An Uncommon Woman: Empress Frederick, Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia

Queen Victoria of England has been the subject of several fine biographies; however, her equally interesting eldest child and favorite daughter, ""Vicky,"" whose tragic fate it was to be the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm, who led the Germans against England in World War I, has not received the level of attention accorded her mother. Pakula's (The Last Romantic, LJ 2/1/85) readable biography, based in large part on Vicky's correspondence with her mother as well as other primary sources, provides an intimate view of a quintessentially ""Victorian"" mother-daughter relationship and a fascinating perspective on a period and personages more often viewed through the impersonal lens of diplomatic and political history. Pakula has succeeded well in capturing an immensely interesting period and place in history through the story of a woman's life. History buffs will enjoy the period detail; academics will appreciate its different perspective on real personages and events.--Barbara Walden, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis