Synopsis
Following the tremendous success of her first novel, INNOCENT TRAITOR, acclaimed historian and New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England s most intriguing and powerful queen.
Before she is three, Elizabeth learns of the tragic fate that has befallen her mother, the enigmatic and seductive Anne Boleyn, and that she herself has been declared illegitimate, an injustice that will haunt her all her life. What comes next is a succession of stepmothers, bringing with them glimpses of love, fleeting security, tempestuous conflict, and tragedy. The death of her father puts the teenage Elizabeth in greater peril, leaving her at the mercy of ambitious and unscrupulous men. Like her mother two decades earlier, she is imprisoned in the Tower of London and fears she will also meet her mother s grisly end. Power-driven politics, private scandal and public gossip, a...
Publishers Weekly
Rosalyn Landor distinguishes the female characters nicely, handles the British and Welsh accents well and has a charming narrator's voice. She's less successful voicing the children, who sound like squeaky toys, and her Henry VIII makes one think of Papa Bear. While the book is often tediously detailed, and the children's psychological sophistication and vocabulary are beyond belief, Weir knows her landscape and how to tell a good yarn: she has written 10 histories of this period, and one bestselling novel, Innocent Traitor, about Lady Jane Grey. Landor's narration carries the fascinating plot twists and dynamic characters. Weir fans, historical novel and Elizabethan era buffs-and teenage girls-will enjoy this audio. A Ballantine hardcover (reviewed online). (May)
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