The Lady Elizabeth
A Novel
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4.5 • 109 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A masterful novel exploring the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would become England’s most intriguing and powerful queen, from acclaimed historian Alison Weir
“Engrossing . . . Weir marries conjecture with what is known about the life of Elizabeth I from childhood to coronation, and it makes for ripping good reading.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Even at age two, Elizabeth is keenly aware that people in the court of her father, King Henry VIII, have stopped referring to her as “Lady Princess” and now call her “the Lady Elizabeth.” Before she is three, she 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.
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 disputed succession, and the grievous example of her sister, “Bloody” Queen Mary, all cement Elizabeth’s resolve in matters of statecraft and love, and set the stage for her transformation into the iconic Virgin Queen.
Alison Weir uses her deft talents as historian and novelist to exquisitely and suspensefully play out the conflicts between family, politics, religion, and conscience that came to define an age. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time—an orphaned girl haunted by the shadow of the axe, an independent spirit who must use her cunning and wits for her very survival, and a future queen whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Alison Weir’s Mary Boleyn.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Weir (Innocent Traitor) lends her considerable historical knowledge to the early years of England's famous queen in this absorbing second novel. The tale chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from her early childhood to her coronation, through the final years of her father, Henry VIII, and the brief reigns of her siblings, Edward VI and Queen Mary. Renowned for her "mercurial temperament" and "formidable intelligence," in Weir's account Elizabeth spends her childhood shuttling between royal estates and preparing for life as a "great lady" after she is stripped of her position as successor to the British throne following the execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn. As Elizabeth grows, her progressive views on women's roles, religion, and politics take shape-including her legendary vow never to marry, forged through observation of others' relationships as well as a painful first-hand brush with romance at age fourteen. Weir's Elizabeth is nuanced and enchanting, and the author lends a refreshing perspective to well-known characters and events in British history, such as the fates of her father's six wives and the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey, the subject of her first historical novel. History buffs will enjoy this entertaining look into the rarely explored early life of one of England's most fascinating characters.
Customer Reviews
Alison Weir is amazing!
This is the third book of hers that I read. She is AMAZING. Wonderful historian and writer. She tells a wonderful story. I could NOT put this book down. To my amazement she, at the end of the story, tells you what is and and isnt accurate. She explains why she incorporated everything and just gives you the most amazing mental picture of the time, the scandal and pulls you into Elizabeth I's life. Excellent book! Also recommend "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "The Children of Henry VIII." Sure wish APPLE had the book called "The Life of Elizabeth I," also by Alison Weir. Evidently its the next part after "The Lady Elizabeth." BUY THIS BOOK!
Full of historical inaccuracies and graphic sexual content.
Don't bother with this one. Complete garbage! Full of historical inaccuracies and graphic sexual content.
I picked up this book in hopes of learning more about this incredible historical figure and was bitterly disappointed. Don't mistake this book for historical fiction—it's a cheap romance with a pretty cover.