A Want of Kindness

In her first novel, Limburg re-creates the life of Lady Anne of York, the late 17th-century granddaughter of the martyred Charles I, niece of the restored Charles II, daughter of James II, and future Queen of England. She grows up a weak-eyed and pious child in the court of her charismatic uncle, with her sister, Mary. Married off to Prince George of Denmark, Anne suffers numerous miscarriages; her surviving son, William, Duke of Gloucester, is sickly from birth. There is little love lost between Protestant Anne and her Catholic-leaning father, so Anne barely misses a beat after James is overthrown by Mary’s husband, William of Orange, in the Glorious Revolution. Unfortunately, Anne’s relationship with her sister takes a serious hit after Mary becomes queen and keeps Anne on a short financial leash. The novel ends before Anne can ascend to the throne, but the story told here is tragic without being especially dramatic. The historical record does not make Anne an easy character to portray or love, but Limburg goes full Hilary Mantel in burrowing deep into her life and the politics of the Stuart court. Writing in short chapters interspersed with actual letters to, by, and about Lady Anne, Limburg proves adept at creating the inner life of an English queen who has been overlooked by history. (Dec.)