Friday, September 18, 2009

Another Book Review - And - GIVEAWAY for HF Bloggers Round Table Event!!!

http://enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com/2009/09/announcing-grand-historical-fiction.html


Goddess of The Green Room, by Jean Plaidy-Victoria Holt



Let me just start by saying that I’ve moved this book way up my list of favourite Plaidys. In fact, right now it stands as number 1.
Goddess of The Green Room is about the life of the famous 18th century actress, Dorothy Jordan and her eventual long-lasting relationship to George III’s third son, William.

As a very young girl, born and raised in Ireland, Dorothy started out her acting career in order to help support her family. Her father had left the family, and her mother, who was once a well-known actress, could no longer provide for them due to illness. Their only choice for survival was for Dorothy to find work and bring home the bread.

Fortunately, Dorothy had an amazing talent for comedy. She was blessed with a tiny and very swift body, which initially helped her attain roles which were written mainly for boys. Dorothy dressed up in ‘breeches’ or types of tights for these particular roles and this proved to be deliciously comical and enticing to watch. The audiences loved her and propelled her to the status of, much- in- demand- and adored celebrity.

However, Dorothy did not attain this high status easily. She worked incredibly hard and had to endure abuse, rejection, failed loves, a failed marriage, being the sole provider for numerous children and other family members (including the men in her life)…- and lastly, a royal yet, shaky love relationship that would in the end, vanish.

Although some would say that her role as mistress to William put her in the same category as courtesans or as one who claimed several lovers; In reality, Dorothy was a one-man woman throughout. She was loyal to love and never made any demands- nor was she ever a ‘kept’ woman. In terms of her relationship with William, Dorothy really made him wait. He courted her incessantly- and she consistently resisted. It was a very long and platonic courtship. Finally when she consented, the two went on to have a long and loving relationship that produced ten children; which Dorothy financially supported throughout.

What was most interesting in this delectable read was to find, weaved into the story, the unraveling lives of that colorful George III’s dynasty. Goddess of the Green Room combines all the bits of notable history involving the individual monarchs and other noteworthy figures of the times. For instance, we get a glimpse of George IV’s failed marriage to Caroline of Brunswick, his Maria, all of his glamour and obsessions, George III’s illness and disappointment with his sons, (we also discover why the famous ‘eh’ at the end of his sentences)- and there’s even a section with Perdita. We experience it all as the pieces of the puzzle come together perfectly.

Not only is this an engaging read, its brilliant storyline is inviting with historical accuracy and colorful characters. Goddess of the Green Room exceeded all my expectations. This is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

Interesting Tid-bit:
I was intrigued by Plaidy’s dedication at the beginning of the book:

‘For William’s and Dorothy’s Great-Granddaughter, HERBE ELSNA - With great admiration for her work, gratitude for her friendship and love for herself’


This inscription is what actually led my curiosity- and I just had to read the book.
Excellent!

And now, to wrap up the HF Bloggers Round Table Event...here's another Plaidy GIVEAWAY!!!

THE MIRACLE AT SAINT BRUNO'S, by Philippa Carr (Plaidy pseudoname)




How to Enter:


1 Chance…leave a comment and tell us which is your favorite Plaidy book.

2 Chances…Tweet, or post about this mentioning HFB Round Table Event.

3 Chances...Become a follower.

This giveaway is open to international and ends September 21st.

Good Luck!!

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11 comments:

  1. Wow, I'm reading through the Georgian Saga, and I never would have expected this one to be so good. It seems like kind of an afterthought, tucked in-between the books about George IV's love affairs and a book on Princess Victoria. I'll definitely report back once I've read "Goddess" to let you know what I thought of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Felicia-I'd love to hear about it! It's exactly like you've expressed- this one ties it all together.

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  3. Great giveaway! I'm all over this one. I am a follower. One of my favortie Jean Plaidy's is
    To Hold the Crown(Uneasy Lies the Head).
    tudor_daughter@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have the Carr book "Daughters of England", would love to put this one with it.
    Out of the 7/8 I've read by Plaidy I really enjoyed St. Thomas' Eve. She made Thomas More seem more real to me. But even more I loved Holt's My Enemy The Queen.
    Thx for the chance!

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  5. I have really enjoyed what I have read so far by Jean Plaidy - all 3 of them, haha. But I think that I have really liked Madame Serpent the best. I liked the character of Catherine de'Medici that she created and loved reading about her childhood.

    I would love to be entered in this one. I posted in my blog sidebar, am a follower, and tweeted (dolleygurl)

    ReplyDelete
  6. You know I have pulled Goddess of the Green Room from my shelf and it's been sitting beside me for 2 days, though I haven't indulged YET because I have to finish that manuscript. I am reading it next - because of you and your praise, Lucy!!! Oh I can't wait to find out about the 'eh'!

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  7. My favorite book so far is Mary, Queen of France. She is such an interesting character to me, and the fact that in the end she got to marry the love of her life is great, especially since it was her brother's best friend.

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  8. Haven't read any Plaidy books but am willing to win this one to give it a try!

    I'm already a follower.
    harvee44@yahoo.com

    By the way, I have a book giveaway as well. Hope you check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the Plaidy books. Thanks for the giveaway and please count me in.

    Mystica

    mystica123athotmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  10. Please count me in...love Plaidy books.

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
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