Mary, Queen of France

Rather than trying to follow Faulkner up with something brilliant, I read something new that I knew would be fun in it's own way, Jean Plaidy's "Mary, Queen of France", the story of King Henry VIII's youngest sister, who marries Louis XII of France. Before marrying the aging monarch, Mary extracts a promise from her powerful brother that when Louis dies, she can choose her next husband. Louis dies not long after their marriage, and Mary marries Henry's longtime friend, Charles Brandon, who she's been in love with for many years. In the book, Plaidy has Henry forgiving Mary and Charles rather quickly, but I think most historians paint a different picture. Still, it was a fun little quick read, kind of like rinsing the brain out with water after soaking it in wine.