I was already familiar with the Kingsbridge series from the Pillars of the Earth and World Without End mini-series. The Evening and the Morning is my first Ken Follett...and I must say, I went a very long time assuming he must be a very talented writer. But I think I was wrong. I appreciate the… Continue reading Review: The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures by Kathryn Brewster Haueisen straddles the line between fiction and non-fiction in telling the intertwining stories of the English religious rebels and the Pokanoket people and how these cultures clashed. There are two interesting points about the author, Kathryn Brewster Haueisen. She is the descendant of the… Continue reading Review: Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures by Kathryn Brewster Haueisen
The Familiars by Stacey Halls is a fictional account leading up to the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials, featuring actual historical figures. Seventeen-year-old Fleetwood Shuttleworth becomes mistress of Gawthorpe Hall, near Pendle, and gets drawn into the controversy over her midwife's, Alice Grey, alleged involvement with the "Pendle Witches" at Malkin Tower. I did know a bit… Continue reading Review: The Familiars by Stacey Halls
The Locksmith's Daughter follows a young woman named Mallory Bright who, after a scandalous incident*, must make a new path for herself by spying for none other than Queen Elizabeth's Spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. Not only does Mallory employ her lockpicking skills (learned from her locksmith father,) but also learns new tools of the… Continue reading Review: The Locksmith’s Daughter by Karen Brooks
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey focuses on Elizabeth Tudor's childhood and rise to power, rather than the majority of Elizabeth biographies that focus on her entire life or just her reign. I knew a bit about Elizabeth's upbringing before reading this book, but Starkey filled in the gaps and offered interesting information… Continue reading Review: Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey
Princess: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser tells the little-known lives and trials of Princesses Royal (Charlotte,) Augusta, Elizabeth, Sophia, Amelia, and Mary. The daughters of George III came of age during great changes in the British Empire, and experienced great changes themselves--outside of the norm for 18th/19th century princesses. What is… Continue reading Review: Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser
[Some spoilers below...but it's also history, so is it really a spoiler...?] Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen by Daisy Goodwin is the companion novel to the new Victoria TV series (already out in the UK, out in the US in Jan). Daisy Goodwin also wrote the TV series, but I believe the first season extends… Continue reading Review: Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen by Daisy Goodwin
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