I know what some of you are thinking…scones again? I can’t seem to get away from scones. I love them! I was considering Victorian sponge cake but really wanted to try my hand at making curd again. In my Poldark cookbook review, I tried making lemon curd for the first time and miserably failed. A friend gave me her easy lemon curd recipe to try (photo below). Today was the first time I tried her recipe. I have to admit it was incredibly easy to make!!! And look at that thickness!
So why did I decide to do a lemon (well, lime) curd? While researching Victorian recipes, I came across how lemon curd dates back to 1800s England (here is one article). I looked at different ways lemon curd was used, with several using with scones. I decided to change the lemon to lime (since I had limes at home) and went with the lemon curd filled scones recipe. I did not like this scones recipe as some others I have made in the past, but it was fine considering a sweet curd filled the middle. This was oh so good!!!
For the book…
I loved this book! There was no sex nor bad language which makes for a pleasurable read. Although I have taught World History for years (and this time period), I have never really read much on Queen Victoria. This book only covers her ascension to the throne and her engagement. It left me craving to know more about her reign (the inner details rather than an historical overview like textbooks). I am going to try and find a good historical fiction book that picks up where this one left off.
Last year, while looking up some information on imperialism, I came across the fact that King Leopold of Belgium was Queen Victoria’s uncle. In this book, he was a primary character in pressuring her to marry (to marry her first cousin, Prince Albert). I had carelessly assumed this was the same King Leopold that was responsible for the atrocities in the Belgian Congo. It is not! King Leopold I, first king of Belgium, is Queen Victoria’s uncle. His son, King Leopold II, is the one that was responsible for the atrocities committed in the Belgian Congo (which is a topic of focus when I teach imperialism). There are a plethora of resources on Belgian Congo atrocities. Here is one resource that discusses how the impact of the new Kodak camera brought attention to what was going on in the Belgian Congo.
Reflecting on all this, I wonder what King Leopold I would have thought about his son’s legacy and the genocide that occurred under his reign. This book portrayed King Leopold I as wanting to leave a legacy, one with family members sitting on the different thrones across Europe. I would think that the legacy he desired was ruined by his son’s draconian and genocidal rule in the Belgian Congo.
If you like historical/biographical fiction, you would enjoy this book! It is an easy read that keeps you engaged.
Now…off to find the PBS Masterpiece series to watch…
