Publication
Atria Books (2004), 514 pages
Original publication date
2003
Collection
Subjects
Description
Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:#1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory weaves a spellbinding tale of a young woman with the ability to see the future in an era when destiny was anything but clear. Winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee with her father from their home in Spain. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee; she has the gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up with her own yearnings and desires. Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is a rich and emotionally resonant gem from a masterful storyteller.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bhowell
In "the Queen's Fool" which is far more a novel than history, Ms Gregory has at last created an interesting character. It is a completely fictional character and hence I think we can be more tolerant of the historical shortcomings of this book which are actually not as bad as her other books. Like
Ms Gregory seemingly cannot refrain from the hatchet job sexual stereotype of a scheming child using her sexual charms to gain advantage. The description of Elizabeth I in this book is unjustified. Elizabeth stayed alive by her wits not her sexual attraction and she did not hate her sister with the passion portrayed in this book. The flirtation with Philip of Spain is not historical. Yes he was interested but not as a result of overpowering passion. Like Elizabeth, Phiippe did things for political reasons including his marriage to Queen Mary. By most accounts Elizabeth found his marital intentions frightening and it only emerged shortly before the death of Queen Mary. There is no doubt that he used his influence to protect Elizabeth from a traitor's death but that again is a very politically astute action. She was likely to be the next Queen.
I liked the symathetic portrayal of Queen Mary. She was by nature as a child kind and generous with strong moral convictions. Historians now recognize that her cruel sufferings as a child and young woman had taken its toll and did affect her ability to govern. In particular, she could not control her obsession with religious persecution or moderate its practice based on any practical concerns about her popularity and the well being of her country. This portrayel of Mary suggests that to some extent, jealousy and revenge fuelled her religious obsession which then allowed Mary to indulge it through (to her)valid service to God. Very convenient, but very human and she was far from the first powerful monarch or churchman to fall prey to this notion.
Her portrayel of Lady Jane Grey is dead on in her reluctance to either marry or be Queen. She was a child victim of the manipulations of her family.
The portrayel of Robert Dudley is fanciful but not inconsistent with his history.
The book also contains an examination of the plight of the Jews in Europe at that time and the sufferings of Jews in Spain and the frantic flight of many of them to other countries including Britain. The destruction of learning was also described but it is important to remember that the destruction of learning was carried out by Protestants as well as Catholics.
On the whole, I would recommend this book but don't imagine that you are being given a history book.
Show More
some other readers I am irritated by the 2nd sight fantasies but fantasy and magic are a common theme with this author, particularly in her earlier novels.Ms Gregory seemingly cannot refrain from the hatchet job sexual stereotype of a scheming child using her sexual charms to gain advantage. The description of Elizabeth I in this book is unjustified. Elizabeth stayed alive by her wits not her sexual attraction and she did not hate her sister with the passion portrayed in this book. The flirtation with Philip of Spain is not historical. Yes he was interested but not as a result of overpowering passion. Like Elizabeth, Phiippe did things for political reasons including his marriage to Queen Mary. By most accounts Elizabeth found his marital intentions frightening and it only emerged shortly before the death of Queen Mary. There is no doubt that he used his influence to protect Elizabeth from a traitor's death but that again is a very politically astute action. She was likely to be the next Queen.
I liked the symathetic portrayal of Queen Mary. She was by nature as a child kind and generous with strong moral convictions. Historians now recognize that her cruel sufferings as a child and young woman had taken its toll and did affect her ability to govern. In particular, she could not control her obsession with religious persecution or moderate its practice based on any practical concerns about her popularity and the well being of her country. This portrayel of Mary suggests that to some extent, jealousy and revenge fuelled her religious obsession which then allowed Mary to indulge it through (to her)valid service to God. Very convenient, but very human and she was far from the first powerful monarch or churchman to fall prey to this notion.
Her portrayel of Lady Jane Grey is dead on in her reluctance to either marry or be Queen. She was a child victim of the manipulations of her family.
The portrayel of Robert Dudley is fanciful but not inconsistent with his history.
The book also contains an examination of the plight of the Jews in Europe at that time and the sufferings of Jews in Spain and the frantic flight of many of them to other countries including Britain. The destruction of learning was also described but it is important to remember that the destruction of learning was carried out by Protestants as well as Catholics.
