Review: Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Quercus, 2011
448p



Marie Grosholtz (later to be Mme Tussaud)is a determined young businesswoman, eager to see her family's waxwork museum  succeed and keep them safe and secure in a city whose people are suffering from poverty and hunger.
Her gift for modelling faces in wax brings her to Versailles, where she will teach the king's sister, Madame Elizabeth, her skill. But the coming revolution will place Marie, her family and all of Paris in grave danger.
As the monarchy is overthrown and the horror of the guillotine becomes a fixture in French life, Marie is expected to show her patriotism by making death masks from the severed heads of every key figure killed as the Reign of Terror begins and France enters its darkest time.


I wasn't sure how much I would like this book as many years ago I rather overdosed on Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution and tend to avoid this time period now. But once again Michelle Moran has written a very fine historical novel which kept me enthralled from page one and I really enjoyed it!

Like most people I could equate Madame Tussaud with the 18th century and waxworks but not much else and what a fascinating woman she was and what an incredible life she lived. She is the perfect choice of subject to have as a central character in a book about the French Revolution allowing the reader to see the perspectives of both sides of the conflict.
As an ordinary Parisian Marie was one of the people but her artistic talent and the family's waxwork museum brought growing renown and it was there that her uncle held a salon where the revolutionary leaders would gather - names like Lafayette, Robespierre and Marat that would later become infamous and all providing subjects for Marie's work.

Teaching Madame Elizabeth took her to Versailles where she was able to observe the aristocracy and meet the royal family but trying to maintain a loyalty to two sides isn't easy as Marie and her family would discover.

It's hard to imagine what living in the midst of such horror and the daily fear of death would be like and what Marie had to do to survive was so gruesome it's beyond imagining. She must have been a very strong woman.

The book focuses on the years between 1788 -  1795 but I did appreciate the author adding an historical note which explained the later lives of the main characters. As always , Michelle Moran provides lots of extras - maps, a timeline and a list of characters in the front and notes and glossary at the back - everything to enhance the reading experience.

Recommended to all historical fiction lovers!

Historical Fiction Challenge

Review: The People's Queen by Vanora Bennett

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010
530p

Alice Perrers - more than a king's mistress!

A book I'd been waiting for with great anticipation and overall I wasn't to be disappointed. Vanora Bennett portrays an Alice  I didn't always like but is exactly the sort of person I imagined her to be.
Chroniclers of her time have not been kind but when you take into account they were men and Alice was a woman who refused to stay within the acceptable boundaries of a woman's role it's not surprising. Being Edward III's mistress had its rewards but it was her independence, intelligence and keen business mind that took her into the strictly male world of finance and investment which made her a wealthy woman . It made her a natural target for resentment and dislike and an obvious choice for a scapegoat.

Little is known about her early life and I was pleased that Vanora Bennett didn't fill pages with an elaborate fictional account but settled for a short and plausible prologue of Alice's humble beginnings with some flashbacks during the story.
The book only covers eight years of Alice's life but they are pivotal years in England's history. Like most of Europe, the country is in chaos after the Black Death, the 'Mortality' which tore apart the known structure and fabric of life. Both the king and his eldest son are dying , his grandson and heir is a child which creates opportunity for the younger sons to plot and scheme to their own benefit.
There is also unrest in the lower class as the peasants begin to give voice to their grievances against crippling taxes, a movement which will soon result in the Peasant's Revolt.

I liked that the author chose to give centre stage to another social group. The merchants of London, particularly the Wool Merchants had the responsibility of restoring the economy and making enough money to pay the king's endless debts - their position was powerful but precarious. I found this very interesting although I have to admit I did get a bit lost in the financial wheelings and dealings and some of it does have the effect of slowing the pace too much.

Alice moves through all these class levels equally at home with many fascinating historical figures -Wat Tyler, Geoffrey Chaucer, John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

The only complaint I have is the same one I had with Vanora Bennett's Blood Royal. The book lacks the little extras ........there is a very short afterword but I would have liked a bibliography for further reading and some genealogy charts.

Overall I enjoyed it very much . It's very good historical fiction with the emphasis on the strong historical background which I prefer, and a very realistic look at an interesting woman.

Also posted at Royal Reviews - 9th March,2011

Review: Catherine de Medici by Leonie Frieda

Genre:Non-fiction/Biography
Dewey No 923.144
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003
456p


Orphaned in infancy, imprisoned in childhood, heiress to an ancient name and vast fortune, Catherine de Medici grew up to become one of the most important figures in European history. Three of her sons became kings of France, including the eldest who married Mary, Queen of Scots. It is a story of incest, vicious religious wars, assassination, poison, the occult and in Catherine's own words.........

