Princess

The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II

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Pub Date 5 Jul 2018 | Archive Date 12 Sep 2018

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Description

A new biography of Queen Elizabeth II, focusing on her early life, with new research and insights.


As a 13-year-old girl, Princess Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece, an ambitious naval cadet, and they married when she was 21. When Elizabeth suddenly became Queen at 25, their lives changed forever. With previously unpublished material and unique interviews with friends and relations, this book looks afresh at her life as princess, glittering yet isolating. Letters from Elizabeth and the royal family give an intimate insight into their lives and minds.  Vivid detail and anecdotes reveal more about her, the era in which she grew up and the people who shaped her life. The love and stability her parents provided, and the presence of her mother’s family, Bowes Lyon, with their creativity and eccentricities, gave her a solid background from which to draw during the rapidly changing times of her long reign. This book tells the story of a young princess becoming a Queen.

A new biography of Queen Elizabeth II, focusing on her early life, with new research and insights.


As a 13-year-old girl, Princess Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece, an ambitious...


Advance Praise

“Fascinating. Jane Dismore’s spellbinding account of the young Elizabeth II is packed with rich new research - a gripping read.”

Jane Ridley, author of The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII


“Excellently researched and interesting.”

Sarah Bradford, author of Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen

 

“Fascinating. Jane Dismore’s spellbinding account of the young Elizabeth II is packed with rich new research - a gripping read.”

Jane Ridley, author of The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII


...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781786080806
PRICE US$14.99 (USD)

Average rating from 77 members


Featured Reviews

Better than expected. The character development was actually really good. The tropes in the book prevented me from fully loving it, however, this is a solid plot with a solid idea. Definitely not a waste of an afternoon.

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A very informative and enjoyable account of the early life of Princess Elizebeth.
I enjoyed it and would recommend even if you are not a fan of the Royal. Family

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This was a wonderful and informative book on the beautiful Queen Elizabeth II. After reading several books about her and the royal family in general, this did contain some information that I didn’t know, which was very nice. Thank you for the advanced copy!

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Dinsmoore, Jane. Princess: The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, 2018.

The only thing we commoners like better than a royal wedding is a royal scandal. The magazines and newspapers who ooh-ed and aah-ed over the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle saw no irony in publishing snarky articles about supposed rows with her new family members a week later. The British royal family lives in a gilded cage, and for all the riches, pomp, and splendor, we would do well to remember they are also people. In Princess: The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II, author Jane Dinsmoore allows us to see the world’s longest-reigning monarch as just that: a regular person born into unbelievable and sometimes overwhelming responsibility.

Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor to the Duke and Duchess of York in 1926, Princess Elizabeth was known as Lillibet by close family members. She was third in line for the throne, but this could all change if her uncle David finally married and produced an heir. She loved horses, participating in Girl Guards activities (the British version of America’s Girl Scouts), and putting up with the theatrics of her little sister, Margaret. She lived a charmed life as the apple of her parent’s eye, and if she begrudged sharing them with their royal duties, she said little. Ten years later, everything changed. With King Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne, Lillibet’s father became king and she became the heir presumptive. The princess began learning statecraft at one of the most difficult points of British history: the abdication threatened the monarchy as an institution while the coming war with Germany would test the monarchy’s place in governing the country.

Pulling from interviews, memoirs, and other writings, Dinsmoore’s writing sometimes resembles a day planner more than a narrative, but her attention to detail is phenomenal. Elizabeth II’s childhood and adulthood could be seen as a type of school for scandal, perhaps preparing her for the issues that would crop up with her children’s and grandchildren’s marriages. George VI’s handling of the continued machinations of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (made Duke and Duchess of Windsor after his abdication) and discovery of Mountbatten designs on the monarchy (introduced with Elizabeth’s relationship with Prince Phillip of Greece) no doubt impacted how Queen Elizabeth would deal with her children’s affairs, failed marriages, divorces, and remarriages.

“When I was a little boy I read about a fairy princess, and there she is,” wrote American President Harry Truman, but there is so much more to Elizabeth Windsor’s story. The Queen Elizabeth seen during the Trooping of the Colour, royal weddings, celebrations, and memorial ceremonies is also the woman who battled insecurity and loved fiercely. She was once a young girl, a young wife, a young mother. The beautiful grounds of Buckingham Palace and Balmoral Castle were once torn apart by Luftwaffe airstrikes, their lights dimmed and dining tables bare as the royal family stayed true to the austerity measures they asked of their people. When we go looking for fairy stories, we will find them. The truth is harder to locate and often harder to take. Dinsmoore’s Princess Elizabeth is a girl hoping to meet the expectations of her family and nation while also wanting to make her own mark on it all. Perhaps she was not that different from any young woman on the cusp of taking the world by storm.

Kate Murphy Schaefer, June 2018

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Five Star Review. I love Biographies and Auto Biographies and any reading involving the royal family. Thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.

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I am by no means a royalist but I appreciate that they do make money as well as spend it! The number of tourists coming to the UK to visit Buckingham palace and other Royal residences has grown exponentially in the past few years and is set to grow even more with the addition of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.

I must admit I did watch the Royal wedding and was surprised to see a number of black performers including the cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the Kingdom Choir led by Karen Gibson, and that unforgettable sermon from Bishop Michael Curry. All of these performances were electrifying and beautiful, in my opinion. It it is long overdue that someone like Markle has finally made their way inside the historically white modern British monarchy.

