary - about a quarter of what her court costs - but before long, are not even receiving that much. Bess is a meticulous book keeper and soon realizes that they will not be able to keep both Mary and their fortune for long.
In addition, Bess is terrified that her husband has fallen in love with Mary and will commit treason against Queen Elizabeth. To try to prevent any treason, Bess becomes an informant for the queens advisor, William Cecil.
Soon, people from the Northern lands begin rising up to try to free Mary. With each attempt, the Talbots face further expenses and another threat of treason. What once was an honor has become and unbearable burden, and Bess and George are not sure how they will survive the keeping of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Historical Accuracy and Gregory's Work
The Other Queen is filled with the historical accuracy that a reader would expect from one of Gregory's novels. It is not filled with the snappy and crisp interactions the reader has come to expect, however.
Philippa Gregory has chosen three narrators for this work: Bess, George, and Mary. The problem is, none of these characters are ever anywhere near where the action takes place. The reader hears about everything that happens through letters written to the narrators. Gregory has a similar problem with multiple narrators in The White Queen.
And in truth, nothing really does happen. Much of the novel is filled with back story and things that happened before Mary was questioned or imprisoned. The reader gets the feeling that this novel should have centered on another time or place - a time when Mary was doing something other than crocheting in the Shrewsbury's home.
William Cecil as a Main Character
The novel also would have benefitted from another narrator, someone who was near the action or who was making decisions - William Cecil, for example, would have been a good choice. Often the reader hears about the decisions he has made but wonders about why. Having justification for some of his actions may have helped move the story along more quickly.
Overall, the three main characters were very flat and one-dimensional. Mary was beautiful but manipulative, caring very little for the feelings of others. Bess was cynical, conniving, and mean, and didn't give a hoot about anything other than her balance sheet, and George was loyal to a fault, throwing out his ability to choose between right and wrong because of Cecil's pressure.
On it's face, the story of Mary, Queen of Scots is intriguing and captivating, but when the reader delves deeper, they find that the early years of her imprisonment are relatively boring told from her standpoint.
The reader will have to have an over-active imagination to enjoy this slow-moving book.
The Other Queen was published by Touchstone in 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4165-4912-3
Kristen Nichols - Kristen is a freelance reporter and copywriter covering Olympic and Paralympic sport for Suite101.com. Kristen's love of sport developed ...