On the whole, I would recommend this book but don't imagine that you are being given a history book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member VickyA
Would not recommend it at all. It's only saving grace is that it has a happy ending unlike most of Gregory's other books. The cross-dressing is distracting and plays no real part in the story. Her blind devotion is just plain annoying and I really has to force myself to finish this book.
LibraryThing member Maggie.Anton
I used to enjoy Gregory's novels more, but now I've pretty much had it with English royalty in general and the Tudors in particular. While I appreciated her including a Jewish heroine in "The Queen's Fool," her inaccurate description of 16th-century Judaism was a real turn-off. As a Jewish
Show More
historical novelist whose heroines are also Jewish, I expect other authors to do their research on this delicate subject. Good historical fiction can teach readers a great deal about history, particularly about the lives of women. But if done poorly, stereotypes are reinforced and innocent people [or peoples] defamed. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
4.5 stars.
14 year old Hannah Green and her father are Jewish and have been running since Hannah's mother was burned at the stake in Spain. They come to England, where Hannah is brought to King Edward's court by Robert Dudley to serve as a fool when he discovers she has the gift of "sight". While
Between Robert, Mary and Elizabeth, Hannah is keeping company with and serving three different people with three different agendas. In the meantime, Hannah is betrothed to Daniel, a Jewish boy who has been hiding in England with his own family. Can Hannah keep up with all the deception and treachery that happens at court without getting herself and her Jewish family into trouble?
As much as I've read about the Tudors, I haven't actually read much about Mary, so this was interesting. I know it's fictional, but of course, there is some truth to the events in the story, though Hannah and her family are entirely fictional. This is the second Philippa Gregory book I've read, and another one I've really enjoyed. I will be reading more.
14 year old Hannah Green and her father are Jewish and have been running since Hannah's mother was burned at the stake in Spain. They come to England, where Hannah is brought to King Edward's court by Robert Dudley to serve as a fool when he discovers she has the gift of "sight". While
Show More
Edward is dying, Hannah is sent to keep his sister Mary company. Hannah and Mary become close, and after Mary becomes queen, Hannah is sent to keep company with Mary's half-sister Elizabeth. Between Robert, Mary and Elizabeth, Hannah is keeping company with and serving three different people with three different agendas. In the meantime, Hannah is betrothed to Daniel, a Jewish boy who has been hiding in England with his own family. Can Hannah keep up with all the deception and treachery that happens at court without getting herself and her Jewish family into trouble?
As much as I've read about the Tudors, I haven't actually read much about Mary, so this was interesting. I know it's fictional, but of course, there is some truth to the events in the story, though Hannah and her family are entirely fictional. This is the second Philippa Gregory book I've read, and another one I've really enjoyed. I will be reading more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member robeik
A most unlikely situation in Tudor England, with a young girl plucked out of obscurity to became not only the Queen's muse and confidant, but the same for the Queen's sister and rival, set against the backdrop of persecution of Protestants and, to a lesser degree, the Jewish, as well as the intense
However, an interesting book to read.
Show More
wish of the Queen to have a baby.However, an interesting book to read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Calissa
As you’d expect of a novel by Philippa Gregory, the Queen’s Tale is a historical tale. It follows the fortunes of Hannah Green, a Jewish girl who has fled the Inquisition from Spain to London. However, it appears it’s no safer here, as she is discovered to have the gift of prophecy, forced
I wasn’t much enamored with the book. My biggest problem was with the characters. I felt there was very little depth to them, particularly on an emotional level. They felt rather wooden, simply going through the motions of history. Hannah was shallow, irritating and was conveniently in the right place for the big historical moments. Often she came across as more of a plot device than anything else, and on a few occasions I wondered why she wasn’t cut completely and the story told from the perspective of the actual historical figures.
Queen Mary stood out as being more well rounded, though I still feel that there wasn’t sufficient depth given to her changes of heart in places.
It did get better towards the end, where Hannah’s personal story is given a bit more space. It was also nice to see her grow into a more mature character. In the beginning, in particular, she comes across as being far too outspoken for someone who has lived so many years in fear. Nor do I feel that her “Sight” is sufficient excuse for this plain-spokenness, given how rarely this gift manifests itself.
All in all, it was vaguely interesting to see how the historical characters were portrayed, but it has not won Philippa Gregory another fan.
