The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by CW Gortner

The trade paperback edition of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI is in stores today, with a beautiful new cover and bonus reader material... which is one of my favorite things when reading historical fiction.

This is a re-post of my review. I originally posted this as Mr. Gortner's novel was first released. If you haven't yet read this novel and love strong female protagonists, you are in for a treat!


From C.W. Gortner's website... "At the age of fourteen, Catherine de Medici, last legitimate descendant of the Medici blood, finds herself betrothed to the King Francois I’s son, Henri. Sent from her native Florence to France, humiliated and overshadowed by her husband’s life-long devotion to his mistress, when tragedy strikes her family Catherine rises from obscurity to become one of 16th century Europe’s most powerful women.
Patroness of Nostradamus and a seer in her own right, accused of witchcraft and murder by her foes, Catherine fights to save France and her children from savage religious conflict, unaware that her own fate looms before her—a fate that will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, reputation, and the passion of her own embattled heart. . .
From the splendors of the Loire palaces to the blood-soaked battles of the Wars of Religion and haunted halls of the Louvre, this is the story of Catherine’s dramatic life, told by the queen herself."


C. W. Gortner, half-Spanish by birth, holds an M.F.A. in writing, with an emphasis on historical studies, from the New College of California and has taught university courses on women of power in the Renaissance. He was raised in Málaga, Spain, and now lives in California.
Acclaimed for his insight into his characters, he travels extensively to research his books. He has slept in a medieval Spanish castle, danced in a Tudor great hall, and explored library archives all over Europe. His debut historical novel The Last Queen gained international praise and has been translated into eight languages to date. His new novel, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, will be published on May 25, 2010. He is currently at work on The Princess Isabella, his third historical novel, and The Secret Lion, the first book in his Tudor thriller series,The Spymaster Chronicles. You can visit C. W. Gortner’s website at http://cwgortner.com/

My thoughts about The Confessions of Catherine deMedici...
This novel was incredible from the first line (and you know how much I love first lines!)... "I was ten years old when I discovered I might be a witch." to the last sentence... you didn't really think I'd share that, did you?!?

I love historical fiction but have, until recently, read mostly about fictional characters. I really didn't know a lot about Catherine de Medici. I didn't "google" her until after I had finished this novel. I wanted to read this book without any preconceived ideas. Because I wasn't as familiar with Catherine's story as I should be (shhh... don't tell my history professors :D), I was very grateful for the map of France and the family tree of The Valois. I referred to both and didn't get lost with names and places. It's details like this that tell me that the author put thought into everything about his novel. If there are too many characters or places and I have to constantly go back and read a page or two to figure things out, I'm more likely to stop reading. A quick glance at the map and family tree assured that this novel read effortlessly. I appreciate things like that in my books.

Mr. Gortner chose to tell Catherine's story from her point of view. This, in my humble opinion as a reader, can make or break a story. He did it, flawlessly. There was never a point in the story when I "lost" Catherine's voice and "heard" the author's. Everything was as Catherine would interpret it... the dialogue flowed, the characters (both primary and secondary) were presented as she saw them and the settings described through her eyes. To take Catherine from a young girl through her tumultuous life and have me feel empathy for a Queen who, historically, is regarded as ruthless, domineering and, even murderous, takes great skill as a writer. To do it from her own point of view without losing historical facts and perceptions seems to very easy for Mr. Gortner.

I know not all authors choose the covers of their novels but I have to say that this cover is so striking. I hope Mr. Gortner had some say with this cover and is pleased with the results. I have seen The Confessions of Catherine deMedici at the bookstore and it is truly eye-catching. I know a huge trend in historical fiction cover art is women wearing beautiful period gowns. This cover takes it a step beyond. Yes, Catherine is wearing a beautiful period gown but she is standing in a hall that is dark, almost ominous... foreshadowing, maybe?

There is a afterword in which the author shares some of his thoughts about writing this novel as well as some other historical notes. I appreciate this because, after reading the book, I can tell he was thoughtful and careful he was to tell Catherine's story.

I read this novel with a more critical eye than I normally do as I knew I would be reviewing it. I came away thinking that it was so well-written and interesting that I would not have been disappointed if I had purchased it... which I will do for Mr. Gortner's other books. I'm now quite a fan of his work. Please check out his website for information about his other works.

***Thanks to Dorothy and Cheryl at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/ and Random House for sending me The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner to read and write an honest review on my blog.***