Three Sisters, Three Queens

Gregory, famous for her writing about the great English dynasties of the Tudors and the Plantagenets, returns here to the intersection of the two families with the first generation of Tudor princesses. Narrator Bianca Amato, as usual, excels with Gregory's material. The main character is spoiled and mostly unsympathetic Princess Margaret, but Amato strikes a wonderful balance between showing Margaret's worst qualities and revealing some humanity and vulnerability. Furthermore, Amato subsumes herself into the story and puts the focus on the world that Gregory is reanimating rather than her narration. J.L.K. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

October 31, 2016
Actor Amato, who has read three of Gregory’s previous titles as audio editions, is terrific in Gregory’s latest historical novel set in Tudor England. She deftly portrays the passions, ambitions, and catastrophes of three sisters from childhood through adolescence to queen-hood. She takes listeners along on the roller-coaster ride from ecstasy to agony and back again for the three 16th-century royals: Queen Katherine (first wife of Henry VIII), Queen Margaret (sister of Henry, married off at 16 to James IV of Scotland) and Queen Mary (sister of Henry and third wife of Louis XII of France). Amato’s portrayal of protagonist Margaret is vivid and compelling. She also creates captivating voices and personalities for their husbands and lovers, as well as their infamous brother, Henry. Gregory’s historical novels are sheer entertainment; the combination of Gregory and Amato is pure pleasure. A Touchstone hardcover.