Very few people actually realise that this is not the first time a person of different ethnic origins has married into the British Royal Family, that distinction actually goes way back to the 18th century to Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Victoria's grandmother. Charlotte was the wife of King George III, who was Queen from 1761 until her death in 1818, and was of mixed race. Apparently she was "directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House."

I picked this up mainly because I love history and being British, I feel I should know more about my country. It comes across as well-researched and was an easy and enjoyable canter through Queen Elizabeth II journey including meeting and falling in love with Prince Phillip of Greece as well as other important happenings from the early part of her life.

All in all, this is a thorough and detailed account of Queen Elizabeth's formative years and what set her on the road to becoming Queen. Interesting and packed with meticulous research, you could do worse than investing some time reading this. Dismore has done an exquisite job!

Many thanks to Thistle Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I've read several books on Elizabeth. I found this one to be particularly readable and interesting. Ms. Dinsmore has an engaging style that kept me reading almost like the book was a novel. I learned a lot of new facts, particularly about the Queen's time as a newly wed. I also found out more about Prince Phillip's background.

I highly recommend this book for people interested in the Windsors.

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Princess offers a few surprises. Queen Mary was far more interested in Elizabeth’s education than her mother was. Her father, Prince Bertie/King George VI, was the only straight arrow among his brothers. Her mother didn’t seem to want to recognize Elizabeth had grown up, always lecturing her in letters on how to conduct herself, even though Elizabeth had always been proper. Her own maternal instinct didn’t seem so strong; eager to spend time with Philip in Malta (admirable), she left Charles behind a lot.
Elizabeth was exactly what the monarchy needed to survive.

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I read the Kindle edition.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Absolutely brilliant! This book gives the history of Queen Elizabeth II from before her birth with the history of both of her sets of grandparents, their lives, their homes and their demeanor. It was truly fascinating. We move along to the birth of Princess Elizabeth and her early childhood precociousness and her playful and yet serious personality. She was always very correct, learning to bow and curtsey and address her elders with respect. The public loved her from the start and craved seeing her. Although shown to the public rarely, they were apparently special times for those who caught a glimpse of the princess.

This book goes into detail about WWII and what the princesses were doing at that time. They volunteered and assisted with making the military men more comfortable. Both of the girls, Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret, were welcoming and friendly. The men were grateful for their company. The nights of terror in London during the bombings and the actual missile strikes against Westminster were detailed.

As she moves into adulthood, she falls for Philip Mountbatten at an early age. They get wed when she is twenty-one. They believe they have several years of togetherness before she has to assume the throne. They have two children, Charles and Anne. Suddenly, she is queen at age twenty-five following the sudden death of her father “Bertie” who is King George VI. Elizabeth and Philip’s lives are changed forever.

This book is well written in clear and concise English. On occasion, this reader got a little confused at the numerous names of relatives and others who surrounded Elizabeth. I felt at times that I needed a chart. There is some going back and forth between timelines as well. The footnotes at the end of each chapter were very helpful. It was so nice not to have to flip back and forth throughout the whole book to find the quote that the footnote cited. While most of my English history is based in the Tudor time period, I absolutely fell in love with Elizabeth and her family. The book covers Elizabeth’s early life to the time of her assuming the throne. She is such a refreshing person. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of Great Britain, or just loves a good biography.

I do so hope that Ms. Dismore goes on with her biography of Queen Elizabeth II.

I want to thank NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable biography for me to read, enjoy and review.

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Thank you Thistle Publishing and David Haviland for this kindle advanced copy of Princess: The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II by Jane Dismore. This book will be released on July 5th 2018.

This is the story of Queen Elizabeth from before her birth to right around when Princess Anne was born. I was amazed by this book, so many things as you would expect with a lot of years of someone's life. This book is packed with births, marriages, death, history, love, and the life of the rich. What I didn't expect is bombs, Hitler, Gloria Vanderbelt, tales of ghosts in the palace. Ms. Dismore did a wonderful job on this historical biography on Queen Elizabeth. You will learn how she grew up, things she went through as the youngest Queen, being bombed by Hitler, meeting Phillip when they were very young, how it blossomed into a love affair and then marriage. It is interesting to know how well behaved and how polite Queen Elizabeth is growing up. Her love for animals and others. She also served in World War II and became Queen at age 10, age 10 that is impressive. I loved the work that went into her wedding dress, such detail that I could bring it up in my mind what it looked like vividly. This book also gives me insight to what was going on around my great grandparents and grandparents early life. Things they knew about that now it's too late to ask. Thanks to Ms. Dismore I have a new insight to those things. Thanks to Thistle Publishing and Mr. Haviland I would have never read a book like this and I sincerely thank you so much.

I recommend this book to all my family and friends, it's sure to be a best seller. The cover is beautiful.

Cherie'

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Attention all Anglophiles! You will love this historically sound life of Princess Elizabeth from her birth until she becomes Queen. The author has thoroughly researched her story and many sources are included in this book.

The Princess had a quiet and sheltered early life, as much as possible in the royal world. Parts of her childhood were spent at the various palaces and royal homes, but she enjoyed a warm family life. I liked that the first Buckingham Palace Guide Company with twenty Guides and its Brownies pack of fourteen was formed for Elizabeth and her sister Margaret.

