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Library hold came in!

Dear publishers - please make pretty bookmarks for every book I buy! 🤩

This #audiobook, set in the 16th century revolves around the friendship of Anne Turner & Lady Frances Howard - a friendship across stations that results in more Court intrigue & drama than you would expect if unfamiliar with the historical facts. I really appreciated the performance and the quotidian details of the era here- particularly the fashion! And while I think Jago tries to make her characters sympathetic, I struggled to connect with them!

An immersive Jacobean story of female friendships, battling norms with women finding their way to lives that fulfil and enable them to provide for their families. Jago makes clear the weight of law, of church and of society that is against the women. It is richly imagined and avoids glorifying the silks, velvets and pearls. There were parts I wanted to hear other characters voices - but overall an engrossing historical read.

I usually love an historical novel but this one was very disappointing. The sense of life in a Royal Court in the early 17th century is good but I had no sense of empathy with or sympathy for the main characters, and some historical errors and stupid mistakes grated. Possibly would have bailed had it not been the month‘s choice for my IRL book club.

“The servant led the way as if into battle, his torch throwing monstrous shadows of my form against the walls.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

A fascinating look at life at court for the hangers on under James 1st. Anne Turner dresses courtiers but has a large family and is desperate for a more secure life. Frances Howard is married to an abusive husband and is desperate to escape. The book cover has a huge spoiler about how this ends (factually) but it does take rather a long time to get there.

One for the #WolfHall fans I think.

When I was young, there was no news. Gossip perhaps, about neighbours, but nothing of high persons. Since then, a great hunger had arisen in the bellies of ordinary people to know everything that happened beyond their own parish. The streets were littered with the ballads and broadsides ripped from the doors of churches and walls of taverns to make way for the next. No person was safe from the libellers and intelligencers, not even the King...

Detail from Judith beheading Holofernes - Artemesia Gentileschi

So shocking was the image before me that I was silenced. A young woman was severing a man's head from his large, strong body. Ribbons of blood flew out from the butchered neck as the man gazed beseechingly at his killer, from whose strength of purpose the artist had not shied away.

It took me a long while to warm up to this - I found the writing style a little frosty & I was well into proceedings before I felt I knew the characters. Didn't fully understand Anne's motivations either which prevented me from fully empathising with her. But I enjoyed the sense of the period & learning about an historical episode I was previously unaware of. The scenes of Anne's execution were particularly moving as was the epilogue.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book set during the time of King Charles I. It looks at life in court, who the king favours, who he doesn‘t and witch craft.

Starting this one tonight. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This gorgeous edition is available exclusively at Waterstones - love the black page edges 🖤🖤🖤

I thought this was a fabulous read and a wonderful piece of historical fiction based on a true story. It‘s well researched and atmospherically written. The descriptions of court life and life on the streets of London are very vivid. The characters are well depicted and seemed realistic. I did shed a tear or two towards the end but the epilogue does leave the tale on a note of hope. A powerful story about female friendship. #Pigeonhole

#Pigeonhole