'passion, hatred and vengeance'.

The opening paragraph of the prologue is an example of how easy to read Leonie Frieda's narrative is .......

" On the late afternoon of Friday, 30 June 1559 a long splinter of wood from a jousting lance pierced the eye and brain of King Henri II of France. The poisonous wound bloated his face, slowly robbing him of sight, speech and reason, and after ten days of suffering he died...."

......and is the moment that would change Catherine's life from that of a Queen Consort living in the shadow of her husband's long-time mistress Diane de Poitiers, to Regent of France. Her eldest son died soon after his father leaving a 10-year-old as king and Catherine at the helm of a country torn apart by civil and religious conflicts.

While one can't overlook the part she played in the of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre it's not so well known that from the beginning of her regency she attempted to implement a policy of religious toleration but was unable to reconcile the fanaticism of both Catholics and Protestants. The mere fact of her being a hated Italian gave both sides a target and a scapegoat .

Catherine's achilles heel would prove to be her children. Everything she did was for them and to keep the throne of France securely in Valois hands. Unfortunately they were rather a pathetic brood.......unhealthy and constantly at each other's throats , their behaviour and sexual deviancy alienated the court and did little to gain popular support . Catherine would see three sons become king before she died .......her death spared her from the murder of her favourite son, Henri III and the knowledge that the Valois dynasty was no more.

It took me a while to read this book because it is so much more than a biography . Leonie Frieda provides a fascinating and detailed account of a complex time and to understand these events and sort out the participants takes slow reading at times. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend to anyone wanting a balanced and well researched study of this remarkable and much-maligned woman.

Includes illustrations, maps, family trees, a list of principal characters, authors note , source notes, bibliography and index.



Review: Courtesan by Diane Haeger

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Three Rivers Press, 1993
565p

A Right Royal Romance!

The court of Francois 1 of France is full of lust, intrigue and bawdy bon temps - a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's 'favourite', Anne d'Heilly and the court is soon electrified by rumours of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane a way, Diane finds an ally in the one member of court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.

Neglected by his father and disliked by his brothers, Prince Henri expects little from his life. But as his friendship with Diane deepens into infatuation and then a romance that scandalizes the court, the Prince begins to discover hope for a future with Diane. Fate and his father have other plans - including a political marriage with Catherine de Medici.

I bought this book at a recent Book Fair and not having read anything of Diane Haeger's I was looking forward to reading what gives the impression of being a good solid historical novel. I can only say now that I'm happy I paid a mere $2 for it.

The relationship between Henri and Diane is one of history's great love stories. The young man who would become Henri II and the woman who was almost 20 years his senior would remain devoted to each other until Henri's premature death in a jousting match when he was 40.

However fascinating that may be , I found the first part of the book dragged on and on and I was hard put to continue. Throughout, the focus is on the romance - repetitive love scenes and endless avowals of undying devotion became very boring.
I didn't like the way the author whitewashed Diane - she was a remarkable woman but no one survived in those times, particularly amongst court intrigue with its plotting and backstabbing, without having their wits about them. The way Diane is portrayed is too good to be true and I couldn't relate to her at all . If I felt a connection to anyone it was the young Catherine de Medici .

Overall I was disappointed and I think I already have a more balanced perspective of this relationship from other books I've read .

French Historicals Oh La La Challenge
Royal Mistress Challenge

Review: Queenmaker by India Edghill

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, 2002
376p


The story of Michal, King David's first queen.


Daughter of King Saul and sister to Jonathan , Michal becomes the first wife of the young favourite of the king, David. Together for only one night before David falls from grace and is forced to flee leaving Michal behind. Her father then marries her to an older man, an obscure farmer and she is abandoned as an outcast for over ten years. Although initially grief stricken at her separation from David, over time she learns to love her husband and to find happiness in her simple life. Until David, now king of Israel , and despite having a harem of wives ,decides he wants her back and she is taken to his court where she will spend the rest of her days.

I loved this book and became completely immersed in Michal's life. Each chapter begins with a simple bible verse  like this one from Samuel 1 " And Michal Saul's daughter loved David....." and from these few words India Edghill creates a rich biblical background and vivid characters that truly brings this long ago time to life.

As Anita Diamant does in The Red Tent she gives a voice to the women...........takes the reader into their everyday lives.........the clothes, the food and the conflicts, jealousies and unhappiness of being one wife of many sharing one man.

