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| .jpeg) That Other Juana(Juana la Loca) Queen Juana I of Spain A story of obsessive love, uncontrolled passion - and cruel, cynical betrayal click to buy from Amazon Brief Synopsis Juana was the daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, and sister of Catherine of Aragon. To secure a crucial alliance for Spain, at the age of 15, she was contracted to marry Philip, Archduke of Austria; 'Philip the Fair', a serial womaniser, a schemer, and noted for his hatred of Spain. She fell hopelessly in love with him at first sight; a love that was extremely passionate, and bordering on obsessive. Her devotion was rewarded with his blatant adultery, the theft of her money and denial of her status. Some years later her father, who she adored and held in awe, became a worse tormentor. He isolated her and, finally, prevented her from reigning as Queen of Castile - the title she had inherited from her mother. Her son Charles, even greedier for power, went further and held her prisoner for years, completely shut off from the world. Throughout her life Juana was deprived of her status and dignity, and was humiliated and abused. She was denied the right to reign by these three men who she loved so much. Their relentless physical and mental cruelty was met with an enduring courage and determination, her spirited resistance earning her, unjustly, the nickname by which she is remembered, Juana la Loca, Joan the Mad. Historical Background Juana's story takes place between 1496 - 1555 mainly in Spain but also in the Netherlands, and briefly in France and England. It is the time when King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabel of Castile, the Catholic Monarchs, are attempting to strengthen their newly formed kingdom of Spain. With this aim, they try to protect their country from external threats while extending their influence abroad by arranging strategic royal marriages of their children; that of Catherine of Aragon to Henry VIII being the most notable in English history. The unlikely deaths of the monarchs two oldest children result in Juana, the least suited to political marriage and succession to the throne, having to bear both burdens.
Use this link to view Linda Carlino's Amazon page http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=linda+carlino&x=17&y=18
That Other Juana Reviews "This is the story of Juana's life from the moment of her departure for Flanders for her arranged marriage with Philip the Fair, until the end of her days, alone, abandoned and betrayed by her closest loved ones. An outstanding feature of this work is the clear and chilling description of the character, temperament and psychology of Juana. It reveals her as a woman of rare and incisive intelligence, with strong held views and opinions which was rare for those times, always faithful to her own ethical principles, daring, valiant, excessively gullible, with a pure and noble heart, and with honest and unshakeable emotions which at times she was unable to control." Catalina Martinez Munoz "Queen Juana I of Spain (Juana la Loca), the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella has always had a bad press, so it is refreshing to read a work that shows that the sister of Catherine of Aragon was far from a lunatic nonentity. A woman who was instrumental in creating the powerful Hapsburg houses of Spain and Austria, she defied family cruelty and betrayal to stay true to her own beliefs and principles. This is an historical novel which looks beyond the glamour of courts and crowns to the harsh realities of royal life - especially if you were a princess with a mind of your own." Steve Craggs, The Northern Echo "Dear Linda, I have just finished reading your book That Other Juana and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. I found it very refreshing to read an account of her life from Juana's point of view as I have always felt that she has been much maligned in the history books and was shut away probably because of her intellectual challenge to male authority rather than madness. Thank you very much, I shall certainly look out for any further books by you." G. Grason, No. Yorkshire "Dear Linda, I sincerely believe this is an excellent work; a wonderful historical novel and historically accurate. Juana la Loca is a fascinating character and That Other Juana portrays her brilliantly: her life, her feelings, her people. The scene with the meeting of Juana, Charles, Leonor and Catalina is fantastic: I lived the scene as if I was there. You can be proud of your achievement. I can't wait for your next book about Juana's son, Charles V." J. M. Sanmarti, Madrid About the author | |
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