The Confessions of Catherine de Medic - C. W. Gortner

Written by C. W. Gortner
Read by Cassandra Campbell
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: August 5, 2010
Duration: 15:59:25

The truth is, not one of us is innocent. We all have sins to confess. So reveals Catherine de Medici, the last legitimate descendant of her family’s illustrious line.

Expelled from her native Florence, Catherine is betrothed to Henri, son of François I of France. In an unfamiliar realm, Catherine strives to create a role for herself through her patronage of the famous clairvoyant Nostradamus and her own innate gift as a seer. But in her fortieth year, Catherine is widowed, left alone with six young children in a kingdom torn apart by the ambitions of treacherous nobility.

Relying on her tenacity, wit, and uncanny gift for compromise, Catherine seizes power, intent on securing the throne for her sons, unaware that if she is to save France, she may have to sacrifice her ideals, her reputation, and the secret of her embattled heart.

To some, she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others, she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power.

“Catherine de’ Medici, great granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, was born for greatness, and she fulfills her destiny as Queen of France, as well as regent and advisor for her three sons, each of whom later becomes king. Cassandra Campbell tells this fictionalized account of Catherine’s life with little embellishment in the dialogue or accents of those who surround Catherine. But it is Catherine’s story, and Campbell focuses her attention on the depth of Catherine’s character and her development from the Italian girl who arrived in France to marry the king’s second son. Campbell imbues her voice with determination and maturity as Catherine learns the ways of the court and its politics. Later, we hear harshness in Campbell’s tone as Catherine sees herself losing everything that reminds her of the girl she used to be.”— AudioFile