The Queen's Fool
Registered by rem_XGD-219596 on 7/5/2005
3 journalers for this copy...
From the back:
"At a time when an innocent woman could be burnt for heresy or strangled for witchcraft, to spy on the queen for love of a traitor was the most dangerous choice of all.
Into a Tudor court on the brink of treason comes Hannah, a young Jewish girl on the run from the Inquisition. Sworn into the service of the handsome Robert Dudley, he sends her as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary Tudor, the forgotten heir to King Edward's throne. Instead of the tyrant of popular legend, Hannah finds a woman waiting for her chance and only wanting the best for the kingdom - while her sister Elizabeth waits to take advantage of any mistakes, and longs for her death.
Caught in the lifelong enmity between the rival daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, thrilled by her own rare gifts, but scared of the unknown, Hannah must find a safe way through dangerous times. Times in which she is both key witness and key player, when the wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love can mean death."
"At a time when an innocent woman could be burnt for heresy or strangled for witchcraft, to spy on the queen for love of a traitor was the most dangerous choice of all.
Into a Tudor court on the brink of treason comes Hannah, a young Jewish girl on the run from the Inquisition. Sworn into the service of the handsome Robert Dudley, he sends her as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary Tudor, the forgotten heir to King Edward's throne. Instead of the tyrant of popular legend, Hannah finds a woman waiting for her chance and only wanting the best for the kingdom - while her sister Elizabeth waits to take advantage of any mistakes, and longs for her death.
Caught in the lifelong enmity between the rival daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, thrilled by her own rare gifts, but scared of the unknown, Hannah must find a safe way through dangerous times. Times in which she is both key witness and key player, when the wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love can mean death."
A fantastic book that I enjoyed very much, almost even more than The Other Boleyn Girl (which dealt with the impact of Anne Boleyn on Henry VIII's life and court, seen through the eyes of Anne's sister). This one deals with the reign of Bloody Mary - depicting this truly awful time but also the sad and lonely life of the catholic Queen in amazing detail, seen through the eyes of a Jewish girl who is a Holy Fool at the Royal Court.
It's quite a big book but it was smooth and quick to read, and I'm now looking forward to The Virgin's Lover which I think deals with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, seen through the eyes of her favourite courtier's wife. That could be interesting, too!
It's quite a big book but it was smooth and quick to read, and I'm now looking forward to The Virgin's Lover which I think deals with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, seen through the eyes of her favourite courtier's wife. That could be interesting, too!
Picked up at the Chertsey meet, but I've found that I already have a copy, so I'll re-release elsewhere.
Released 18 yrs ago (3/14/2006 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Being taken to the meet-up.
Being taken to the meet-up.
I've recently finished The Other Bolyen Girl by the same author, so I was very pleased to find this. If it's anything like the first one I'm in for a very good read.
As I predicted, this was a brilliant read. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as The Other Boleyn Girl it still sucked me in. I think Philippa Gregory's books should be part of the curriculum when studying Tudor history-although they may only be fiction they give you a real feel for the time, more than studying a textbook ever could.
I've passed this onto a work colleague.
I've passed this onto a work colleague.