Clare McHugh

year in books

Clare McHugh’s Followers (220)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
Bonkrae
2,077 books | 195 friends

Renee's...
3,353 books | 176 friends

Betsy
5,670 books | 45 friends

Donna F...
2,367 books | 4,997 friends

Pam Mooney
165,801 books | 384 friends

Simon
1,337 books | 258 friends

Elizabeth
13,798 books | 976 friends

Derryn ...
1,711 books | 356 friends

More friends…

Clare McHugh

Goodreads Author


Born
London , The United Kingdom
Twitter

Genre

Member Since
August 2012


I am a former newspaper reporter and magazine editor. In my fifties, I left behind those practical professions to write fiction, and my first novel "A Most English Princess," told the story of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter Vicky. It was published in September 2020. I have now written another novel about the Queen's family—featuring her granddaughters, Princesses Victoria, Ella and Alix of Hesse. Alix became Alexandra, the last empress of Russia. "The Romanov Brides" will be published in March 2024. I'm a historian at heart—having the luck and the privilege of excellent instruction both in high school and at college. I read fiction of all kinds, with a special love for Tolstoy, Dickens, Henry James, Shirley Hazzard, Alice McDermott, and T ...more

To ask Clare McHugh questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Clare McHugh Hi Kaye!
Thanks for writing to me. I hear from a lot of Australian readers. I hope one day to come down under!
I am thinking about writing about Queen…more
Hi Kaye!
Thanks for writing to me. I hear from a lot of Australian readers. I hope one day to come down under!
I am thinking about writing about Queen Victoria’s other daughters Princess Alice or Princess Beatrice. I had such a wonderful time researching Vicky’s life.
Right now I am writing a novel set in the US, the sixties, seventies and eighties—more fictional. But I miss the history and hope to get back to it soon. If you are in a book club, I’m happy to Zoom with you guys. Let me know.
Best Clare (less)
Clare McHugh Thank you so much for you interest, Elaine. And please let me know what you think of Vicky's story. I am tempted to write a sequel, but the second hal…moreThank you so much for you interest, Elaine. And please let me know what you think of Vicky's story. I am tempted to write a sequel, but the second half of her life is very difficult and I am not sure I can make it a terrific read. I AM thinking about other women in history to write about....maybe royal maybe not...and I would like to try to write an American-based book---I have three drafts going! Thanks again, Clare

(less)
Average rating: 3.77 · 3,238 ratings · 491 reviews · 4 distinct worksSimilar authors
A Most English Princess: A ...

3.74 avg rating — 2,313 ratings — published 2020 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Romanov Brides

3.83 avg rating — 924 ratings — published 2024 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Las esposas de los Romanov

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
All You Magazine

by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Thomas Cromwell, returning to the small screen

If you're like me you're excited by Thomas Cromwell (aka actor Mark Rylance) coming back to PBS, tomorrow at 9. Here's something I wrote about the real man for the BBC---
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/2...
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on March 22, 2025 04:32

Clare’s Recent Updates

Clare McHugh rated a book it was amazing
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brilliant. Agile. This book is better that the movie because a novel’s interiority is perfectly suited to the theme: self-delusion.
Clare McHugh rated a book liked it
The Effingers by Gabriele Tergit
Rate this book
Clear rating
I found the span of the story fascinating, but the prose style was too flat for me.
Clare McHugh rated a book really liked it
The Land in Winter by Andrew  Miller
Rate this book
Clear rating
Clare McHugh rated a book really liked it
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
The Post-Birthday World
by Lionel Shriver (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Clare McHugh rated a book it was amazing
The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard
Rate this book
Clear rating
I loved it on stage, and savored when I could study the script.
Clare McHugh has read
Breasts by Jean Hannah Edelstein
Rate this book
Clear rating
Clare McHugh rated a book really liked it
The Correspondent by Virginia      Evans
The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
I love the epistolary format, and I enjoyed the main character. I found the story had perhaps too mant strands and I had trouble believing some of them. Also voice doesn't vary as much as it might between letters. But a fun read. ...more
Clare McHugh entered a giveaway
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
These Summer Storms
by Sarah MacLean (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Clare McHugh wants to read
Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans
Small Bomb at Dimperley
by Lissa Evans (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Clare McHugh rated a book really liked it
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Rate this book
Clear rating
A work of precision and daring.
More of Clare's books…
Quotes by Clare McHugh  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Yes, but if you are convinced you know best, and believe you can constantly arrange matters to your liking while also enjoying the approval of others, you will inevitably be disappointed.”
Clare McHugh, A Most English Princess

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Around the Year i...: Kim's 2022 ATY plan 1 22 Oct 12, 2021 06:22AM  
All Challenges Al...: Behemoth Book Challenge, Take 2 64 104 Feb 11, 2022 07:06AM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. * Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD! 3281 379 Feb 28, 2022 09:00PM  
The Lost Challenges: Words in a Word Game #16 - The Beatles 95 57 May 04, 2022 08:02AM  
Crazy Challenge C...: The Question Is... Take 2 146 82 Aug 28, 2022 10:14AM  
Ultimate Popsugar...: * Post Your 2022 Reading List 649 5095 Dec 30, 2022 03:37PM  
“His mind was freshly inclined toward sorrow; toward the fact that the world was full of sorrow; that everyone labored under some burden of sorrow; that all were suffering; that whatever way one took in this world, one must try to remember that all were suffering (none content; all wronged, neglected, overlooked, misunderstood), and therefore one must do what one could to lighten the load of those with whom one came into contact; that his current state of sorrow was not uniquely his, not at all, but, rather, its like had been felt, would be felt, by scores of others, in all times, in every time, and must not be prolonged or exaggerated, because, in this state, he could be of no help to anyone and, given that his position in the world situated him to be either of great help, or great harm, it would not do to stay low, if he could help it.”
George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 305070 members — last activity 2 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
No comments have been added yet.