One of history's most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and the uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent, beautiful, and proud of her heritage, Juana rebels when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir — until she comes face-to-face with Prince Philip the Fair, a man who will bring her the greatest of passions and the darkest despair.
When tragedy decimates Juana's family in Spain, she suddenly finds herself heiress to Castile, a realm prey to scheming lords bent on thwarting her rule. The betrayal of those she loves plunges Juana into a ruthless battle of wills, a struggle of corruption, perfidy, and heart-shattering deceit that could cost her the crown, her freedom, and her very life.
Juana of Castile was the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit the throne, and her turbulent life is excellent fodder for this provocative and well-crafted historical novel. Marguerite Gavin superbly reads Juana's first-person account, starting with her parents' conquest of Granada in 1492. Gavin tells Juana's story in a carefully controlled and subtly elegant tone that makes the listener wonder whether "Juana la Loca" was truly mad or the victim of political machinations. Gavin richly portrays Juana's spectacular ambivalence toward her husband: her fear of an arranged marriage to a foreign stranger, her growing physical passion for her handsome prince, her gradual loathing of his deceit and lust for power, and her devotion to his corpse after his death. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Malaga Daily...
"A novel of ravishing power...With compassion and deep respect, Gortner brings Juana la Loca to vivid life."
About the Author
C. W. GORTNER holds an M.F.A. in writing with an emphasis on historical studies and has taught university courses on the sixteenth century. He has been praised as a master storyteller. He is half-Spanish by birth and is the grandson of a famous film actor in Spain.
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