When she was ten years old, her father became King after the Abdication of his brother, and Elizabeth became the Heiress Presumptive and the most famous child in the world.

World War II was a dark and frightful time for the UK and Elizabeth and her family did their part to encourage the country. Elizabeth’s cultural programme continued and she carried out more wartime duties.

As she grew up, a friend recalled, “Princess Elizabeth was so beautiful to look at. She really was enchanting. She had a wonderful figure and wonderful skin and such a vivacious, lovely face when she smiled.”

The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was marvelous to read about. Readers will be touched by the loving letter from her father the King.

The book shares Elizabeth and Philip’s early married life. After attending a play, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip dined at London’s fashionable Café de Paris, where they were joined by the stars of the production, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

The book ends with the death of her father the King and the start of her outstanding reign as Queen. Elizabeth continues to be a remarkable and admirable person.

This book is written in a factual way that is very positive about the Princess and the Royal Family. As an American, all the different dukes and duchess and viscounts and family members were hard to keep track of but many readers may enjoy learning about this. I recommend this positive and informative book.

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Jane Dismore's research is as meticulous as her writing form is engaging, and it is this balance of talents that makes Princess such a good read. What with Harry and Megan's recent wedding this topic is very much aucourant, and though I haven't watched any of these made-for-TV British royalty series straight through, from what glimpses I've seen I don't think they convey a sense of how much work and grit being royalty requires. Dismore does manage to do this. My only complaint is the abrupt ending, as I wanted to keep on reading through to present day!

I was surprised at how much of this history took place in Scotland, loved the descriptions of Castle Glamis, and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Delightful details of scandals around Thelma Furness and her twin sister Gloria Vanderbilt and of course their friend Wallis Simpson. So much turpitude involving married, high-born women! Much learned about the UK and all the various "pink bits", particularly surrounding wartime intrigue and the many sprawling royal family relations. Very interesting to note that Royal Wedding Hysteria is not at all a new development; Elizabeth was given twelve wedding cakes to choose from and she went with the four-tier creation by McVities and Price Ltd., makers of my all-time favorite Digestive Biscuits! And then after her first child was born she used the top of that wedding cake for the celebration of his birth?? My hat, how very sparing indeed.

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Carefully researched and more set in context and well rounded than previous royal biographies, Dismore sets the childhood of Elizabeth II in the drastic social changes of post WWI Britain and demonstrates the effects of the abdication on her path from country house gentry to the throne, as well as the heavy weight of WWII.

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Thank you to Net Galley and Thistle Publishing for an advance read of Princess, in exchange for my honest review. I have read many books on the royal family. I wasn't sure if this one would be too dry to keep my interest, which can sometimes happen. I'm happy to say that it was not. The only caveat I'll give is that this book has a lot of pre-story to Elizabeth, as it covers her entire life, pre-birth and just after her marriage to Prince Phillip. If you're looking for insight into her childhood, I'd highly recommend this book. I kept going back and looking at pictures throughout her life, just to match the "girl" with the information in the book. I loved it, and if you love books on the royal family, you'll enjoy this a great deal. #Princess #NetGalley

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An excellent and well-written biography of Elizabeth II before she became Queen. While the outline of her life is known, most biographies don't spend much time on this period, which is a shame. Here Dismore did extensive research, including many in-person interviews to give us a wonderfull portrait.

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A wonderful biography of Queen Elizabeth II, perfect for Royal Family addicts and lovers of Netflix’s The Crown!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#Princess #NetGalley

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On February 6, 1952, at age 25, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. At the time, she was married to Philip and the mother of 2 children. Her father, George VI, died when he was thought to be recovering from lung surgery. As Elizabeth and Philip were on tour at the time of the King’s death, many plans were set in place for her return to England and her succession to the Crown.

This book is broken up into spans of years. It delves into some early history of the Royal Family which I found fascinating. We learn about each of the family members and some history about each of them. The book also goes into how World War II affected the people of England and how strong even the royals had to be. There are snippets about the nannies of Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret and the differences in the girls’ personalities.

I have read numerous biographies of Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the Royal Family and I was delighted to learn many new facts. I was also impressed with how well the author wrote the story in that she did not show any bias when writing about the family members. That has always been a pet peeve of mine when reading other biographies. Too many authors let their bias shine through loud and clear. So, I congratulate Jane Dismore on her fair account. I highly recommend this book and I know readers will love it. If you are a Royalist like me, this will be a book you won’t want to put down.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Meticulously and thoroughly researched, this book starts before Elizabeth II was born and traces her childhood, her love affair with Prince Phillip, and her ascension to the throne after her father's death. It is very much a family story, showing the royals as mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, brothers. This makes the story engaging and intimate. Some of the ancillary characters got confusing—too many names to keep straight—and the storytelling lagged and got a bit repetitious at times, but Dinsmore's research is impeccable.

I thank NetGalley for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest assessment.