Show More
into becoming a holy fool at court and trapped in the intrigue that takes place.I wasn’t much enamored with the book. My biggest problem was with the characters. I felt there was very little depth to them, particularly on an emotional level. They felt rather wooden, simply going through the motions of history. Hannah was shallow, irritating and was conveniently in the right place for the big historical moments. Often she came across as more of a plot device than anything else, and on a few occasions I wondered why she wasn’t cut completely and the story told from the perspective of the actual historical figures.
Queen Mary stood out as being more well rounded, though I still feel that there wasn’t sufficient depth given to her changes of heart in places.
It did get better towards the end, where Hannah’s personal story is given a bit more space. It was also nice to see her grow into a more mature character. In the beginning, in particular, she comes across as being far too outspoken for someone who has lived so many years in fear. Nor do I feel that her “Sight” is sufficient excuse for this plain-spokenness, given how rarely this gift manifests itself.
All in all, it was vaguely interesting to see how the historical characters were portrayed, but it has not won Philippa Gregory another fan.
Show Less
LibraryThing member varwenea
The Queen’s Fool… Hmm, for quite a ways into the book, I was starting to feel like the fool myself for spending the time to read the book…
Relatively slow in getting absorbed by the story, and befuddled by the heroine, Hannah’s, obsession with Lord Robert (really? as simple as a young girl
My two key likes.
A) The book made me re-look up the British Monarch history. (The books’ general history was mostly accurate.)
B) Gaining some insights to the plight of the Jews in that era, noted as 1552 to 1558, hiding and concealing not just their faith, but also the associated customs, language, and knowledge. The relationship amongst the Jews, how they helped each other remain concealed throughout Europe, had a flavor of the Underground Railroad.
Ultimately, other than a perspective of history via the eyes of an intelligent young lady, this book did not offer substantial substance to me. Perhaps it was not meant to be either.
This book was not so creatively written that entertained my typical desire for learning new ways to manipulate words. Here are just a few quotes, partly for its content and partly for the charm of the sentence(s).
“Elizabeth was always such a mixture of raging emotion and calculation that I could rarely take her measure.”
“Books were my brothers and sisters; I could not turn against them now. I could not become one of those that see something they cannot understand, and destroy it.”
“And so I would rather not spur your wife’s irritation into rage if you are going to blow in and out again like a spring wind that spoils the peace of the orchard.”
Relatively slow in getting absorbed by the story, and befuddled by the heroine, Hannah’s, obsession with Lord Robert (really? as simple as a young girl
Show More
drawn by a handsome, dashing man), I finally got into the rhythm of the story much later, as I started to appreciate Hannah’s utter sense of loyalty, duty, and allegiance, especially to Queen Mary, and to a lesser degree (at least to me), to Princess Elizabeth. Her loyalty to her own values, her love affair with books, knowledge, being a genuinely intelligent young woman speaking multiple languages (Spanish, English, French, Hebrew) and reading Greek and Latin, and perceptively learning the ways of the court made her a person that you want to meet in real life. My two key likes.
A) The book made me re-look up the British Monarch history. (The books’ general history was mostly accurate.)
B) Gaining some insights to the plight of the Jews in that era, noted as 1552 to 1558, hiding and concealing not just their faith, but also the associated customs, language, and knowledge. The relationship amongst the Jews, how they helped each other remain concealed throughout Europe, had a flavor of the Underground Railroad.
Ultimately, other than a perspective of history via the eyes of an intelligent young lady, this book did not offer substantial substance to me. Perhaps it was not meant to be either.
This book was not so creatively written that entertained my typical desire for learning new ways to manipulate words. Here are just a few quotes, partly for its content and partly for the charm of the sentence(s).
“Elizabeth was always such a mixture of raging emotion and calculation that I could rarely take her measure.”
“Books were my brothers and sisters; I could not turn against them now. I could not become one of those that see something they cannot understand, and destroy it.”
“And so I would rather not spur your wife’s irritation into rage if you are going to blow in and out again like a spring wind that spoils the peace of the orchard.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member katfusion
This book was amazing! Of course I already adore Philippa Gregory, so it wasn't hard to enjoy this book. The storyline was rich in drama, intrigue, historical nuggets, and romance...everything you'd expect from Gregory.Hannah is a likable character and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out
Show More
what she would stumble into next. A great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member pdxwoman
I've been fascinated with English history of the Tudor period since the 6th grade, when my Social Studies teacher spent the year drawing royal genealogies on the black board and telling the fascinating stories behind each name. Partly due to this fascination and partly due to my Bibliophelia, I've
I slogged through the first third of the book skipping the repetitive sections and slogged through the second third of the book hating all the main characters. The last third of the book I finally started to like Hannah, the protagonist. Then the book was done.
