Readable long short story about Blanche of Castile, mother of Louis IX of France (who later became known as Saint Louis). I believe this serves a prequel of sorts to Jones' recently released novel, Four Sisters, All Queens but IMO it can be read as a stand alone.

Awesome insight into why this woman became her legendary figure. Must read!

Here is my full review of White Heart and Four Sisters, All Queens on my blog at the link: http://hookofabook.wordpress.com/2012...

Review of White Heart:

White Heart, prequel to Four Sisters, All Queens, is Jones’ novella about Blanche of Castile, the notorious B*itch of a mother of Louis IX, who ran France after the death of her husband and put her son on the throne, while managing to wield her political power and strong- More...

This short novella is a prequel to Sherry Jones' Four Sisters All Queens. It covers Blanche of Castile, who becomes the mother-in-law to Marguerite, one of the Four Sister Queens, who marries her son, Louis and becomes Queen of France. Blanche of Castile is not my favorite character in history. She was kind of a mean person, especially to her daughter-in-law. She was uber religious and took it to quite the extreme and passed that on to her son, Louis.

Even though this book did not make me like he More...

This is an e book that tells the story of the mother in law of one of the Queens in the book to be released later this year by Sherry Jones. From the moment it starts you are caught up with the story of Blanche who came from Castille as a girl, and was married to Louis of France.
We have the opening scene where she is proving to the court that she is not pregnant by another man, not her husband, for if she was, she would have committed treason. It is an amazing scene, with colour used to reinfor More...

Given that it is my first time reading anything by Sherry Jones I have to say that I am impress with her writing prose. She has a great story line with a strong female character and excellent attention to details. Her vocabulary is captivating.

The only one thing that kept turning me off was the constant use of "God" in almost every other sentence. As a christian I find it somewhat irritating to see the name of God used so lightly (You might think me silly for saying it but that's how it is for More...

This short novel, based on Jones’s character of ‘The White Queen’, Blanche of Castile, is a companion to her full-length novel, Four Sisters, All Queens. With a tight grip on her son, King Louis IX, Blanche alienates her daughter-in-law, Margaret of Provence, and has the reader wondering why her young husband allowed his mother to rule beside him.

This intimate view into the year after the death of Blanche’s husband, King Louis VIII, gives us a glimpse into her persona—her strengths and weaknesse More...

Find the enhanced version of this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

I finished Sherry Jones' White Heart yesterday and my head is still spinning. See, I hadn't planned on revisiting the Capets so soon after reading Sophie Perinot’s Sister Queens. Not being overly familiar with the family, I had hoped to do a little research of my own before attempting another fictionalized account of their history. Oh well, best laid plans right?

I had never even heard of Blanche prio More...

Blanche de Castille, known for her beauty, uses her beauty, but perhaps it is that beauty that gets her husband, King Louis VIII, killed, leaving her with a spoiled son who is too young to rule with confidence. I liked the queen, her spirit and fight. This novella seems to be driven by a need to know what comes before, a prequel to Four Sisters, All Queens. Because I love historical novels, I enjoyed being transported to France in 1226 and hobnobbing with Queens and Royal Courts. I knew before I More...

Engrossing Political Intrigue

Blanche de Castille is the White Queen of France, using her beauty for power. Little does she know the very beauty she flaunts inspires a traitor to poison the King, and by her own vanity, she loses her first love forever. Now she must defend her young son’s throne and herself against suitors that would steal it under her nose.

White Heart flows like beautiful music, every sentence crafted in a smooth lyrical tone that entranced me as I read. I was so impressed with More...

The White Heart was the prequel to a book I already read and immensely enjoyed, Four Sisters All Queens by Sherry Jones. This wonderful interpretation of four sisters of 13th century Provence was entrancing and superbly researched. The author loved each of these sisters and brought them to life in these pages in an admirable and scholarly fashion.

Marguerite, Queen of France, Eleonore, Queen of England, Sanchia, Queen of Germany and Beatrice, Queen of Sicily are sisters of the royal family of Pro More...

This was a very short, very quick read that was really more of a companion piece to Jones' Four Sisters, All Queens novel, which I read last year. I wish I'd known about it at the time, because I think reading it before Four Sisters would have given me a little more understanding of Blanche, but it also works on its own. A quick look into her head upon the death of her husband and how she held France together for her young son. It's easy to forget how difficult it was for women in the past. The More...

This was a great short story about Blanche of Castille; grand-daughter to Eleanor of Aquitaine and just as remarkable a woman. I found it very interesting to read words that were penned as if from Blanche's perspective, as she was portrated as a bit of a villian in "Four Sisters, All Queens" and also in Sophie Perinot's "Sister Queens". It was a refreshing change to see Blanche 'behind close doors' as it were, rather than through the eyes of her daughter-in-law, Margueritte.
In very few pages the More...

