The Patterson juggernaut continues to expand into the nonfiction world with this account of the royal family. Given that bookshelves are full of stories about the House of Windsor, is there anything more to be said about the shattered family of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)? Patterson thinks yes--and proves it--in this narrative about the lives of Diana, William, and Harry. Numerous authors have written about Diana the victim, Diana the fashion icon, and Diana the "people's princess," but Patterson explores an aspect of the late Lady Di that offers more fertile ground for investigation: Diana the mother. Starting from a young age, Diana Frances Spencer displayed an uncanny ability to put people at ease, and her clear love of children set the stage for her most important role, that of "Mummy." Amid all the recent Diana content, from Netflix shows to films, Patterson does something different. He treats the princess as a person and tells the story of a mother from her perspective. In fascinating morsels, we learn of the empathetic heart underneath the diamond brooches and couture gowns. Diana struggled with issues many face--including mental health, frosty in-laws, and a doomed marriage--and Patterson treats his subject with compassion and an admiring acknowledgement of Diana's rebellious side. However, the book loses momentum after Diana's death. We see how sons William and Harry assumed their roles in the royal family without their mother's guidance. By this point, Diana's impressive humanitarian efforts give way to her sons' social lives and military careers. In spite of efforts to keep Diana top of mind, the narrative becomes less vibrant once Diana is no longer in it. As the sons drift apart, the book leaves us with the heartbreaking question of what might have been. A good choice for readers who can't get enough of Diana. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Blockbuster thriller author Patterson and Edgar finalist Mooney join forces to tell a different kind of story: that of Princess Diana and her commitment to raising her sons William and Harry. With a 300,000-copy first printing.

Patterson (James Patterson by James Patterson) and thriller author Mooney (Remembering Sarah) mix biography and imagined dialogue in this intimate portrait of Princess Diana and her sons, William and Harry. Opening with the 1978 wedding of Diana's sister to Queen Elizabeth's assistant private secretary, the authors use cinematic vignettes to recount how Prince Charles, age 32, was coerced by his father to marry 20-year-old Diana Spencer, who quickly gave birth to two sons: "the heir and the spare." William, the eldest, she nicknamed "Drop Dead Gorgeous"; his younger brother was called "Good King" Harry. After uncovering evidence of Charles's ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Diana turned her energy to AIDS awareness, antifur activism, and other causes, as well as to a string of suitors. William is portrayed by the authors as somewhat of a bully in his formative years, though loving and protective of his younger brother, while Harry is described as more like his mother, shy and disinterested in academics as a boy but passionate about the military. Full of intriguing anecdotes (Diana insisting on ironing her bodyguards' shirts; Charles and Camilla "locked in intimate conversation" at a party) and sharp character observations, this is an entertaining and persuasive study of the royal family. (Aug.)

Unfolding like fiction and relying on quotes from its principal characters, this narrative version of the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and her two sons, William and Harry, comes out just in time to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Diana's death. The mother-and-sons biography begins when Diana is a young teenager and continues through early 2022. Brief chapters (124 of them) generally reprise milestones in the characters' personal lives. The present tense text, including imagined dialogue and inner thoughts, may lend immediacy to stories that royal watchers will already be familiar with (and for further reading they can consult the almost 50 pages of notes). With a respectful, empathetic tone, the book doesn't offer much commentary nor a whole lot of new material. Occasional flip-flopping between present and past tense and a few abrupt interruptions when new chapters take off in different directions can cause some confusion, but none of these details will matter to Diana devotees and Patterson's hordes of fans. The review copy did not include an author's note or any insights into why Patterson and coauthor Mooney decided to pursue this topic, but there's bound to be significant publicity and reader curiosity.