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Jane Dismore's Princess provides the foundation for that period of Queen Elizabeth's life with which we are least familiar, her childhood. It is interesting and yet unsurprising to read of her early years and realize that she was born - and reared - to be Queen. The qualities that the Queen exhibits in her daily life were present from her birth. All the things we know of her - duty, common sense, discernment, dependability, patience - were true of her from the beginning.
The author has, specifically through the words of those who knew the Princess and her family, revealed a genuinely good, happy person to us. It pleases us to watch Elizabeth's protective care of her sister, her dutiful yet loving and adoring attention to her parents and grandmother, and her willingness to work and to serve others, even as a child. That the Princesses were musical and loved to dance and that their father participated in their entertainments adds to the picture of them as a normal family. Though normal was certainly not their circumstance, apparently all efforts were made to see that the girls were grounded in appreciation and respect for others.
The reader should be prepared for lengthy passages containing much detail about lineage and locations, sometimes seemingly irrelevant to the focus of the book.
The biography is an in-depth look at the early years of a remarkable woman and her remarkable life.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the book.

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Interesting insight into the life of Queen Elizabeth II. I haven't read much about het history before, so it was new information for me. Very interesting.

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Princess by Jane Dismore is an excellent Biography of Queen Elizabeth II. The minute historical details woven into Elizabeth‘s story of her early life. The influences of the Royal Family, friends, World War II, England and her faith. The reader has the feeling of being there and watching it all happen. I thank the author, publisher and netgalley for allowing me privilege to read and enjoy this book,

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Thank you to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for an ARC of this book. I was excited to see a book available about the royal family. I devour most anything about the royals and this was no exception, and this biography included information I hadn’t read about. I think that’s what makes this biography stand out. I hadn’t read that much detail about Queen Elizabeth’s childhood and early years. I found the book the be well written and it kept my interest. I would recommend this book to anyone interested or wanting to know more about the Queen or the royal family.

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A fascinating biography! The book begins with the death of her father and then reverts to the story of her parents’ courtship and marriage. It explains why the royal family, especially the Queen Mother, disliked the Duke of Windsor and blamed him for the early death of King George VI.

Elizabeth was born to the line of royal succession but no one expected her to become Queen. She was raised to be a royal princess but most people expected her uncle, the Prince of Wales, to marry and have his own children. However the book details the interest that Queen Mary took in her grand-daughter’s education which makes the reader wonder if the Queen knew her son Edward better than most people and suspected that Elizabeth would one day be Queen.

The book details her childhood, the courtship and marriage of Phillip and Elizabeth and her first years of motherhood. It also narrates the difficulties that she faced as a wife whose husband was deployed, as a mother whose children were not allowed to travel with her, and as a daughter who frequently had to represent her father in affairs of state.

The book is well written and concise but does contain enough details and footnotes to keep the reader interested. I do hope that Jane Dismore is already writing the next volume because she only covers the first 25 years of Elizabeth II’s life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for sending me the ARC of this exceptional biography.

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Thank you NetGally.com and Jane Dismore for the opportunity to read this fabulous story of the Queen. I have read numerous books on the Royal Family and this is by far a favorite. I love the very detailed moments and the intimate portrait of the young princess. Five Stars!

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This book offered a rare glimpse of Queen Elizabeth's life from birth to right after her marriage to Prince Philip. I am a huge fan of the show The Crown and love that this book offered a lot more information on Elizabeth's life before she became Queen. The author did a great job covering this period of her life and of describing the various events and people that influenced Elizabeth. Anyone that enjoys reading about the Royal Family will love this book!

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I have always been curious about real royal life. This was a really good book and offered a unique insight into Queen Elizabeth. It didn't read like a biography (some are like history books) the author did this in a way that made it seem like you were reading a novel.

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Well documented book about the current Queen Elizabeth. Really enjoyable reading about her life and how her uncle abdication completely changed her life. Quick read but lots of details about the royal life.

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Princess is a good summary of Elizabeth II early life. It has interesting information about other people around her and thankfully, it does not focus on royal family’s scandals, it gives interesting synopsis of the queen to be life from birth till her coronation. The only thing that really irked me was the ending of the book. It just ended with the fact that there was the coronation. No summary that this was how her reign started, and how she will become one of the longest reigning monarch.

The study was good and it offered interesting new information, but the summary was missing, and it left the story incomplete.

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I have read many books on The Windsors and Queen Elizabeth, so the challenge was to find something fresh and new in a well-trodden subject. Coming to this book presented by a small British publishing house, I wondered how this would measure up against other bestsellers on the topic. To my pleasant surprise, this was a worthwhile read; well-researched and sprinkled with new information.

The book begins with the death of Princess Elizabeth's father, King George VI, triggering Elizabeth's ascension to the British throne. It then backtracks in time to the marriage of her parents, the birth of Princess Elizabeth and later, her younger sister Princess Margaret. There is much depth to the telling of this history such as deeply fleshing out the family background of Elizabeth's mother, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The book covers the princesses' upbringing such as schooling, friends, activities and social interaction, lodgings, etc. It is always very interesting reading about the challenges faced during the war such as air raids, rationing of food, clothing and utilities. The abdication by Elizabeth's Uncle David (King Edward VIII) of course thrust Elizabeth's father into the role of Monarch, where he braved the uncertain times of war and set a good example for his nation. Naturally, the book also covers Philip Mountbatten who married Princess Elizabeth and became Prince Consort.

Immediately following each chapter are reference notes to expand on various information in that chapter. The book comes full circle when it ends as it began...with Queen Elizabeth's assumption to the British throne following her father's death.

This was a quality book about the early years of the former Princess Elizabeth, jam-packed with detail for both British royalty novices and passionate royalists. In closing I'll leave you with a lovely line from the end of the book where a close family member commented on Elizabeth and Philip's marriage:

"Philip's been wonderful and he's mellowed tremendously in old age. They're delicious together."

