The Italian Woman: A Catherine de' Medici Novel

Jeanne and Catherine are two strong woman who are destined to be foes. Catherine is dedicated to maintaining her power through her young sons on the French throne. Jeanne is fanatical in her devotion to the new faith. The threat of religious civil war continually threatens France, with these two woman at the center of the drama.This is the second o the Catherine de' Medici series and I didn't like it quite as much as the first. Mainly it fell a bit flat for me as there was some abrupt changes from point-of-view, which threw me off a bit. Instead of relying on Catherine's actions to showcase her devious nature, every now and then the author felt the need to comment/show the reader by hammering home the fact that Catherine had a murderous viewpoint.Other than that, it was still an enjoyable historical fiction read. Especially for those who like reading about woman who have powerful roles in history.

Hated from the time she arrived as a 15 year old girl due to being of merchant stock in Italy, Hated by her husband whom she dearly loved, this one starts with the death of her husband and goes through the deaths of her two oldest sons.

This is extremely engrossing. I felt sorry for Catherine as she was a pawn of her family and the politics of Europe at that time. She had no friends and no-one to help her show her love for her husband. She ruined her life and her children's in her obsessive search for power. Plus she loved poisoning her enemies. One really mean woman!

This was an interesting perspective on some aspects of the life of Catherine DeMedici. It is not often that you will find her sister - in - law relaying the events of the time from her throne in Navarre. It does continue to portray Catherine as a coniving, at times incompetent, manipulating woman who sees her world crumble in spite of her manipulations. Enjoyable reading

Excellent historical novel

Madame Serpent covered a very dramatic beginning to the life of Catherine Medici. Jean Plaidy brought to life a cast of complex, exciting men and women who dominated the Renaissance and told their story as if it were fiction, although reality was almost stranger than fiction. Italian Woman is not quite so layered, but it is still an excellent read.

Haven’t read this yet but I love Jean Plaidy so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this

Jean Plaidy has painted a fascinating and complex character in Catherine de'Medici. Although the character is morally flawed, the reader finds her sympathetic. This second of a trilogy continues the story and encourages the reader to read the third book.