I liked the way she interprets David's character. We remember him as the lad who slayed Goliath, the beloved friend of Jonathan and the gentle psalmist who sang at the king's feet but a man must have a certain of ruthless ambition to rise from a shepherd's son to be man who united Judah and Israel and become a great king.
Michal loved him but she learnt to know his flaws...........to see the the truth behind the songs of praise and the selfishness behind his beauty.

From a young girl betrayed by the man she she loves to a woman of great strength and wisdom - this is the story of Michal , King David's queen.

Recommended to all historical fiction lovers.

Historical Tapestry ABC Challenge

Q is for Queenmaker

DNF: The Captive Queen by Alison Weir

DNF - Did Not Finish!  It happens, although fortunately not often, and when it does I usually know after 50-100 pages that the book is not for me and move on to something else.

This novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II was one I eagerly anticipated reading and expected to be one of this years best reads but two thirds through I suddenly realised I was bored and didn't want to read any more which was not only disappointing but rather distressing as Alison Weir is an author I would normally mention among my favourites. So what went wrong?

Were my expectations too high? ..........I don't think so because they were based on my opinion of her previous books, fiction and non-fiction, which I think are very good. I expected quality writing but I didn't like the short, overly simplistic sentence structure at all , some of the dialogue was awful and there was a lack of background descriptive prose.

Considering that Alison Weir has written a non-fiction account of Eleanor and had the research and knowledge at her fingertips before she began I expected her to produce something with a new perspective or to take an original approach to this very well known story but no..........it was only the basics. In hindsight I wonder why she would want to write about this subject at all when she could have chosen from many lesser known figures of the time that readers would be interested in.

So - am I Eleanored out? ................she has always been a popular subject and after over 30 years of historical fiction reading that could be true. I certainly didn't feel that way when I read Devil's Brood last year but I'll admit I need more than a superficial story to hold my interest.

I didn't like the over emphasis on Eleanor and Henry's bedroom exploits. I didn't like it because it became repetitive and repetitive is very, very boring. To me it seemed to be there as padding........to make a little book into a big book!

I'm not a nit-picker and I don't look for mistakes and inaccuracies when I'm reading but sometimes they can't be ignored .....................like when a queen hands her newborn baby to a wet nurse and then a few pages later puts that same baby to her breast............ouch!!!! Did the author not read over what she'd written ? What happened to editing? Not good.

The Captive Queen was not for me .

Review: Blood Royal by Vanora Bennett

Challenge 9: Same word, different book.

Challenge Description: Find two books that have the same word in the title. Read both books and write about them. (Worth 2 entries because you have to read two books).

My word is blood - the books I've read are Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier and Blood Royal by Vanora Bennett. Here is the review of the second .....

Title: Blood Royal

Author: Vanora Bennett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

578 p.

(US - The Queen's Lover)

This is the story of Catherine de Valois (1401 - 1437), daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V and mother to Henry VI of England.........who after Henry's death would marry Owain Tudor - their grandson would become the first Tudor king, Henry VII.
Catherine's story has always appealed to me because she was a princess who in the end found happiness with the man she loved but the books I've read have always had a strong English background.

Which is why I loved this book so much. This is French history and gives whole new perspective  to the events of this time. No longer is Henry V the great leader of men, the valiant victor of Agincourt but a greedy usurper from a cold and dismal land , a warmonger intent on conquering French land and wearing the crown of France himself. For someone who's waved the red rose of Lancaster ever since I fell in love with John of Gaunt as a 16-year-old reading Anya Seton's Katherine it took some getting used to the less than flattering portrait of the English.

It is so much more than a love story..........this was a turbulent time for the French with the combination of foreign invasion and internal warring factions. Paris , its people and the royal court are brought vividly to life in rich and colourful detail. There are many wonderful characters both real and imagined. The sad figure of King Charles who suffered fits of madness, his fat sweetmeat munching wife Isabeau and their children.
Christine de Pisan - I didn't realise she was a real person until I did a little googling out of interest. A scholar, a writer and a medieval feminist, her role in Catherine's life ,and the story of her family is quite considerable. Her last work 'The Song of Joan of Arc" celebrating the victory over the English at Orleans is the only French language eulogy written in Joan's lifetime and is the title of Part 7 of the book where Joan makes her appearance.

