A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

THREE MAIDS FOR A CROWN

Author: Ella March Chase ISBN: 9780307588982 8/2011 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: BROADWAY
Time Period: Tudor 1500s

Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase
In the second novel from Ella March Chase, we meet sixteen-year-old Jane Grey, a quiet and obedient young lady destined to become the shortest reigning English monarch. Her beautiful middle sister Katherine Grey charms all the right people--until loyalties shift. And finally Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine whose goal is simply to protect people she loves--but at a terrible cost.
 
In an age in which begetting sons was all that mattered and queens rose and fell on the sex of their child, these three girls with royal Tudor blood lived under the dangerous whims of parents with a passion for gambling. The stakes they would wager: their daughters' lives against rampant ambition.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: Top Pick

THREE MAIDS FOR A CROWN is, at the heart of it, a novel of sisterhood. It is an intriguing tale of the Tudor period, set in the chaos of the final days of King Edward's reign. I was both amazed and shocked, even though I thought I knew the basics of the Jane Grey story. Boy, was I surprised!

Three sisters, with royal blood. Each destined to move into places no one would want to go. The author's grasp on the historical period is incredible, and she takes readers right into the turmoil. Katharine and Mary's heartaches and feelings come front and center, right alongside the more popular Jane's story. The three girls must make decisions regarding religion as well as so many other things most never give a thought to, all while being used as pawns in a political mess that they can't ever hope to escape.

The most effective part of this book is the fact that each chapter is told in a different point of view. Each sister tells her side of what's going on, and they show every angle of their lives.

I loved this book. Based on historical facts, it's a fictionalized account that truly pulled me back in time. While the tale is essentially sad, it still wowed me because the bond of sisterhood warmed my heart. Well done!

Kay James

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