A fool in every sense of the word...

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	• The Queen's Fool : A Novel Philippa Gregory, 2004 - 512 pages average customer review:based on 191 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The book that would never end ...

This was the first of Philippa Gregory's books for me. As you hope a book will do, this one grabbed me in the beginning. But then, it started to drag. Hannah the Fool is a young girl dressed as a boy in order to hide her heritage and religion. Hannah and her father are constantly looking over their shoulders in fear of the Inquistion. She becomes the King's fool first, but after he dies, she quickly becomes a close confidant to both Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth. This is where I got stuck. How can Hannah love (as she professes throughout the book) two women who are basically trying to eliminate each other? Oh, and don't forget Hannah's infatuation with Lord Robert, Princess Elizabeth's lover who played an instrumental role in trying to take the throne from Queen Mary. The historical aspect of the book was the exceptional part. It takes true talent to be able to research a topic as confusing as Britain's royals and weave it together with a fictional story. The story takes many twists and turns, especially toward the end, but only a few of those twists and turns enticed me to continue reading. I always try to make a good faith effort to finish books I start, even when I'm not interested in it. I finished this novel for one simple reason: Ms. Gregory is a good writer.

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The Queens Fool: A novel

I completely enjoyed the story and my reading experience. I felt like I was a part of the period and the story.

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A great book

This is a great book, easy to read. It's a historical-fiction book so the reader must keep that in mind. Some of the items in the book are correct, some are embellished, some are made up. It still a great read and perfect for a summer book list.

A fool in every sense of the word...

The Queen's Fool is the coming of age story of Hannah Green, a 14 year old Jewish girl, who lived during the time of the Inquisition. Hannah and her Father must flee Spain in order to avoid persecution, and wind up living in England. Hannah has the unique gift of "Sight", the ability to predict the future. When her talent is discovered by Robert Dudley, of the powerful Dudley family, Hannah finds herself "Begged as a Holy Fool" to the court of King Edward, and then his successor, Queen Mary. Hannah cares deeply for the Catholic Queen, but also admires the Queen's sister, the Protestant Princess Elizabeth. The two sisters are at odds with one another, for both political and religious reasons. Hannah is asked to spy for both sisters on different occasions, and her loyalties are divided. She makes some questionable decisions at times, and consequently, puts her Father, and the family of her betrothed, Daniel, at risk.

There are situations in this novel that are far-fetched at times, but somehow it all works. (It is fiction, after all!) It is very interesting to view the relationship of Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth through the eyes of someone who cares for them both. Hannah's story is very intriguing as well. She is a young girl in search of a Mother figure, a home, love, and religious acceptance. In the beginning of the story, she seems lost, but through her experiences, and those of the royal sisters, Hannah discovers who she is, and the woman she wants to become.

Overall, this book was very touching, and I found myself thinking about it for some time. Highly readable and recommended!!

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good read

I really enjoyed reading this book! It's the kind of book that you just want to keep reading to find out what happens next. I love the style of this author and recommend her other books also.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

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