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Thank you Thistle Publishing and Netgalley for this lovely book.

I've read this book with pleasure. Being a fan of series about historical figures, I obviously loved The Crown but it was interesting to have background information presented in a very readable book. It could have done with pictures, I think, but on the other hand it provided enough links to look them up myself.
Since I'm no expert I cannot say how well the book was researched but the end product is informative and entertaining.

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I've developed a bit of an interest in Queen Elizabeth II in recent years due to the different films and tv shows revolving around her and the royal family. I was excited to read this book because it focuses on her life before she became queen whereas most of my limited knowledge about her is stuff that has taken place after her coronation. The book also provides some background info about other members of the royal family, including her husband Philip, her uncle who famously abdicated his title, and her mother whose true parentage remains under scrutiny.

While I did enjoy reading about Queen Elizabeth's family, I much preferred when the attention was on her. Regardless of your feelings on whether the monarchy should still exist in today's times, you have to admit that being a princess and later queen isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I can't imagine having to live your life under a microscope which she has had to do since birth. It was fascinating to learn some of the little things you take for granted that she is/was unable to do because of her title. I do love though that her parents did try their best to make sure they spent quality time together as a family when they could. Overall, a really interesting look at the Queen's childhood and early years of her marriage before her father died.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I was intrigued as soon as I saw this book on NetGalley because I don't know anything about Queen Elizabeth before she became queen (I didn't even know how she looked like when she was young!). So when I heard that this book also contained unpublished material from letters and interviews, I decided to request for it.

Princess is a sensitively written account of Queen Elizabeth's early life. It starts off with the moment she became queen (very sadly, she was one of the last people to know) and then backtracks to when she was born before going forward from there. It covers her childhood, marriage, and life as a newlywed.

I was actually pretty surprised at how normally her parents raised her. You always hear of extravagant lifestyles but it seems like Queen Elizabeth and her sister were raised to be as down to earth as possible. Part of it may have been the times where they grew up, but it seems like a part of it is also due to her parents and their personality. I felt that they had a very genuine and loving relationship, which was very touching.

Also touching was her relationship with Prince Phillip. Because she eventually marries him, the book does touch on key moments of his life before they met. There isn't anything scandalous in their love story, but it's a very sweet account.

The one thing that surprised me while reading was the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I didn't really have any views about them because I knew nothing about them except that the King abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, so it was a shock to find out that both of them had pro-Nazi views. I’m definitely going to side-eye anyone who praises Wallis Simpson now.

Overall, this was an interesting and informative account of Queen Elizabeth’s early life. The only thing I wish it added were photos of key moments - while they are probably just one google search away, it would be nice to be able to flip to them in the book. Hopefully it’s just my advance copy that doesn’t have pictures because I think it would add a lot to have them.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

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Having recently watched the Royal Wedding, and reading about different aspects of the Royal Family, I was excited to read this book. The book starts with the story of how Queen Elizabeth became the queen upon her father's sudden death. From there, the book walks through periods of Elizabeth's life - from infant to teenage years to early married years. I really found it interesting to see how she was parented and see how some of those tactics are still in place today in the Royal Family. I also thought it was interesting to read about the different events that impacted the Royal Family, from David's abdication to the Great War. This was a very nice read and fun to continue my learning about the Royal Family.

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A historically interesting book, that reveals facts and historical truths about a young princess thrown into rulership post at an early age on the death of her father the King. Interesting and mind-blowing revelations concerning the early stages of the present day reigning Queen, Elizabeth the second. These facts were contributed by the loving Palace staffs, who painted a fairytale in living colors, which brought to life certain interesting information about the early times as we have never heard or seen. The author did an excellent job of relaying these events, like a true historian. This revelation is done with such style giving the book a fairytale facade. It was like reading one of my historical fairytale romance adventure novels. The only difference is, this tale is a true one, retold by the faithful and loving servants of her majesty. It shows her growth from a young princess with romantic dreams to that of a powerful and memorable ruler, who was loved and revered by all. She held the reigns and ruled with dignity, style, elegance, honor and a subtle iron will that could not be questioned. A most astute and interesting collaboration of facts and events recorded about an iconic ruler, a living legend, God saves the Queen, nicely presented autobiography a job well done.

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Before she became took the throne at the age of twenty five, Elizabeth was a princess. At her birth, no one expected this ordinary country girl to ever take the throne, but an abdication and then a world war shaped this young woman into a queen.

The majority of what I knew about Elizabeth II occurs after her coronation, so when I saw this was about her early life, I was fascinated. I did learn a bit about the young princess, but it was a bit difficult to get through at time.

My biggest complaint about this book is that the focus was not always on Elizabeth. There was an entire chapter about her mother, and whether or not she was born where and when she claimed to have been born. Oftentimes, the narrative was stray into different familial connections and what happened to that person. This made the book a bit tedious at times and I found myself skimming the words until it returned to Elizabeth.

I would recommend this to readers who are interested in the royal family in general.

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I'm not really into the Royal Family frenzy but I was curious to read about the early years of Queen Elizabeth II. A very well documented memoir.It was a pleasure reading it!

