Book Review: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Princesses Behaving Badly:

Real Stories from History—Without

the Fairy-Tale Endings

by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Published: November 19th, 2013

SYNOPSIS: 

You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn’t be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders—but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev murdered thousands of men, and Princess Rani Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers minibiographies of all these princesses and dozens more. It’s a fascinating read for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.

REVIEW:

I was sent a copy of this for an honest review by Quirk Books.

First off I have to praise the author for bringing about a book focusing on several intriguing princesses in history. She retells these stories to the best of her ability. Let's be honest here, over time facts get mixed up and completely changed. Have you ever played the telephone game in school? When one person tells a story and then keeps passing it along eventually it's quite different. I appreciated all of the different cultures represented in here and how I have been made aware of women in history that I had never heard of before. After reading this I would really love to know more about Alfhild, Hatshepsut, and Roxolana... I think that's the main drawback on a book like this, I want more information! I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it to others.

RATING: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️