This is the story of the headstrong and confident Queen of Scots, Mary Stuart. From her early years in Scotland to her last years lived out as an English prisoner, this is a book that leaves a reader with great sadness at the way poor Mary’s life crumbled into ruin. Once a fearless leader, prepared to rule her country as well as France, her power was slowly stripped from her by the betrayal of those she loved and trusted most.
I had never before heard of Mary, Queen of Scots, but now I cannot get her somber story out of my head. Betrayed and abused, ill and injured, she resisted as much as she could, determined to be a strong Queen for her people. In the end, she was mocked and hated by her subjects and charged with a murder she had no part in. Yet still, in her last hours, she was majestic and queenly, regardless of the twenty years she had been imprisoned. An eye-opening experience for older readers.
Reviewed by Marissa, age 15
McArthur Teens 