Helpful Score: 1
This is the story of Lady Jane Grey, who became Queen of England at age 15 for a grand total of 9 days (13 according to some sources). She was then removed from power and her cousin, Mary (Bloody Mary as she would later become known as), took the thrown since she had a closer connection to the bloodline and locked her in the Tower of London. We all know what happens next, but what we don't know is how Jane Grey felt about all of this. Alison Weir's novel gives us an inside look into how Jane grew up, how she got into the position that made her Queen for a little while, and what might have been going through the minds of the people around her. The story is told from a different point of view in each chapter (her own POV of course, her nurse Mrs. Ellen, her domineering mother, her cousins Mary and Elizabeth, etc).
Although certain aspects of this novel are speculation (we'll never know for certain what everyone involved was thinking), it does seem well researched and does make logical sense as to the motives of various people associated with putting Lady Jane on the throne (and those who took her off the throne). I felt it was very well-written, kept moving at a quick pace, and has sparked my interest in learning more about Jane Grey. My one concern with this book is that Jane's POV from her younger years is written at an adult level (using words that a three year old could never use). Weir mentions this at the end and says that part of it is to illustrate how intelligent Jane was and partly to show how children were treated like miniature adults, but it did bother me. But this issue aside, I really did enjoy this book!
Although certain aspects of this novel are speculation (we'll never know for certain what everyone involved was thinking), it does seem well researched and does make logical sense as to the motives of various people associated with putting Lady Jane on the throne (and those who took her off the throne). I felt it was very well-written, kept moving at a quick pace, and has sparked my interest in learning more about Jane Grey. My one concern with this book is that Jane's POV from her younger years is written at an adult level (using words that a three year old could never use). Weir mentions this at the end and says that part of it is to illustrate how intelligent Jane was and partly to show how children were treated like miniature adults, but it did bother me. But this issue aside, I really did enjoy this book!
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