A Chat with Author Christopher Gortner

Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel THE LAST QUEEN (A Ballantine Books Hardcover; On Sale: July 29, 2008), C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Praise for THE LAST QUEEN and C.W. Gortner “Sparkling … Disturbing royal secrets and court manipulations wickedly twist this enthralling story, brilliantly told.” —Publishers Weekly “This moving tale of Juana of Castile, known as Juana la Loca, vividly recreates the passions, politics, and betrayals that drove a smart and spirited queen to the brink of insanity ... or perhaps, as C.W. Gortner suggests, to the pretense of insanity—a pretense that baffled Juana’s enemies and led to triumph for her children and her country. An absorbing account of one of history’s most fascinating women, from her never-before-told point of view.” —Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of Pope Joan Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.