Margaret was her own person: she fell in love at the direction of her own heart; quarreled rashly but fearlessly with nobles and monarchs; stayed a staunch Catholic in a country that was slowly embracing its new identity as a Protestant Kingdom. Often forced to be reactive, she became a skilled reactor; she established a place for herself in a new country at a new court; moved faster then anybody else in the aftermath of Francis II’s sudden death; admitted, when she read the forged Bothwell confession, that she had been wrong about Mary and hastened to reconcile with her. Above all else , she had a vision of her family and of what they were meant to do- claim the crowns of England and Scotland, and restore the old faith. ~ (272-273, So high a blood)
Review
I was very excited when I heard that another book on the Tudor era was coming out. Though I have several interest in different era’s of history , this particular era has always had a special place in my heart.
So High a blood Tells the story of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. She was the daughter of Margaret Tudor, who was the sister of Henry VIII and mother to James V, and Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus.
This is the first book I have read of Morgan Ring. I have to say that I was disappointed that this was the only book written by her. I am very much looking forward to more books from her. I still say that Lara by Anna Pasternak is still my favorite book of the year, this book right now is coming in at a close second.
I thought this was a very well written and detailed account of Margaret Douglas life. I would go as far as to say that anyone who is wanting to learn more about Margaret should begin with this book. And for those who are familiar with Margaret’s story, I think that this book brings a refreshing insight on her and those around her.
The premise of this book was that Margaret was her own person, and she was also a survivor who was able to adapt to the changing world around her. Morgan Ring does an excellent job in making her case.
One example of this is that Margaret Douglas was a devout Catholic. She was able to forge a good relationship with Elizabeth and other Protestants for a time when being Catholic dangerous.
One of things I liked about this book was that we get a clear and balance view of Margaret. We see both her successes and her failures. Like her determination to get her son and Mary Stuart married, but she was the blind to the faults in her own son which led to the demise of his marriage to Mary and ultimately his death.
Another thing that I liked about this book is that we get detailed picture of the politics that was going on in both England and Scotland. I am defiantly going to be reading more on Scottish history.
Again, I can’t say enough good things about this. If your interested in learning the latter half of Tudor history, I highly recommend this book .
Book Description
Title : So High A Blood
Arthur: Morgan Ring
Genre: Nonfiction/Biography
Pages: 341
Format: Hardcover
Verdict: Buy it!!!!
Nonfiction in Review 