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I was very intrigued when I saw this book on Netgalley. I did debated getting it but I'm glad I did. It was interesting to read about her life and how Elizabeth became a queen. Thanks Netgally for the copy. I have always been fascinated by the royal family. I would definately recommend this book

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Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in the world. Queen Elizabeth became the Queen at the age of 25 years old, she's in the public eye since she was 25 but how much do we really know her? While a very public figure, she is also a private person as well. Her younger years have always fascinated me but also her relationship with her husband Prince Phillip. This was a well written book about the young princess Elizabeth who as a 13-year-old girl, fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece, an ambitious naval cadet, and they married when she was 21. With previously unpublished material and unique interviews with friends and relations, this book looks afresh at her life as princess, glittering yet isolating. Letters from Elizabeth and the royal family give an intimate insight into their lives and minds.

A well written book and very easily read.

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As a lover of all things royal, this was a wonderful read! Queen Elizabeth has always been a favorite royal. She has served with a dignity that at times just doesn't seem real. This book gives us a great look into her childhood and the coming of age of a young woman in love. It shares with us the mantle of royalty for a young woman who's family didn't want the crown.
This is a great book. I haven't read anything from this author, I would welcome any further reads written by her.

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Regardless of your political persuasion or view of a state-funded monarchy, it is hard to disagree that Queen Elizabeth II has occupied the throne of the UK as a highly respected, hard-working monarch, that is totally committed to her role. This book written by Jane Dismore looks at Princess Elizabeth and her life prior to her coronation as Queen in 1953.

Jane Dismore seems to have access to biographical accounts and information that enable this version of Elizabeth's life to be told with a sense of honesty, accuracy and authenticity. It is a story that is told from a much more personal and maybe human perspective. It deals with an Elizabeth that is much more carefree not having the obvious burden of Head of State to deal with.

The story runs from Elizabeth's birth to the eve of the royal wedding on 2 June 1953. The book covers her childhood, playing with her relations and her interactions with the King and Queen. It is interesting to see the relationship develop between Elizabeth and Philip and while the story deals with facts and true accounts it is told in a wonderful story-like fashion.

I would highly recommend this book not only as a biographical account of the early years of Queen Elizabeth II but as an engrossing story.

Many thanks to Thistle Publishing Limited, and NetGalley for an ARC version of the book in return for an honest review.

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As a lover of all things royal, this was a wonderful read! Queen Elizabeth has always been a favorite royal. She has served with a dignity that at times just doesn't seem real. This book gives us a great look into her childhood and the coming of age of a young woman in love. It shares with us the mantle of royalty for a young woman who's family didn't want the crown.
This is a great book. I haven't read anything from this author, I would welcome any further reads written by her.

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I've always been enamoured by the Royal Family, but since the release of The Crown, I've been consumed by everything royal! Many nights after watching an episode (or three) of the Crown, I'd dive into a Google search and end up reading endless information about Queen Elizabeth & the Royal Family.

This recent interest in the Royal Family was one of the reasons I was so excited to read "Princess." Much of what I had read focused on Elizabeth's life since becoming Queen, or her marriage and early adulthood, but few books walked through her life as Princess - and what that meant for her. I loved Jane Dismore's detail and historical accuracy in depicting Elizabeth's life and her family history. It was fascinating!

The way she painted the picture of this Princess transitioning into Heir Presumptive (and, as the reader knows, though not discussed, Queen) portrayed a perspective that isn't commonly seen or even thought of!

My only complaint about this book was sometimes the dates, many names and footnotes got a little overwhelming! As silly as it sounds, a glossary of who everyone was in the back of the book would have been helpful for reference. I found myself pulling up Google more than once as I read to keep track of everyone in this complex family!

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Ever since the Netflix show "The Crown" began, I have been interested in Queen Elizabeth's life. If you have watched the show and really wanted to know more detail about the royal family, this is the book for you!!

I thought Jane did an amazing job in making this book read like a novel. She didn't just through facts at you. I would recommend it to anyone who loves biographies, but also who loves a great historical story.

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The author penned a rich, extensively researched memoir on the early years of Princess Elizabeth, a refreshingly new perspective, considering the huge number of already existing biographies about the Queen of England.

I enjoyed learning more about this distant past where royal life and social mores were quite different from the present day. We already know a great deal about British royalty (the biggest real-life soap opera in the world) thanks to successful TV shows like The Crown, but I thought this book was a good supplement for it shed more light on the upbringing of the future Queen and all the royal twists and turns that led up to her ascending the throne, including the tough daily life during WWII and how it took its toll on her father’s health, King George VI.

The only small damper is that the author sometimes spent too much time elaborating on secondary characters like cousins. I think it was one of the early chapters in which we learn a lot about cousin Margaret’s family tree, a not-so-interesting part that was all the more confusing for the reader because many people in the royal extended family actually have the same first names! This abundance of references to relatives didn’t always make it easy to follow and didn’t always feel very relevant. It could have been cut off.

Despite a few lengthy parts, I found this book very informative. It benefits form a nicely flowing writing style. A must-read if you enjoy reading about an incredible family saga intertwined with History.

