By Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan
St. Martin’s Press, 2017. 304 pgs. Nonfiction
The marriage of Victoria and Albert was one for the story books. Victoria adored Albert. For twenty years she and her sweetheart ruled side by side. But as this book shows, it wasn’t all a fairy tale. Based on journals and accounts from the time, this book narrows the focus of Victoria’s reign to the twenty years she was with Albert before his death. Though they were first cousins, they were completely different in personality. Victoria was passionate, headstrong, and emotional. Albert was logical, introverted, and calculating. They balanced each other out. Their marriage was tempestuous but also full of love and support. The book explores their relationship and how it strengthened over their marriage. After Albert died, Queen Victoria was never the same. She mourned him for the rest of her lonely thirty year reign.
I loved listening to this book. I love it when a nonfiction book feels like a romance. By focusing on just the relationship between the Queen and Prince Consort, the book was able to highlight their family life, their love story, and their partnership. I was especially enthralled with the story about Queen Victoria suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of the Crown Prince. The whole royal household was baffled by Victoria’s behavior. I loved how Prince Albert leaned in and helped Victoria during this time. If you are watching the PBS Series Victoria, this is a must listen.
AG
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