Friday Finds at the Bookstore: The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper

Publish Date: 2006

Format: Paperback 624pp

Synopsis: (From the Publisher)

"The daughter of a disgraced earl, she matched wits with a prince.

It is the fourteenth century, the height of the Medieval Age, and at the court of King Edward III of England, chivalry is loudly praised while treachery runs rampant. When the lovely and high-spirited Joan of Kent is sent to this politically charged court, she is woefully unprepared for the underhanded maneuverings of her peers.

Determined to increase the breadth of his rule, the king will use any means necessary to gain control of France—including manipulating his own son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Joan plots to become involved with the prince to scandalize the royal family, for she has learned they engineered her father’s downfall and death. But what begins as a calculated strategy soon—to Joan’s surprise—grows into love. When Joan learns that Edward returns her feelings, she is soon fighting her own, for how can she love the man that ruined her family? And, if she does, what will be the cost?

Filled with scandal, court intrigue, and prominent figures of the Medieval Age, The First Princess of Wales has at its center a wonderful love story, which is all the more remarkable because it is true. Karen Harper’s compelling, fast-paced novel tells the riveting tale of an innocent girl who marries a prince and gives birth to a king."

Book Review: The Queen's Governess by Karen Harper

 

Synopsis: (From the Publisher)

A fresh and intriguing historical novel told in the voice of Queen Elizabeth I's governess. Katherine Ashley, the daughter of a poor country squire, happily secures an education and a place for herself in a noble household. But when Thomas Cromwell, a henchman for King Henry VIII, brings her to the royal court as a spy, Kat enters into a thrilling new world of the Tudor monarchs. Freed from a life of espionage by Cromwell's downfall, Kat eventually befriends Anne Boleyn. As a dying favor to the doomed queen, Kat becomes governess and surrogate-mother to the young Elizabeth Tudor. Together they suffer bitter exile, assassination attempts, and imprisonment, barely escaping with their lives. But they do, and when Elizabeth is crowned, Kat continues to serve her, faithfully guarding all the queen's secrets (including Elizabeth's affair with the dashing Robert Dudley) . . . and ultimately emerging as the lifelong confidante and true mother-figure to Queen Elizabeth. 

My Review:

Kat Ashley is a woman who is very familiar with loss and hardship. As a little girl she lost her mother to a terrible accident and was soon forced to work as a servant to her stepmother, whom she suspected had a hand in her mothers demise. After many years of dreary living, she met by chance Thomas Cromwell, who saw in her a potential for serving him as a spy. Kat knew that Cromwell was her only chance to escape her miserable existence in the country and she eagerly accepted his terms. Little did she know what a peaceful and safe life she was leaving behind....

Kat's arrival in London was everything she could have hoped for. Sent to be a lady in waiting to Anne Boleyn, she was instructed to be a messenger between Anne and Cromwell. She found this task to be simple enough and spent much of her free time dreaming of the dashing Thomas Seymour, whom she met on her journey to court. Unfortunately, her dreams of Thomas were destroyed by an ill event that occurred the night of Anne's coronation banquet. After that horrible night, Kat's happy world at court began to crumble rapidly. She began to disagree with the power hungry Cromwell and tried to rebel, only to find that she was completely at Cromwell's mercy. Kat being surrounded by chaos at court soon finds herself to be the governess of the Princess Elizabeth. She is well aware and prepared for the tough journey that lies before them. Even through the threat of prison, torture, exile and the hope of new love, Kat's bond with Elizabeth never weakens and she keeps her vow to protect her at any cost...

This novel is extremely detailed, well researched and historically accurate. At times the extensive detail began to read like a history book, but those moments were brief and soon forgotten when the compelling story of Kat Ashley picked up. The description of scenery was splendid; I could see the castles and almost smell the dust in the secret passageways. Many of the characters were three dimensional and the plot was well thought out. My main complaint with this book is how every once in a while it would switch between the past and future within the same paragraph. This was mostly found in the first half of the book when we were being told of how Kat came to be Elizabeth's governess.While this led to some mild confusion, it in no way made the book unreadable or unlikable. This book would be perfect for someone wanting to learn more about Elizabeth I by means of an enjoyable reading experience.