Really, very little happens. Most of the book is spent with the naive Hannah, appropriately employed as a fool, allowing herself to be used alternatively by Lord Robert, Princess/Queen Mary, and Princess Elizabeth. She lives at times with Mary, who spends the book sick, paranoid, or in a religious fervor and at times with Elizabeth, who spends the book sick, paranoid, or in a manic sexual fervor.
We spend 250+ pages bouncing back and forth between the Tudor women, listening to them decry each others' behavior. The book added nothing to my historical or cultural understanding of the era, lacked depth (palace intrigue was superficially presented although critical to the plot), and the characters were, for the most part, irritating.
Show More
been meaning to read a Philippa Gregory book for a long time. Sorry to say I was quite disappointed.I slogged through the first third of the book skipping the repetitive sections and slogged through the second third of the book hating all the main characters. The last third of the book I finally started to like Hannah, the protagonist. Then the book was done.
Really, very little happens. Most of the book is spent with the naive Hannah, appropriately employed as a fool, allowing herself to be used alternatively by Lord Robert, Princess/Queen Mary, and Princess Elizabeth. She lives at times with Mary, who spends the book sick, paranoid, or in a religious fervor and at times with Elizabeth, who spends the book sick, paranoid, or in a manic sexual fervor.
We spend 250+ pages bouncing back and forth between the Tudor women, listening to them decry each others' behavior. The book added nothing to my historical or cultural understanding of the era, lacked depth (palace intrigue was superficially presented although critical to the plot), and the characters were, for the most part, irritating.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Fleur-De-Lis
Lovely, A good book about the fight for power between the three Queens after Edward V dies. Told form the perspective of a fugitive jew that has come from Spain in order to hide from the Inquisition. Hannah befriends the Queens Mary and Elizabeth, in her job as Royal Fool, Hannah gets visions of
A wonderful story telling about the reigns of the two queens. And what it is like to be a heretic, and running from the Inquisitions Flames.
Show More
the future.A wonderful story telling about the reigns of the two queens. And what it is like to be a heretic, and running from the Inquisitions Flames.
Show Less
LibraryThing member stacyinthecity
I have to admit that I'm not up on my Tudor history as much as I'd like to be. And most of what I know comes from the movie Lady Jane with Helena Bonham Carter. But I know the basics: the fight for the crown, Bloody Mary, Elizabeth and the Spanish and that sort of thing.
This book is a look inside
This book is a look inside the court from a teenage Jewish girl. She keeps her religion secret as she and her father fled Spain during the inquisition. Her mother was burned at the stake. She is working for her father at his bookshop, dressed as a boy when Robert Dudley discovers her.
She has the gift of the Sight (telling the future - though not always when is convenient for her) and is sent to the dying king's court to be a Holy Fool and foresee the future. Robert Dudley and his friends also involve her in their plots - sometimes willingly, sometimes unwilling.
Along the way, a lot of interesting things happen. The court intrigue, her betrothal, war and so on.
The story is built on a great premise, not only the Tudor history, but also showing the reign of Bloody Mary through the eyes of a girl who lost her mother to a similar religious based killing spree. How could she reconcile this and serve the Queen happily?
Ultimately, it was these sorts of inconsistencies in the book that dropped it from a 5 star rating to a 4. Though the inconsistencies were addressed, I didn't find the reasoning plausible enough. It didn't make sense to me.
Overall, I love historical fiction and I like a little romance and drama mixed in. The characters and setting was interesting, and I may have even learned something (keeping in mind of course, that it is still fiction and not everything should be taken as gospel truth). I'll try and get my hands on more of her Tudor series very soon
This book is a look inside
Show More
the court from a teenage Jewish girl. She keeps her religion secret as she and her father fled Spain during the inquisition. Her mother was burned at the stake. She is working for her f...more I have to admit that I'm not up on my Tudor history as much as I'd like to be. And most of what I know comes from the movie Lady Jane with Helena Bonham Carter. But I know the basics: the fight for the crown, Bloody Mary, Elizabeth and the Spanish and that sort of thing.This book is a look inside the court from a teenage Jewish girl. She keeps her religion secret as she and her father fled Spain during the inquisition. Her mother was burned at the stake. She is working for her father at his bookshop, dressed as a boy when Robert Dudley discovers her.