The book isn't perfect and I do have a few niggles:

* I found Catherine's behaviour inconsistent at times which considering the mental instability of her family is explainable but her sudden changes seemed too much so. For example when she first meets Henry V she is disappointed....."an odd looking rat of a man with awkward eyes" . An hour later she is making love with him and glowing at the wonder of his skin, his eyes, his muscles...........very strange!

* I became extremely irritated with the way the author persisted in describing anyone with Lancastrian blood. Pop-eyed, google-eyed, frog-eyed, bulgy-eyed etc- over and over again the same focus on the eyes.

* There were signs of poor editing - the same word repeated in one sentence, the same descriptive phrase used only two paragraphs on........it's noticeable and shouldn't really happen.

* And once again I'm complaining about the lack of genealogical trees or a list of characters. In a book with such a huge cast I find it hard to believe that no one saw the necessity for this.

However, don't let those niggles put you off. It's wonderful historical fiction and it kept me engrossed the whole way through.

Royal Reviews Historical Fiction Challenge
A Tournament of Reading Challenge
Chunkster Challenge
The Four Month Challenge 3
French Historicals Oh La!La! Challenge

Review: The Italian Woman by Jean Plaidy

Title: The Italian Woman
Author: Jean Plaidy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Arrow, 2006

First published: 1952

387p

The second in Jean Plaidy's trilogy of the life of Catherine d' Medici this book is the story of two women whose lives were destined to cross in affairs of state, love and faith, driving them to become deadly enemies.

After years of being shamed and neglected by her husband's devotion to his mistress,  Queen Catherine suddenly finds herself a widow and in a powerful position as the mother of a young and sickly king and his siblings. Her favourite is her third son Henry and her desire to see him on the throne will motivate many a devious scheme.  She will also stop at nothing in order to bring about the downfall of another young woman she so dislikes.

Jeanne is a princess of France, the cousin of Catherine's husband Henry II , and on the death of her father Queen of Navarre. She marries for love into the Protestant Bourbon family and in time becomes a member of the Reformed Faith and a staunch supporter of the Huguenot cause.

The story moves between the two women and their personal conflict mirrors the political and religious struggles happening in the  country. France is vulnerable with the power of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England on one side and Catholic Philip of Spain on the other, each of them with an eye on the main chance.

Jean Plaidy breathes life into the people and events of history with a wonderful mix of historical detail , excitement and romance that makes them able to be enjoyed by any reader. It's 30 years since I first read her books and they still capture my attention without in any way feeling dated. 

There is a helpful family tree in the front and an author's note at the back with a list of reference titles.

Historical Tapestry ABC Historical Fiction Challenge

I is for Italian.

Review: The King's Mistress by Emma Campion

Title: The King's Mistress
Author: Emma Campion
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Century, 2009

539p

Synopsis: from the back of the book.

From childhood Alice Salisbury has learnt obedience in all things and at fourteen dutifully marries the man her father has chosen for her - at the cost of losing forever the love of her mother and the family she holds dear. But merchant Janyn Perrers is a good and loving husband and Alice soon learns to enjoy her marriage. Until a messenger brings news of his disappearance and she discovers that her husband had many secrets - secrets which have now put a price on her own head and that of her beloved daughter.
Brought under the protection of King Edward III and Queen Philippa, she must obediently embrace her fate once more - as a virtual prisoner at court. And when the king singles her out for more than jus royal patronage she has little choice but to accept his advances. But obeying the king brings with it many burdens as well as pleasures as she forfeits her good name to keep her daughter free from hurt.
Still a young woman and guided by her intellect and good sense, she learns to use her gifts as wisely as she can. But as one of the king's favourites she brings jealousy and hatred in her wake and some will stop at nothing to see her fall from grace......

At first sight The King's Mistress appeared to offer everything I could hope for in a book. The lovely cover invites, it's wonderfully big and chunky and it's set in one of my favourite times periods - medieval /14th century. What more could a gal ask for?

Open it up and I find a list of historical figures, a glossary and maps - most interesting the one showing royal residences - and at the the back a list for further reading. I always appreciate these extras and think they're an excellent addition to any historical fiction especially for those who are just beginning to read this genre.

Sadly, that was about as good as it got and I had a real struggle finishng this book and to be honest if I hadn't had it earmarked for several challenges and needed to review it I would have given up.

