Many know the history behind how Lady Elizabeth became the
Virgin Queen. Few have dived into the lives of those who
were closest to her from when she had the titles of
princess, royal bastard, and thorn in Mary's side. THE
QUEEN'S GOVERNESS gives us a view into the life of Katherine
Chapernowne Ashley, a woman who spent most of her life at
court serving some of the most famous names at the time.
From her time as a spy for the ambitious Thomas Cromwell
till she was named the First Lady of the Bedchamber for
Queen Elizabeth, Kat Ashley saw court for what it truly was.
A dangerous battle for power. This wonderful story tells
readers how she survived.
Kat Ashley is a figure in history mostly known for being the
mother figure for a princess who lost her mother at the age
of two. She also had a couple of famous stays in the infamous
tower of London on behalf of her young royal charge.
This wonderful novel lets the reader see what life was like
for a servant at court and the battles they had to fight for
simple goals like marrying for love and not being labeled a
traitor to the crown. During Kat Ashley's many years at
court, life was even more turbulent due to the lack of
stability of the royal crown. Mistress Ashley witnessed Anne
Boleyn rise to power and watched her fall just as quickly.
Her main mission in life was to make sure Anne's daughter
did not come to the same fate as her headstrong mother.
As a historical fiction novel, THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS does a
wonderful job of giving the reader facts known about this
extraordinary woman's life while keeping you engaged in the
story when Karen Harper must use fiction to fill the gaps.
As a history buff, one of the things that I love the most
are the author notes where Ms. Harper explains why she
choose to take the story in a certain direction when history
was not clear on Kat Ashley's background. She gives the
reader all scholastic theories on subjects such as Kat's
parentage and the spelling of her married name and explains
why she used the information she gave in the story. Even
though this novel is a work of fiction, I love the fact that
Harper used actual events when available to give the reader
a sense of who Kat was in real life. The parts of the story
where fiction had to be used due to lack of historical fact
or personal conversations, I feel Harper did a wonderful job
writing the fictional element to flow perfectly with known
fact. It is harder and harder to find novels written about
historical figures that are true to the story of the
person's actual life. After reading THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS, I
will eagerly look for other titles written by Karen Harper.
The national bestselling author of Mistress Shakespeare
delivers the epic tale of Elizabeth I's most trusted
companion-a commoner who lived among royals...
Katherine Ashley, the clever, beguiling daughter of a poor
country beekeeper, catches the attention of powerful,
ambitious Thomas Cromwell-henchman for King Henry VIII.
Cromwell secures for Kat a place in the royal court, but as
a reluctant spy. Plunged into a treacherous game of shifting
alliances, Kat is entrusted by Anne Boleyn to protect her
daughter, Elizabeth. In the face of exile, assassination
attempts, imprisonment, and a romantic flirtation that could
cost the young princess dearly, Kat will risk
everything-even her own secret love-for her bright, clever
Elizabeth.
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