She has the gift of the Sight (telling the future - though not always when is convenient for her) and is sent to the dying king's court to be a Holy Fool and foresee the future. Robert Dudley and his friends also involve her in their plots - sometimes willingly, sometimes unwilling.
Along the way, a lot of interesting things happen. The court intrigue, her betrothal, war and so on.
The story is built on a great premise, not only the Tudor history, but also showing the reign of Bloody Mary through the eyes of a girl who lost her mother to a similar religious based killing spree. How could she reconcile this and serve the Queen happily?
Ultimately, it was these sorts of inconsistencies in the book that dropped it from a 5 star rating to a 4. Though the inconsistencies were addressed, I didn't find the reasoning plausible enough. It didn't make sense to me.
Overall, I love historical fiction and I like a little romance and drama mixed in. The characters and setting was interesting, and I may have even learned something (keeping in mind of course, that it is still fiction and not everything should be taken as gospel truth). I'll try and get my hands on more of her Tudor series very soon
Show Less
LibraryThing member maryreinert
There were definitely things I liked about this book such as the portrayal of Queen Mary, life at and away from the court, and the "secret" life of the Jews. The background of the book seems very accurate and well researched and consistent with other books of this time period. However, the narrator
This is the only book I've read by Philippa Gregory; I'm not sure I'll pick up another one. This was a light entertaining read, but it does not stand up to the works of Jean Plaidy
Show More
Hannah Green just does not seem believable. The fact that Hannah seems to easily find herself in the position to be "selected" to become the queen's fool is a bit of a stretch. Her relationship with Daniel while still maintaining the role of an intimate friend of both Mary and Elizabeth seems also very improbable.This is the only book I've read by Philippa Gregory; I'm not sure I'll pick up another one. This was a light entertaining read, but it does not stand up to the works of Jean Plaidy
Show Less
LibraryThing member alanna1122
This was one of the slooooowest books I have ever read. I kept at it - but it was so hard to keep reading when the plot was so uninteresting.
The one thing I found interesting was the author's attempt to instill Mary I with some sympathetic qualities. It was a difficult job - no doubt given the
I found it hard to care about the main character. She was pretty preposterous - and even annoying at times.
All in all I would definitely skip this book if you haven't read it.
The one thing I found interesting was the author's attempt to instill Mary I with some sympathetic qualities. It was a difficult job - no doubt given the
Show More
historical record - and I thought it was a brave thing to attempt.I found it hard to care about the main character. She was pretty preposterous - and even annoying at times.
All in all I would definitely skip this book if you haven't read it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member marieburton2004
this is a fun-to-read account of a courtier of Queen Mary of England after her brother Edward dies. 1/4 of the way through it and is keeping me interested, a different light on future Queen Elizabeth makes it interesting as well.
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
Like 'The Other Boleyn Girl', this keep me reading past my bedtime. I found some of Hannah's attitudes anachronistically modern, but I cared about her, and was interested in what happened to her. I enjoyed the storytelling.
However, I found Elizabeth to be almost indistinguishable from Anne Boleyn -
Neither Mary nor Elizabeth gained my sympathy, even with the troubles they both experienced.
