The Readheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi
Price: Checked out from the school library
Author Website: http://www.annrinaldi.net/ (photo credit)
Basic Premise: The second (legitimate) daughter of King Henry VIII of England lives a life of duty, intrigue, and fear. When her father dies and her hateful half-sister Mary becomes Queen, Elizabeth's claim to the throne - and her own life - is thrown into chaos.
My Take: 7 out of 10 (scale here)
Set in one of the most fascinating (in my opinion, anyway) times in British history, this novel is highly interesting and entertaining. Rinaldi is a prolific and experienced historical fiction writer, and it is clear she has done her research. I also enjoyed her smooth, sophisticated writing style. This is the second YAL book I've read about Elizabeth (the first was Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer) and I have read several books by Philipa Gregory about the queens immediately before Elizabeth. Though the stories don't completely match up, I imagine it would be nearly impossible to find entirely accurate accounts one hundred percent of the time. No matter how truthful you wish to remain to history, the facts are that as a historical fiction writer, you must invent a fair amount to keep the story interesting. I felt that Rinaldi did a nice job with it. It took me about three days to read and I'm planning to give it to one of my students who also loves this time period.
No comments:
Post a Comment