When King Henry VIII executes his second wife, Anne Boleyn, for treason, the young Princess Elizabeth is left to navigate the perilous waters of the Tudor court without her mother. England is suffering the most disruptive period in its history, and loyalties are ever-changing. Without support, what chance does an illegitimate girl have?
Alongside her best friend Robert Dudley, Elizabeth grows and learns, but nothing is ever straightforward, and the lessons don’t come easily. Surviving her increasingly unpredictable father, her unstable sister, and her many detractors will require strength and intelligence.
Can she survive the treacherous path fate has set her? Will she survive being labelled a traitor? And who can she trust on her path to the throne?
Excerpt
The scream-filled halls were silent now. The birthing chamber smelled of burning candles, sweat and blood, the latter two staining the bed sheets. Ladies-in-waiting hurried back and forth between bed and washbasin. They stumbled occasionally; the tapestry covered windows so darkened the room.
After three days of labour the queen was growing weak.
The midwife, however, refused to summon a surgeon to cut the child from its mother’s body. Just as the first lady of the bedchamber was about to call for him, the screaming stopped. Everyone present held their breath as the midwife cleaned and swaddled the newborn. She now faced the queen, the silence in the room broken by a tiny wail from the bundle in the midwife’s arms.
“Tell me! Is it a boy or a girl?!” The room remained silent. “I demand you tell me! NOW! Is it a boy?!” The queen stared expectantly at the midwife’s face, her features as red and angry as her babe’s.
The midwife stood, unmoving. Eyes wide with fear, she shook her head.
The queen’s agonising wail drowned out those of her child.
All of England assumed Elizabeth would be a boy. Men of both faith and science had declared it would be so. She was to be the heir who secured her mother’s future as queen. God’s sign to her father that all his actions had been right. Instead, she had entered the world a girl, and everything changed.
Reader Comments:
… a briskly paced and engaging read, serious in tone, though not dark or overly heavy. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys novels based on historical events—especially those featuring well-developed female protagonists! 5 Stars.
Without a doubt it is one of the best fictional accounts I have read of the possibilities that made Elizabeth the person she was.
I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters were so well developed and I was completely invested from page 1.
Available here.
Copyright Kelly Evans
Kelly Evans - Author 