The Duchess by Wendy Holden: Book Review
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The Duchess: A Novel of Wallis Simpson by Wendy Holden is one of the most surprising historical fiction books that I’ve read in a long time. And I must admit, I almost overlooked this book.
For some reason, it kept getting pushed to the bottom of a pile of books that I thought I wanted to read, and it almost got removed from that pile completely just due to a lack of time for reading everything I wanted to read during December.
My Take: I went into The Duchess fully expecting to dislike Wallis Simpson. Instead, Wendy Holden gave me a version of this famous story that made me question some of my assumptions about Wallis, Edward, and their relationship. I couldn’t put the book down – and it even sent me looking for some of the historical sources Holden used in her research. That’s a pretty good indication of how thoroughly this book pulled me in. My verdict? Read.
What The Duchess Is About
The Duchess reimagines the famous relationship between Wallis Simpson and the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, beginning in the late 1920s and leading toward one of the most famous royal scandals of the twentieth century.
The novel also looks back on those events from 1972, when Wallis returns to London for the Duke of Windsor’s funeral. Through Wallis’s perspective, Wendy Holden explores how an American divorcée became involved with the future king – and whether the familiar story of an ambitious woman determined to capture a crown tells the whole story.
The Duchess – What I Liked
OK, this will probably be a rather long list.
First, the book is set in two different time periods. That’s one of my favorite features in historical fiction in general. The story is told in part from the viewpoint of the Duchess of Windsor when she returns to London in 1972 for the Duke of Windsor’s funeral. The story is also told from her viewpoint as her life is happening, starting in 1928.
I personally didn’t know that much about the infamous woman who became the Duchess of Windsor before I read this book. My knowledge sort of began and ended with the basic story of the abdication of the king, which many people know, along with the somewhat common perception that Wallis Simpson was an overly ambitious and ruthless gold digger who schemed her way into the life of the prince and thought that she would one day be queen alongside her king.
I was completely prepared to dislike Wallis when I started the book. In fact, I expected it. But that somehow did not happen for me. I started out almost immediately feeling a bit sorry for Wallis, and the author made me sort of feel some of the pain and discomfort she had to go through emotionally.
I was certainly unprepared for how the book made me feel.
As it progressed, there were many other characters, of course, some of which I liked and some of which I didn’t, but I honestly couldn’t put the book down. I felt like I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next.
This book, in my opinion, sheds a slightly different light on Wallis Simpson and her relationship with the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and finally the Duke of Windsor.
I’ve mentioned often in different book reviews that one of the first signs of a great book (for me) is one that makes me want to Google different things in the book to see if they are real. This book not only made me Google some facts while I was reading it, but for the very first time, a book actually inspired me to read the research books that the author used while researching this book. I find this story enormously interesting and would like to get an even better sense of the “real” Wallis through some of the historical research materials that were used by the author.
The Duchess – What I Didn’t Like
What didn’t I like? There wasn’t anything! I loved every aspect of this book from start to finish.
The Duchess – Read, ReRead, or Reconsider?
And now, for my 3 Rs of book reviews. Should you Read, ReRead, or Reconsider The Duchess? What is my honest opinion about this book?
Read!
The Duchess was an amazing surprise for me. I started it expecting one version of Wallis Simpson and finished it wanting to learn much more about the real woman behind the history. Any historical novel that sends me looking for nonfiction sources after I’ve finished it has done something right.
I was so impressed by this book that I’ll be diving into her next book very soon. Rumor has it that Wendy is working on the next historical fiction novel now. I can’t wait!
Is The Duchess Worth Reading?
One of my favorite things about historical fiction is when a novel makes me reconsider a person or event I thought I already understood. The Duchess did exactly that.
This is still a novel rather than a biography, so I wouldn’t treat Holden’s interpretation of Wallis Simpson as historical fact. But as historical fiction, it made me curious enough to want to separate the legend from the woman – and that’s one of the reasons this book has stuck with me.
What To Read Next
- God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen – For another fictional look at the British royal world of the 1930s, including Wallis Simpson and the Prince of Wales.
- The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles – Try this next if you enjoy historical fiction that sends you searching for the real history behind the story.
- Explore Historical Fiction – Browse more historical fiction recommendations by setting, period, and reading mood.
- Historical Fiction Books in Order – Find more historical fiction authors and their books in reading order.
