I read this as a way to learn more about Victoria's life. Love this book. What a clever way to do a biography by picking 24 key moments in a life and drilling in on that. ( )

This book was ok. Worsley chooses 24 days from Queen Victoria's life as a way to frame a loose biography. The writing style is fun - a good mix of chatty, inside info and scholarly historical detail. But I think the choppy format didn't really work for me. Also, I just might not be that interested in Victoria.

This was ok, but not one I'll rave about. I did LOVE her book [Jane Austen at Home] - read that instead! ( )

Lucy Worsley writes about history in a very accessible style, and her biography of Queen Victoria is an enjoyable read. She frames the biography in an interesting way: by selecting 24 meaningful days and using them as a springboard to explain the queen's life and development.
This technique feels most effective in the first part of the book, where Victoria's childhood, accession to the throne, engagement, and marriage form a natural narrative. Where she begins to leap forward in time to the middle and late parts of the queen's life, I began to feel like I was just getting peeps through small windows and missing a connected story. Still, she does a good job at filling in context and bringing the reader up to speed for the events of the days she has chosen.
In a way, this is not a biography in the conventional sense, because it doesn't cover the facts exhaustively; it does leave large gaps. Instead, it chooses to focus more on what made the queen the way she was, and examples of her personality and relations with her family.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this book. ( )

This book examines Queen Victoria's life through 24 individual days. I found this approach far more illuminating to the woman behind the crown than other biographies, because included were her own words, writings from those who were close to her. Through these days from across her long life you can see that through all her life changes the traits which supported her and those which did not. I feel I've come a little closer to the woman rather than the monarch. ( )

Delightful to read. The 28 Days In The Life format means lots of important events are left out, but the deep dive into detail meant I learned new information from this book. Just what I like! Lucy Worsley is a treasure amongst historians.