An Unlikely Sisterhood: Three Queens by Rebecca Connolly

A stunning and breathtaking portrayal of historical fiction featuring three women in history who endured some of the most heartbreaking experiences! Female leadership from the newly created United States to the regencies of England and France, these three women developed a friendship in secret that provided some of the most endearing moments for them during their most difficult trials.

Check out my full review below and see if this is a book you might like to read as well!

Title: Three Queens

Author: Rebecca Connolly

Series: N/A

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency

Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐

Disclaimer

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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

My Thoughts:

Abigail Adams the wife of John Adams who was the Vice President under George Washington after the revolution, to Queen Charlotte of England who was married to King George III who suffered from severe mental illness late in his life, to Marie Antoinette the Queen of France who watched her husband King Louis killed by the revolution in France.

There is so much to process with this book as it covers a lot of historical ground of events that took place during their leadership roles, but the biggest thing I took away from it all was the quiet strength in the friendship these three women formed. Coming from competing and even confrontational perspectives, especially between the United States and England at this time, they found commonalities between them and stayed in contact as friends and confidants. Each of them is bearing incredible pressure in their roles and the comfort they each found in one another was astonishing.

Many moments in this book, especially those of a personal nature, made me cry tears of sorrow for the losses endured, especially for Marie Antoinette. I knew little about her when I read this book and I feel like I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for everything she experienced. From the loss of a child to the loss of her husband who she deeply loved. It was a torturous experience to see what it would have been like to be overthrown by a Revolution and cast aside as criminals and hunted down simply because they were the rulers.

But even more fascinating is the reflective passages from Abigail Adams about the death of Marie Antoinette. Seeing as how Adams is part of a newly minted revolutionary country as well who fought their regents in Britain, to find her compassion and understanding for Marie Antoinette was humbling and provides a lot of reflection for me on this time period.

I adored each of these women and feel even closer to all of them after reading their stories. Rebecca Connolly did an amazing job at writing about their lives and providing the harsh realities in a way that also allowed them to shine through as the humans they are and not just their roles. I will be thinking on this one for a while and diving into my own research as I love to do when it comes to historical figures that catch my attention.

Publisher’s Blurb:

After the end of the American Revolutionary War, Abigail Adams crosses the Atlantic to reunite with her husband, John, after five long years apart. But she is unprepared for the glittering courts of England and France that are so different from her experience in the newly established United States. Undeterred, Abigail sets her sights on forging bonds with the queens of Europe, believing their support is key to her nation’s future.

In England, Queen Charlotte carries the weight of an empire on her shoulders. Her husband, King George III, battles a private madness, while political tensions rise and her eldest son schemes for power. Charlotte struggles to maintain order and propriety—while clinging to the solace she finds in her correspondence with her friend Marie Antoinette in France.

Revolution has gripped France, and Marie Antoinette must watch as her world crumbles. Vilified by the public and neglected by a king who refuses to see the storm coming, she faces growing unrest with dwindling allies. As tragedy strikes her family, she reaches out to her friends—Charlotte and Abigail—in a last attempt to find a path forward, possibly even escape.

The paths of these three women cross in unexpected ways in public, in private, and through letters. They forge a quiet sisterhood across borders and upheaval, each one facing love and loss, sweetness and strife, revolution and regrets.