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Princess by Jane Dismore
Princess: The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II
by Jane Dismore
80404398
Pat's review Sep 11, 2018 · edit
it was amazing

Princess The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II by Jane Dismore from Thistle Publishing is an interestingly, informative and well written book. Jane Dismore did an excellent job providing an easy fast read that is well researched. She sites books and articles, archives, personal records and interviews. The author provides an interesting look into the history and life of the royal family from King George V and his son King George VI to the 25 year old Princess's unexpected ascention to the thrown. The author also covers the abdication, Wallis and The Duke, and also why the Queen Mum discrepancy regarding the Queen Mum's place of birth may be of interest.
This truly enjoyable book is what a biography should be and I highly recommended this to those interested in history, The Royals or just those who have wondered what Prince Phillip wore to bed.
Thank you NetGalley, Jane Dismore, Thistle Publishing and David Havilan for a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and was not required.

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A biography of Queen Elizabeth II, focusing on her early life.

From a princess to Heiress Presumptive to The Queen, this book gives a detailed insight into the early life of Queen Elizabeth. The book contains stories and details taken from previously unpublished material and interviews with some close friends and relatives.


From Constance Bowes Lyon and the scandal behind her birth parents to the haunted Glamis Castle, the book, the book reveals few stories that you might have never heard before. The relationship that the princesses had with their nanny - Alah and Governess Crowfie, as she was lovingly called, was a charming read.

Sonia Graham Hodgson was the daughter of the King's radiographer and Princess Elizabeth's first friend. Sonia recalls that she was playing when Princess approached her and asked if she would play with her. And that started a friendship that would last a lifetime. Sonia was also one of the few people outside the family who was allowed to call the Princess - Lillibet.


When the Princess turned 10, she was allowed to have breakfast with her grandmother and her parents instead of in the nursery. From having to learn to curtsey to blowing kisses to the waiting crowds, one gets to read the day-to-day life of the royals.


The details of the Buckingham Palace was fascinating to read. The King (King George VI) had telephones installed in the palace so that the girls and the Queen could talk to each other.

When she was 13, the Princess fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece. Their love story was no less than a fairy tale. At the age of 21, the Princess married Prince Philip and at the age of 25, she became The Queen. The news of her father's demise reached her when she and her husband were on a trip to Africa.


The book also focuses on the Princesses' contribution during the WW2. From plays to knitting scarfs and sweaters, the girls played their part in helping those who were in need. When there was a threat of war (WW2), the princesses were moved to the Windsor Castle while the King and Queen continued to live in the Buckingham Palace. The book also has an account of the bombing of the Buckingham Palace by a German Bomber during WW2.


With many such details of the early life of the Queen, this book was an insightful and informative read.


Princess by Jane Dismore is an informative, fascinating, engaging, insightful and spectacular biography on the early life of Queen Elizabeth II. Jane Dismore's research into writing this book is praiseworthy and well appreciated.

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Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for this advance reading copy. My review opinions are my own.
I loved this exemplary well researched account of the early years of Queen Elizabeth to when she became Queen. The author has listed sources here for the reader that is interested in reading further about her life. This is a wonderful journey for the reader of all things royal. For the worlds greatest leader had a fascinating story to her upbringing that is detailed here. The book begins with her birth and ends with the death of her Father.
The book documents how the Princess had a sheltered early life spent at the palaces and royal homes, with servants, horses and activities most can only dream of. Her family life was very loving and close among the most glamorous and wealthy upbringing. She had a close relationship with her Father who became King after the abdication of his brother. Elizabeth then became the most famous child in the world at only 10 years old and she seemed to grasp the enormity of her future. From that moment her history changed and she was destined to become Queen.
The information here on WWII and Elizabeth's role is fascinating. The author has so well documented that time in history and the suffering of Britain that its very moving. I thank the author for bringing this critical time in her history to the reader in such a real way that is almost overwhelming in events as they unfolded.
The book shares Elizabeth and Philip’s early married life and their courting love story. It ends with the death of her beloved Father. Her reign as Queen is for another book . One that I hope the author will write!
This is a fascinating well researched enjoyable read about a remarkable Queen admired by the world . It is a enjoyable look back at a quite remarkable early life that helped create the leader she has been for over 50 years. Her standards , moral fiber and her strength is much gained from her early family life and the love of her family . I loved every aspect of this book and highly recommend it for all interested in royal history and the Queen.

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This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review. This book is about the early life of Process Elizabeth. I found this book well written with lots of interesting facts. Perfect for fans of the Royals.

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Thank you to Thistle Publishing who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

The most notable book I have read about the queen to this point was Sally Bedell Smith's, "Elizabeth the Queen" and I count Princess: The Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II, by Jane Dismore as another exquisitely researched work and highly enjoyable read.

With her reign as Queen just shy of 67 years, more and more we are seeing movies and TV shows bring the Queen's life to screen - with the Netflix series, "The Crown" being the most recent. I am a huge fan of the show and so when I saw this book was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. It did not disappoint and in fact increased my interest even more into this fascinating and barrier breaking Queen.

The book begins with the end of Elizabeth's time as Princess by discussing the account of her father's death. With the abdication of Elizabeth's uncle, Edward VIII and subsequent coronation of her father, George VI, she was set on a path at the age of 10 that so few have ever traveled before or since. At the age of 25, Elizabeth would unexpectedly become Queen and start the longest reign that Britain has ever seen. Reading like fiction and putting very clearly into perspective just how her upbringing and all the life events (her Uncle's abdication, her father's time as King, WWII, etc.) shaped Elizabeth and made her into the Queen she is today. It is easy to see why she puts duty and country above all else because it has been bred into her since she was 10 years old. I would highly recommend this to not only super fans, but any person looking to learn more about her life at this critical juncture in it.

