The book is about the story of a chess piece, the Queen, and how it relates to specific historical persons and events. Yalom traces common points between the rise of the Queen as a central piece in chess and the rise in importance of female queens in Europe.
Though I am not sure if the rise of the female queen resulted in the rise of the Queen on the chessboard, I have to say that this book is very well written and full of amazing historical information! The stories of a string of European queens come alive in Marilyn Yalom's meticulous and thoroughly-researched account.
Yalom is a profound academic and senior scholar at the Clayman Institute for Gender Studies at Stanford University. What I wouldn't give to ever work there! Marilyn Yalom offers her own Research Fund Award to students. Personally, I love it that she shares a name with another profound woman, Marilyn Monroe!
I recommend Birth of a Chess Queen for anyone interested in history, women's history and in chess.
Have a lovely weekend, always with beauty and a good book!
xxx
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