Isabella Young Queen of Spain Author:Mildred Criss Astonishing Isabella of Spain! The Fairy-Godmother of America, whose good wishes and jewels secured our country for Columbus-and so for us. Five hundred years old in history but young Isabella of Spain is not an out-of-date heroine! She was as animated and vigorous as any modern young girl; staunch in upholding her principles; clever in confo... more »unding her enemies; affectionate and gentle in caring for her invalid mother; bold and fearless in protecting the life of her small brother; simple and spontaneous when, in hiding, she lived a peasant’s life; courtly and restrained when she assumed her rightful queenly station. And her ardent youthful romance with Ferdinand belongs to any time and place.
Fiction could not have given Castile’s Infanta a more stirring and dramatic background, and so the author of this excellent biography has been very careful to authenticate, throughout, the vast amount of research material she covered. Mildred Criss tells us that “This is a tale of long ago, yet it is, and was meant to be, in tune with our troubled day, for staunch Isabella, her valiant young brother, and her Knight, Ferdinand of Aragon, pledged themselves to a Crusader’s life against mighty forces of greed, hatred and violent oppression. No personal sacrifice was too great to be made and the result of this determined unselfishness and courage was triumph.”« less