KING'S FOOL

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes ISBN: 9781402219023 4/2009 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS
Time Period: 16th Century England

When Will Somers was just a boy, he was given the postion of jester to the notorious King Henry VIII. Will sees Henry through all six of his marriages, and witnesses the dizzying power struggles, schemes and various "loves" of Henry's life. Will often found himself as the confidant of many of these enigmatic women, including the King's first daughter, Mary Tudor. Margaret Campbell Barnes had created an engaging and thrilling inside look at the royal court of Tudor England!

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

KING’S FOOL is wholly absorbing. I didn’t have a wealth of knowledge about the time of King Henry VIII before I began reading this book. There are so many details and historical facts in the volume that now, after finishing the tale, I have a much broader grasp of the Tudor King’s reign, as well as the way of life of those he ruled.

Will Somers comes to be the king’s jester almost entirely as a result of random circumstances. His mother died from the plague when he was only four years old, something which put him on a path that, had he had a stable family life, he may never have chosen. When it is noticed that he is capable of making light of almost any situation and bringing laughter where there may have been tears, he is pulled into service in the king’s court.

Nothing in his life has prepared Will for the moment when he first sees the elaborate costume someone of his position must don. He has no training that will assist him in his duties. But, from years of trying to fit into a world where he feels alone, he knows how to ingratiate himself with others. He knows, too, how to bring pleasure. These traits will serve him well as he, in turn, serves the king.

This is a touching story of two men who find a family of sorts in each other’s company. As the king’s final days are upon him, Will is the one he trusts to keep his confidences. He makes Will promise to care for his beloved harp, a symbol for something much deeper. When the king is gone, Will grieves as deeply as if they had been blood relations. The king’s court gave him what nothing else in the world could have done. It gave him a place where he belonged.

Illuminating and flawlessly written, THE KING’S FOOL is historical fiction at its best.

Kay James