The first Philippa Gregory book I read was The Constant Princess. Mike and I were on our way home from a lovely vacation in Dominican Republic and I had finished all four books I brought with me so I had nothing to read on the flight home. The DR airport did not have much of a selection of books in English and I thought The Constant Princess would be the most enjoyable out of my choices. My expectations for the book were not high at all. Of course, I ended up loving the book which spurned my buying two more Philippa Gregory novels. The most recent one that I read is also in her Tudor series called The Queen's Fool.
I enjoyed this book as well. Something about Gregory's writing style just pulls the reader in! What I love most about her style is that she makes European history interesting! While reading a fictitious story, I learned a lot about the Tudor period and ended up doing some research of the time to learn more. I am currently taking a graduate class that emphasizes arts integration and these books are a great example of integrating the art form with historical knowledge. Ahhh, I love a good historical novel.
The novel follows Hannah Verde, also known through the novel as Hannah Green, Hannah Carpenter, and The Queen's Fool, a young Jewish woman who escaped to England with her father from the Spanish Inquisition. Hannah gets begged into service as a Royal Fool for ill King Edward VI and subsequently serves his half sisters Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. She finds herself enmeshed in the plots of the Royal Court of England. A headstrong, independent, smart girl, Hannah struggles with her various loyalties, to the Royals, her first master, her betrothed, her father, and herself.
What was the last great book you read? Have you read any Philippa Gregory novels?