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Absolutely loving this book which I am reviewing before finishing as I want to let others know how good it is.
Thoroughly researched and written in a style that is easy to read.
I am learning a lot of interesting information.
Highly recommend.

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What can you say about Queen Elizabeth? This was interesting to read about her life before she became Queen. She takes her position in life very seriously. It was nice to read about what a loving family she grew up in. This reflects on the kind of woman she has been all these years. I never get tired of reading about her.

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I always felt a small connection to Queen Elizabeth II., because she was the only 'celebrity' I knew that shared my birthday. My other classmates could say that they have their birthday together with Madonna, one from New Kids on the Block or Vanilla Ice. One of my classmates was especially proud that he was born on the exact date Elvis Presley died. And me? When someone asked me about my birthday I always said: one day after H*tler, one day before Lenin and together with the British Queen.

As long as I 'know' her, she is an old lady with a hat, that seldomly smiles and is even rarely waving on the pictures. So reading about the first 26 years of her life should be quite informative. I've seen "The King's Speech", thus I knew a bit about her father and mother, and of course also why he became King in the first place. But that's about it.

This biography even tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II. mother's birth and how she became the wife of Prince Albert.
You learn about major events in their lives, and what they wore on that occasion. You come to know which presents Princess Elizabeth received for birthdays and christmas (and where this was celebrated), which subjects she was taught in, what duties and appointments she had to keep when she became Heiress Presumptive and which speeches she gave. And what fun it was to celebrate the ending of World War II, when she was allowed to mingle with the cheering crowd 'incognito' roaming the streets of London.

You hear the names of countless of relatives and/or people working for the Royals. That is sometimes a bit confusing and I constantly checked Wikipedia to read more about who is the child of whom and how are they related to Elizabeth. I did know that Elizabeth and Prince Philip are related, thanks to the 'grandmother of Europe' Queen Victoria. And after reading this book is makes perfectly sense that Elizabeth chose as a husband someone she and her family knew practically since she was born. Where else should she meet a suitable man, since she has no normal social life like her peers.

Since the brief description of the books starts with Elizabeth's love for Philip, I taught that this books will give a real inside into how they were courting. But although we follow both of their lives very closely, you learn next to nothing about their blooming relationship. Philips visits to the Royal family are stated, as well as the fact that he exchanged letters with Elizabeth and also her mother, who was then the Queen. And then at one point they somehow agreed that they were now engaged. But we don't 'witness' the actual engagement nor any single courting or even date. Probably because the sources of the author were not present themselves on those occasions, and I doubt that Elizabeth ever let someone have a peek into her personal love letters (but I'm sure she still keeps them somewhere, all the letters Philips must have written her while he was on a battleship fighting in World War II).

Thus I do understand why such personal things are not included in this biography, but at the same time it therefore feels like a compilation of many many facts (and some of them quite interesting) but not as if I got to know Queen Elizabeth so much better now. You can read between the lines a bit, and even get a glimpse at her personality as a child and teenager. But I expected a bit more I guess. I would give the book a 3.5 star rating. Since it is really really lot of work to research so many many details, and I acknowledge this effort, I round it up to 4 stars.

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The style of this biography is refreshing and made it a pleasure to read. A must for any monarchy fan

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I read this really quickly as I found it fascinating. This is a good starting point to find out about the Queen as it is well researched and an easy read. Yet I did find myself looking up people who were mentioned or events that had happened to deepen my knowledge as things are skimmed over, the ending also seemed a little rushed. Great for fans of 'The Crown'.

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A very enjoyable book to read and while I did know some of the information already, there was some new stuff that I did read. I was astonished at how long she left her kids behind for, to go off to Malta - can you imagine the outcry in today's press if Kate/William did that to their kids! Not sure the detour early on about the Queen Mother's past was needed though, that is about my only criticism of the book.

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This was a detailed look at one of Royalty's most iconic women. The book was just ok...kind of dry. I had hope it would be more insightful as to how Elizabeth managed the transition from royal to queen..

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Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

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This book covers Queen Elizabeth from before her birth to right around when Princess Anne was born. this book was so many things as you would expect with a lot of years of someone's life, packed with births, marriages, death, history, love, and the life of the rich. Also includes bombs, Hitler, Gloria Vanderbelt, tales of ghosts in the past. This book tells of how Princess Elizabeth grew up, things she went through as the youngest Queen, meeting Phillip when they were very young, how it blossomed into a love affair and then marriage. She also served in World War II and became Queen at age 10. This author did a great job giving insight to Queen Elizabeth's early life.

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Princess Elizabeth's Early life is truly amazing. She was an adorable child, but as a woman and then a queen there are few books that describe her childhood so well. very well done

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I find Queen Elizabeth to be so interesting so this book is the perfected! I'm also reading it while watching The Crown tv series and am enjoying the whole picture that it is giving me!

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Unlike most of the world, I've never been tremendously interested in the English monarchy. I learned enough about it in school to ace my history exams, but I am not one who will wake up early to watch a royal wedding on television and can't muster up excitement when a new baby is announced by the family. I am, however, glad to have picked up a copy of this book. I enjoyed learning more about Elizabeth, and Dismore provides what seems to be a very thorough biographical sketch of her life. *I received an advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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