History hasn't been kind to Alice Perrers and she's generally portrayed as a greedy and grasping women so I did enjoy seeing a different and more positive side of her but a book, particularly one of this size ,needs a great deal more than an account of one person's daily doings. There are so many fascinating supporting characters - King Edward & Queen Philippa, John of Gaunt and his Katherine, Geoffrey Chaucer - and they're all present but none of them come alive. Lots of dialogue and conversations but it all sounds the same and the personalities of the characters don't shine through.
A lack of descriptive prose that evokes images and emotions and makes one feel connected to people ,places and events.

I was disappointed - I didn't like it and it's not one I'd recommend. Emma Campion also writes a medieval series under the name Candace Robb so maybe one day I'll try one of those but I won't be in a hurry.

Royal Mistresses Challenge
Royal Reviews Historical Fiction Challenge
What's in a Name 3 Challenge ( A book with a title)

Review: The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Title: The Tudor Rose
Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
Genre: Historical Fiction
First Published, 1953
Republished by Sourcebooks, 2009

313p.

Elizabeth of York was the eldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Following the death of her father his brother Richard became Regent and Protector of Elizabeth's brothers Edward and Richard. The boys were removed from their family and kept in the Tower of London , Richard declared his brothers marriage as invalid and the children illegitimate and thus ineligible for the throne, and declared himself King. An alliance between Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry of Lancaster, brought forward an agreement that if Henry would move to overthrow King Richard and succeed he would be married to Elizabeth of York.
In 1485 Richard III was defeated and died at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

On the 18th January, 1486 Elizabeth of York and Henry of Lancaster , now Henry VII, were married. The uniting of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster gave birth to the Tudor rose and a new dynasty and an end to the many years of strife and civil war.

The book begins with the breaking off of Elizabeth's childhood engagement to the Dauphin of France and follows her life through the death of her father, the time spent in sanctuary filled with fear for her brothers and then her marriage.
The author gives a good account of the outside events happening at this pivotal time in England's history- the age old question of the fate of the Princes in the Tower, the rebellions and Pretenders to the throne during Henry's reign and a glimpse into ordinary life and customs. I like the way she presents some of the main supporting characters, particularly Richard . So many authors take a definite love or loathe stand but she paints a picture of a strange and complex person very hard to truly understand. Henry's mother , Margaret Beaufort, is another person we see a different side to than what is normally portrayed.

I do have one niggle............and it's a big one. The marriage of Elizabeth and Henry is the central theme to the story and Margaret Campbell Barnes chose to depict it as an unhappy one. A sad and discontented wife married to a neglectful, cold and unfeeling husband. I imagine that when I first read this book over thirty years ago as a young woman eager for knowledge I would have accepted that at face value.
Now,I don't....... and it is generally accepted that the marriage was a happy one. The impression I get of Elizabeth is of a quiet and loving person with much inner courage and strength who would have been fully aware from an early age that she would marry for political reasons and would surely have appreciated not having to leave her homeland and family. She and Henry shared a strong mutual purpose to begin with and later the joy of a family and I like to think their life was contented.

The book ends with a small shared happy moment between Elizabeth and her son...........a few months later she would die, from infection following the birth of her daughter, on her 37th birthday. An account of the time says of Henry " he privily departed to a solitary place and would no man should resort unto him".

If you like action and excitement you won't find it in this story as its pace is quite slow but for anyone wanting to understand this time in English history it will prove an interesting and informative read.

I read The Tudor Rose for the Tudor Book Challenge
hosted by Benedictionary, A Bookworm's Blog

Review: A Thousand Orange Trees by Kathryn Harrison

Title: A Thousand Orange Trees
Author: Kathryn Harrison
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Fourth Estate, 1995

317p.


On March 26th, 1662 two little girls were born.

One was a princess: the granddaughter of kings and niece of Charles II of England and the Sun King, Louis XIV of France. Pampered and adored she would spend her young years at the liberal minded and pleasure loving court of France. At the age of 18 she would leave France forever and travel to Spain to become a wife and Queen and on the way "she is forced to abandon the cumbersome orange trees brought from home and leave them to wither in the Pyrennees" - a story that is symbolic of the loss of her childhood and presaging her lonely future at the formal and repressive Spanish court.
At Quintanapalla she marries Charles II of Spain, a young man physically, mentally and emotionally suffering the awful defects of royal inbreeding.

Quintanapalla is the birthplace of the second little girl, the fictional Francisca de Luarca, the daughter of impoverished silkworm farmers. After a tragic and forbidden love affair she is arrested by the Inquisition and it's from her prison cell she dreams of the young Queen and the author weaves together the threads of the lives of  two women powerless to control their destiny.

