Title: The Queen’s Fool 

Author: Philippa Gregory

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Touchstone

Format: Paperback

Pages: 490

Rating: 5/5 stars

*Warning: mature content. Parents please be advised.*

Synopsis:

A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of “Sight,” the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward’s protector, who brings her to court as a “holy fool” for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen’s Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller.

Review:

I seriously loved this book! The main character is a young Jewish girl who has just moved to England to escape the Spanish Inquisition. She meets Robert Dudley, and begins to spy for him at court, becoming the kings fool. But then Edward dies, and Mary becomes queen, and Hannah starts serving both queen Mary and princess Elizabeth! I love how we see things through Hannah’s eyes, it takes a different perspective on history!
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One thing I love about Philippa Gregory is how she portrays the characters of history! We look and Mary Tudor as being Bloody Mary, but Gregory paints her as someone to sympathize for. She has always felt neglected, even as queen, and she just wants to be loved. Elizabeth is portrayed as a manipulative princess vying for the throne, but never admitting her role in the plots. Gregory takes one understanding (of course there are many different views on what these people were really like) and rolls with it, and does a superb job!