However, I found Elizabeth to be almost indistinguishable from Anne Boleyn -
Show More
both mother and daughter were, er, one trick ponies. Neither Mary nor Elizabeth gained my sympathy, even with the troubles they both experienced.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
Wow, another great book by Philippa Gregory! I thought this was just about as good as The Other Boleyn Girl. Once I finished it, I immediately went and added the sequel, The Virgin’s Lover, to my wish list as I’m really looking forward to the story of Elizabeth. Both her and Robert Dudley were my
Show More
favorite characters in this book, and they’re the primary characters in the next book. :) Just like in The Other Boleyn girl, Gregory takes historical fact and weaves a tale around it. There’s a few main characters in this book, with Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, being the main character of historical significance. She’s sometimes remembered as “Bloody Mary” because of all the supposed heretics she had burned at the stake. This story is told from the point of view of Hannah the Fool, the daughter of a Jewish bookseller who escaped persecution with her father from Spain to England after her mother was burned as a heretic. I believe Hannah’s character is completely fictional, but her story is interesting nonetheless. She’s got the gift of a Seer, and as the Queen’s Fool, she dresses in breeches, and doesn’t really have to mind what she says as most women would… she’s “a fool” after all. Her loyalties are continually tested as she’s a trusted companion to Queen Mary, as well as her half-sister, the Princess Elizabeth, and Robert Dudley, both of whom are later imprisoned and charged with treason in a plot to strip Queen Mary from the throne. Hannah moves among these groups and they all trust her; many times she doesn’t even realize the plots she’s actually involved in as she’s asked to bring some cryptic message from one to another. She tries to speak only the truth and often the Sight compels her to do so. Had the Queen listened to Hannah before agreeing to marry Prince Philip of Spain, she may have been saved a lot of heartache, and what eventually became her undoing. Show Less
LibraryThing member Trinity
This book began a little slow for me but quickly picked up after the first 50-75 pages. I read this book while on vacation in Las Vegas and I was so enthralled that I kept thinking I wished I could go read instead of seeing the sites! I especially liked reading about the Jewish experience in Tudor
Show More
England and Europe. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes hitorical novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member aapjebaapje
Fast moving and interesting. Philippa really knows her history well and brings it to life without you noticing the erudition. Knowing the history yourself makes you appreciate her characterisation - her story telling makes sense of the bare facts.
LibraryThing member soccertheology
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of an innocent in pre-Elizabethan England. Hannah is caught up in a web of sometimes conflicting loves: her father, a mentor, a lover, a friend, her husband, and finally, a child. Oh, and throw in love of Yaweh; a love that was forbidden. It was a delightful and
Show More
eye-opening read. Show Less
LibraryThing member laurendd
this was the most disappointing of Gregory's novels that I've read so far. While it was good, I just couldn't get into the stories and the characters as I could in The Constant Princess & The Other Boleyn Girl.
LibraryThing member goth_marionette
Not a bad read. This is not her strongest work and the ending feels a bit forced but a great light read.
LibraryThing member emmakendon
Much about this book was irritating, which was a shame after The Other Boleyn Girl, because the character Hannah was taken into so many people's confidence so unconvincingly and because her visions were such a central part of the book. However, having got used to that slightly saccharine taste, I
Show More
can get wrapped up in Gregory's storytelling and detail. The nausea and paranoia I felt in the thick of the burnings and torture was palpable and I was aching for the book to end and Elizabeth to succeed to the throne. I suspect of the three books she has written around this period, this one is probably the weakest, and when I'm ready for another burst of sugar, I'll get hold of and read The Queen's Lover (I think it's called - anyway the one about Elizabeth and Dudley). Show Less
LibraryThing member poppi
The strength of the book is the sympathetic portrayal of Bloody Mary. It does what historical fiction is best at, showing a particular period in the rich textures of history and social life. That sense of 'being there' is just not achieved by straight historical accounts. Gregory is superb with
Show More
characterisation, sense of place and the deft integration of period detail. Unfortunately the plot and its contrivances stretched credibility, but what really annoyed me was the punctuation! Gregory simply does not know what the semi-colon is for and when to use it, or not. Do Harper Collins not employ editors? Show Less
LibraryThing member avhacker
very good the writing and storyline is very well written!
LibraryThing member luckycharm6139
In 1553 Hannah de Verde and her father flee Spain following the Inquisition burning her mom at the stake for being Jewish. With the help of the Carpenters, they open up a London bookstore changing their name to Greene. Hannah and her father hide their Jewish traditions behind a Christian façade.
Show More
Hannah and Daniel Carpenter are betrothed to marry when she turns sixteen.Astrologer and Scholar John Dee and Lord Robert Dudley arrive at the bookstore seeking books from the early ages of Christianity and Hebrew antiquity. Hannah, garbed in boy’s clothing, mentions a third person with them that excites John as he realizes that God gave Hannah the gift of sight. She describes an angel.... Hannah delivers their purchases to Whitehall Palace. Robert introduces her to the ailing teen King Edward who names her his Holy Fool. She sees death lingering near Edward, but says nothing. Robert’s father threatens to expose her and her father as Jews if she refuses the position. She accepts though Daniel is unhappy. Now her adventures amidst the royal intrigue begin over the next several years as Mary reigns..... The solid depiction of real 1553-1558 historical figures provide an in-depth look at an era of transition from an ailing King Edward through the short reign of Queen Mary to the point of ascension of Queen Elizabeth. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781416593973
Pages
514