In between there are wonderfully evocative accounts of silkworms and the art of silk weaving, the heartbreaking tale of the little lovebirds of Paris...... and like a black cloud hanging overhead the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition with its barbaric cruelty and tortures.

I don't think I've ever read a novel of such emotional intensity . Kathryn Harrison's writing is powerful and beautiful and sweeps one page after page from the heights of passion to the depths of suffering and despair and every feeling that lies between.

Compelling and spellbinding - I loved it.

Royal Reviews Historical Fiction Challenge

Colourful Reading Challenge

Who Are You?

Yesterday I went sleuthing. I'm reading A Thousand Orange Trees which has this delightful portrait of a little blonde girl on the cover and at first I assumed she must be Marie Louise d'Orleans because that is who the book is about. But the more I read of Marie Louise's long, dark hair, the more I began to doubt this was so.

I knew the cover image was part of a larger painting - it's very well known and wasn't hard to find.

Las Meninas - Diego Velazquez

Painted in 1656 it depicts the Spanish Court and a young princess surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting. She is the Infanta Margarita Teresa ( 1651-73) daughter of Philip IV of Spain. Marie Louise d'Orleans would one day marry her brother Carlos and become Queen of Spain.

Unlike her brother and other family members Margarita Teresa was spared the awful genetic defects caused by royal inbreeding and Velazquez was to paint this beautiful child many times . At the age of fifteen she left Spain and travelled to Austria to become the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I to whom she'd been betrothed as a child.

Terrible.............more inbreeding.....the man was her maternal uncle and a paternal first cousin.

I like reading they were apparently very happy together because so often these political marriages were a disaster.  There was an age difference and she always called him Uncle so perhaps she went from being the joy of her father's life to a similar relationship with her husband. They both shared a love of music and theatre and the beautiful city of Vienna would have provided many occasions to enjoy operas and concerts.

In spite of this I would say they also shared a great deal of sadness. Between the ages of 15 and 21, Margarita Teresa gave birth to six children of which only one survived, and suffered many miscarriages.

In only six years!

And then she died - presumably of complications following the birth of her last child.

Very sad , the lives of some of these young royal women.

Review: The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason

Title: The King's Daughter
Author: Christie Dickason
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper & Collins, 2009
468p



Elizabeth is the daughter of King James VI of Scotland who after the death of Elizabeth I succeeded to the English throne as James I. Unpopular in England, the story begins with the infamous Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to dethrone him in favour of his children Elizabeth and her brother Henry.

Elizabeth is only 9 but from that time she becomes aware of her father's distrust and suspicions and how she will have to struggle to find any hope of a happy future.

Very little is known about this period in Elizabeth's life but the author has created a very likeable and spirited young girl. Surrounded by women who are less than kind and with their own personal agendas she has only herself and Henry to rely on until she is given an Ethiopian slave girl, Tallie, destined to become her close friend and confidante........some one who will tell her the truth whether she likes it or not. Tallie is pure fiction but her presence provides a means for Elizabeth to express her real thoughts and emotions.

One was the daughter of a king; the other a slave. Both were for sale.

Who her father will 'sell' her off to is the permanent cloud that hangs over Elizabeth's head subjecting her to hours of humiliating scrutiny - Ten pairs of adult male eyes, including my father's chilly gaze, stared at me as if I were a greyhound or horse for sale - -and more long periods of standing while portraits are painted for those who can't attend personally including this one in 1606 by Robert Peake which is obviously the inspiration for a passage in the book.
This little girl is only 10 and seems to have been done up to look like a miniature Queen Elizabeth I ......' my hair had been tortured upward into a great domed sugar loaf in an attempt to make me look regal. I thought it made me look like a startled acorn.

While facts about Elizabeth may be scarce there is a great deal more known about many of the other characters. The strange, emotionally flawed James, the petulant Baby Charles (later Charles I), the king's favourite boy Robert Carr and the conniving Frances Howard, Robert Cecil and Francis Bacon all come vividly to life and against a well described background of London and Whitehall add historical substance. Most of the story is told in the first person by Elizabeth but there are also short first person pieces from some of these other characters throughout which adds interest and another viewpoint.

The story ends in 1613 with Elizabeth newly married to the Elector Palatine, Frederick V, and preparing to set sail to her new life. Her later life was to prove more eventful which leaves me wondering if, and hoping that , Christie Dickason plans a sequel.

Easy to read,entertaining and absorbing , I enjoyed this book very much.

Royal Reviews Historical Fiction Challenge

Darling Daughters Reading Challenge