In this novella prequel to Four Sisters, All Queens, author Sherry Jones tackles the story of Blanche de Castille, the White Queen of France, and mother-in-law of one of the four sister-queens. Blanche has built her life on the advice of her grandmother Eleanor of Aquitaine, though she finds that such advice tends to run thin under distress. When Blanche's husband, King Louis VIII turns up dead, she must navigate a treacherous court mired in politics and ambition to place her young son on the th More...

For a novella length book, I thought this was great! I love historical fiction, and the author is able to get us into the heart and mind of the main character, Blanche, very easily which is hard to do in a short book. I am very excited to try other works by her!

Re-read 3/28/13 after finishing "Four sisters, all queens" :) It's still good...

King Louis VIII has died and Queen Blanche de Castille has discovered disturbing news surrounding his death. Blanche's son becomes King and they face many enemies all around them who wants the crown for themselves. Who can they trust? Will Blanche be able to save her sons crown and their lives?

I haven't read a whole lot about Queen Blanche de Castille. Author Sherry Jones has sparked an interest in me to learn more about her. From what I read from this story. She was a beautiful and courageous w More...

A (very) short account of Blanche of Castille, who became Queen of France when she married the ultimate "mummy's boy", Louis VIII.
Blanche eventually gives birth to the insanely devout Louis IX, and rules France in his name.
One of history's strongest women and much more than just the evil mother-in-law to Marguerite from Provence.
A great taster that leaves you wanting to know much more about this strong and beautiful woman.
Her story continues in
Four Sisters, All Queens where she fulfills her rol More...

I am concurrently reading 4 sisters and finished the short story White Heart. Sherry Jones makes Blanche of Castille a compelling AND unlikable character much as Phillipa Gregory did the same with Margaret Beaufort of Lancaster.

This is hard for an author to do especially from a first person POV. There were disturbing aspects of this story that were found in the Four Sisters novel. That would be Queen Blanche's relationship to he son, the Dauphin.

It would have been good to have Blanche's POV of M More...

After the death of her husband, King Louis VIII of France, Blanche of Castille is distraught by grief over the loss of her love, but knows she must remain strong and prepare for the battle that’s to come to retain control of the crown for her young son. Against the odds and a multitude of enemies, both home and abroad, who have no intention of being ruled by a women or a young boy, Blanche prevails over her foes by relying on her courage, strength, passion and cunning. She truly exudes the trait More...

This was an interesting read. It puts Blanche of Castille into a new light, one of unforgiving steadfastness and interest only in holding the kingdom together for her young son after her husband dies. She was truly a force to be reckoned with. It was a quick read as well, it took me about four hours to read through the entire book.

Her life was truly interesting, she was determined to prove that she was not just a weak woman, but one who was capable of other and better things. She held fast and w More...

I've read a few novellas - but ONLY a few - in the past, and enjoyed none of them. But this story of Blanche de Castille, recently widowed following the untimely death of Louis VIII, is compelling. Not only must she protect her son against growing numbers of jealous enemies, but she must also fulfil her own ambition to retain the crown of France. Stunning prequel. Congratulations, Sherry!

A very quick read about Blanche, a newly widowed queen of France. It starts off in a provocative manner and takes you through a year of her life trying to protect her young son as a Queen mother in a man's world.

I read this before starting the longer book about Blanche's daughter in law and her sisters - "Four Sisters, All Queens". After reading, I'm looking forward to the longer book.

Blanche of Castile is a woman used to power. Granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Blanche learned much at the knee of her grandmother. When she is widowed, she learns that a woman's power doesn't always lie in her beauty as her Grandmother taught her. Blanche must prove her pure heart and fight for the throne of France. Her cunning nature and her determination make her a formidable force as she fights for the Crown of France.

Jones balances Blanche's strengths against her foe's weaknesses. Read More...

A quick read in the form of a sixty page ebook. Interesting to read a bit more as to the life of Blanche of Castile and WHITE HEART should perhaps be the prequel to FOUR SISTERS ALL QUEENS.

Short and sweet. Read it in a day. Interesting writing style that makes you think through each sentence. I'll put her next book, Four Sisters, All Queens, on my To read shelf.

A short little novella that serves as a prequel to Four Sisters, All Queens. It was interesting to read about a historical figure and the period that I haven't read before. As is the case with most short stories or novellas, it just wasn't long enough for character development but it did pique my interest about the time period. I look forward to reading Four Sisters, All Queens! More...

LOvee love love ! Great novella !

Read my complete review at http://darleneelizabethwilliamsauthor...

Just a short novella covering one year of Blanche of Castile's life. I wanted to know more!

I didn't feel like this added much to the story of Four Sisters, All Queens but interesting.