The Haunted Sisters

by Jean Plaidy

Book Overview

Two sisters change the course of a nation by forsaking the King--their own father. England is on the verge of revolution. Antagonized by the Catholicism of King James II, the people plot to drive him... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399120734
• ISBN13: 9780399120732
• Release Date: November 1977
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 317 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Intrigue Among Siblings

I finished The Haunted Sisters yesterday, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's the story of Mary and Anne, daughters of James II, and covers the latter part of Charles II's reign to the death of King William at the hands of the Little Gentleman in Black Velvet--the mole whose hole caused the king's horse to throw its rider. In between these events, intrigue and treachery abound. The characters are vividly drawn. Neither Mary nor Anne is particularly sympathetic at first, as both are living in the shadows of other people--Mary in that of her husband William, Anne in that of the ubiquitous Sarah Churchill. Mary grows from the passive tool of her husband into a ruler able to make wise decisions, and even Anne is beginning to develop a backbone by the end of the novel. Indeed, part of the fun of the novel is seeing Sarah get her comeuppance on occasion. Sarah herself, though thoroughly disagreeable, is vastly entertaining; horrible to live with, no doubt, but fun to watch. Anne's sickly son, the Duke of Gloucester, is charming without being cloying. I'm looking forward to the sequel to this, The Queen's Favorites, and will be on the lookout for The Three Crowns (about William) and William's Wife (about Mary). In the meantime, Maureen Waller's 2002 nonfiction book, Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown, is a fascinating and readily available account of the events covered in these novels.

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP...

This is another well-written work of historical fiction by the doyenne of historical novels, Jean Plaidy. Here, she focuses on the Stuarts, in particular, sisters Mary and Anne, the pampered, beloved daughters of King James II of England, who would die in exile and become known as the "king across the water". When King Charles II of England died, his brother James, the Duke of York, became King James II. He was, however, an avowed catholic, so sentiment against his reign ran high, as there was the ever present fear of papists, a lingering residual fear left over from the reign of catholic Mary Tudor, who was known as "Bloody Mary" for her excesses against England's protestants. The two daughters of James II, however, had been raised as protestants, in accordance with the wishes of the people of England . Mary had married the protestant William of Orange, while Anne had married the protestant George of Denmark. William of Orange, knowing that the people of England were strongly against a catholic king and having always coveted the crown of England, decided to wrest the crown of England from King James II. To the great sorrow of James II, both Mary and Anne supported the usurper, and King James II was forced to flee from England. Mary was governed by her desire to please her husband, William, while Anne was governed by her desire to please her childhood friend, Sarah Churchill, an ambitious woman for whom power was everything. This is a story of a father forsaken by his daughters and of sisters who could not be reconciled to one another. This is the story of a country that would rather be ruled by a protestant Dutchman rather than by a catholic Englishman. This is a story in which plots, intrigues, and political machinations run rife. Once again, Jean Plaidy takes historical events and personages and weaves a magical tapestry that holds the reader spellbound.

Amazing

This extraordinary book highlights maily the life of Princess Anne and the changes in kingship. First it was her uncle King Charles II then her father James who was thrown out due to being a Jacobite. Then her sister Mary and her husband William, who both died. Then it was her turn at the very end. It explains how she was ruled by the people around her. She honoured her "best friend" Sarah (aargh, can't remember the last name). It wasn't really Anne ruling, it was Sarah who told her what to do.

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP...

This is another well-written work of historical fiction by the doyenne of historical novels, Jean Plaidy. Here, she focuses on the Stuarts, in particular, sisters Mary and Anne, the pampered, beloved daughters of King James II of England, who would die in exile and become known as the "king across the water".When King Charles II of England died, his brother James, the Duke of York, became King James II. He was, however, an avowed catholic, so sentiment against his reign ran high, as there was the ever present fear of papists, a lingering residual fear left over from the reign of catholic Mary Tudor, who was known as "Bloody Mary" for her excesses against England's protestants. The two daughters of James II, however, had been raised as protestants, in accordance with the wishes of the people of England . Mary had married the protestant William of Orange, while Anne had married the protestant George of Denmark. William of Orange, knowing that the people of England were strongly against a catholic king and having always coveted the crown of England, decided to wrest the crown of England from King James II. To the great sorrow of James II, both Mary and Anne supported the usurper, and King James II was forced to flee from England. Mary was governed by her desire to please her husband, William, while Anne was governed by her desire to please her childhood friend, Sarah Churchill, an ambitious woman for whom power was everything. This is a story of a father forsaken by his daughters and of sisters who could not be reconciled to one another. This is the story of a country that would rather be ruled by a protestant Dutchman rather than by a catholic Englishman. This is a story in which plots, intrigues, and political machinations run rife. Once again, Jean Plaidy takes historical events and personages and weaves a magical tapestry that holds the reader spellbound.