The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Jim reads NOTHING but non fiction. Before his flight to Lisbon Tuesday, while looking through our bookshelves for a good read I told him if he stuck “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” in his bag I would personally guarantee that it would take him right through his flight, a slam dunk page turner, it’s the kind of book a reader is incapable of putting down. Lots of violence but amazing writing. Then I pleaded with him to take “The Outliers”. “Naw,” he said and instead tucked in his bag… ready for this? “Revolutionary War Battles Fought in Bergen County” I kid you not. (My guess is the time spent loading up his ITouch with “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episodes was more important than his book choice...)

This is all leading me to “The White Queen” which is sort of like reading non fiction but cheating at the same time. The writer, a bona fide historian, has tapped into the vicious and tumultuous times of kings and queens in England during the 15th century with this book and many others including “The Other Boleyn Girl”. The (literal and figurative) back stabbings, beheadings, confinements in the mysterious Tower of London and overall opulence of those times makes for very fast reading. (The future Queen)Elizabeth met King Edward on the side of the road as he was passing by, they fell instantly in love and secretly married. Bringing her to London to be his queen resulted in battles pitting brother against brother, to the death. The great mystery explored in this book is a real one: Whatever happened to her two young princes who were taken from her and kept in the Tower? It is a mystery which has never been solved, they simply disappeared. I enjoyed this one, it kept me up reading until I got to its tragic conclusion.