It is a historical account of one of the most troubled periods in the history of Portugal.
Above all it is a literary exercise on the life over the most cursed queen of our countries history. Jose Antonio Saraiva wrote a very interesting book, historical fiction if we can call it, being in fact one of the most exciting stories I've read in recent times. She, our wild rose, comparable only to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, by ambition, the daring, for her treacherous personality who against all odds, embarks on this journey to be crowned Queen of Portugal, she id the central figure of the book is a character full of unexpected nuances that led her to the abyss. Leonor Teles is so rich in details that even we do not know the history of Portugal, all you want is the scaffold for her, her life would make blushing the Prince of Machiavelli. The plot is very attractive and we never feel cheated or less excited for the outcome. The writing of Jose Antonio Saraiva is dynamic and very visual, we can imagine the Portuguese court, the intricacies of the darkest political tricks of that era and although the end is expected, because it is based on documented facts, the writer leaves it somewhat open, but I am suspicious as I mentioned before, I really enjoyed reading it. I hope that my enthusiasm rubs on you. Good reading.
