Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France

 “Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France is an important book. . . . The topic is timely, important, and will draw a wide audience of scholars and non-specialists with an interest in Renaissance France.”—Deborah Losse, Arizona State University

~Deborah Losse

"Wellman achieves that rare mix of the scholarly and accessible while making a compelling case for queens and mistresses as crucial facets of the political and artistic development of Renaissance France."—Katherine Crawford, Vanderbilt University

~Katherine Crawford

"Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France is a scholarly but accessible account of the most powerful women ever to sway the French monarchy. Thanks to Wellman’s vivid portraits, we see French royal women certainly 'had' a Renaissance."—Kathryn Norberg, University of California, Los Angeles

~Kate Norberg

“An exceedingly complex dynastic period is made comprehensible and compelling.”—Library Journal

~Library Journal

“Wellman renders comprehensible the gender relations and emotional expectations of the nobility in early modern France in ways most narrative textbooks cannot.” —Choice

~Choice

“…Wellman has succeeded in demonstrating how crucial these women were in shaping court culture, the visual arts, and politics, thus being able to argue that women did have a Renaissance.”—Isabel dos Duimaraes Sá, Universidade do Minho

~Isabel dos Guimaraes Sa