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This book is an easy read. If you enjoyed reading Phillipa Gregory's other books about the Tudor family, then you will enjoy this book about Katherine of Aragon's daughter, Mary.
Caught in the political turmoil of the sixteenth century, when England was bitterly divided by religious differences, and "heretics" and traitors to the "cause" were liberally burned or beheaded, a young girl witnesses court life up close. The words that come out of Queen Mary, Robert Dudley, or Princess Elizabeth just do not ring true. Blessed with the gift of foretelling, she becomes young King Edward's Holy Fool, and, after his death, is passed into the household of his sister, Queen Mary, to continue her spying as the Queen's Fool. To make matters even more complicated, she becomes an ardent fan of both Royal women, Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth, both of whom she is spying upon: Queen Mary for Robert Dudley and Princess Elizabeth for Queen Mary.I loved Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl", but cannot rate this book in the same category.
If you enjoy historical novels during this era, I recommend figures in Silkby Vanora Bennett, a story set during the reign of Charles II that focuses on the growth of the Silk trade and court life. They sound like the author's imaginary projections, not the actual words. You can feel the passion slowly developing. Like Hannah, the main character is a fictional woman, a doctor, and like Hannah, striving to create a place for herself in this male-dominated society. In some way perhaps this book would have been better giving that relationship more attention rather than occasional updates. Living in fear as a secret Jew converted to Christianity, Hannah is blackmailed into becoming a spy for the powerful Dudley family.
The dialogue lacks the authenticity of the historical details plastered all over the text and often interfering in the flow of the real story.Hannah's relationship with her cousin and betrothed is well done. The story is faster-paced, yet the historical events well portrayed. She is engaged to her cousin, an attractive and clever physician, while simultaneously falling for her blackmailer, Lord Dudley. While the author writes well, this story gets bogged down in minutiae and too much liberty is taken with the actual historical characters.
I love most of Philippa's novels, but this one was slow and didn't do much for me.
I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed that this book let you see into the world of both Mary and Elizabeth. Often books center around Princess (Queen) Elizabeth, and while she is in this book most of the writing talks about a girls life during Mary's Reign.
Worth a read I have really enjoyed Gregory's works when it comes to the British Monarchy. This book was good, an interesting premise.
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