Book excerpt: Queen Victoria’s personal journals inform this “intimate and authentic portrait” (Booklist) of one of history’s most prominent female leaders. Queen Victoria most certainly left a legacy—under her rule as the longest reigning female monarch in history. But what was she really like? To be a young woman in a time when few other females held positions of power was to lead in a remarkable age—and because Queen Victoria kept personal journals, this historical novel from award-winning author Carolyn Meyer shares authentic emotional insight along with accurate information, weaving a fascinating story of intrigue and romance.