HISTORICAL
FICTION
|
|
|
|
Elizabeth of
Scotland, Queen of Bohemia
(1596 – 1662) was the eldest daughter of James VI
and I, King of Scotland, England, and Ireland, and Anne of Denmark
|
James VI & I (1566 – 1625) was King of Scots as James VI from 24
July 1567. On 24 March 1603, he also became King of England and Ireland
as James I when he inherited the English crown
|
Frederick V
(1596 – 1632) was Elector Palatine (1610–23), and, as Frederick I, King
of Bohemia (1619–20)
|
|
|
|
BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
|
|
The King's Daughter
by Christie
Dickason
In THE KING'S DAUGHTER, Christie
Dickason takes readers into the court of James I through the eyes of
his daughter, Elizabeth Stuart. James I seeks to use his
children's marriage as a means to create political alliances to
maintain peace in a Europe torn between Catholic and Protestant
positions. Within the court, cousins Robert Cecil and Francis
Bacon vie against one another. As the king's daughter, Bacon's
desire to ingratiate himself into the king's favor puts Elizabeth in a
precarious position. More deeply, within her heart, she is a
woman who strives for some happiness and freedom in a world where her
choices are limited by others. When she meets her suitor
Frederick, the Elector Palatine, Elizabeth feels hope for future
happiness but her parents withdraw their support. Elizabeth
enlists the aid of Tallie, a slave girl, to help her find out more
about the plans for her marriage. Together, the two form a kind
of friendship as each seeks more control and freedom over their
individual lives.
THE KING'S DAUGHTER, Christie Dickinson joins historical detail with
fictional imagination to explore the life of Elizabeth. While
bringing the history alive through the characters who surround
Elizabeth, THE KING'S DAUGHTER also makes history personal through the
mostly first person narrative told by Elizabeth herself. The
fictional creation of the slave girl Tallie brings out inner longings
and sensibilities akin to modern readers. Thematic parallels
between the lives of the two women reinforce the lack of choices in
women's lives and their longing for self-determination. Their
friendship brings out the character of Elizabeth, especially as she
longs for honesty in conversation, as well as the danger and drama of
court life. Some of the scenes while perhaps lacking plausibility
nevertheless serve to create a glimpse at the lives of women's coming
of age and sexual knowledge in an age quite different than our
own. Christie Dickason does not shy away from the topic of
sexuality in this historical novel. Some of the dialogue is less
delicate than a typical historical novel. At first slightly
jolting, the directness is at times refreshing. The villainous
portrait of Francis Bacon chills, especially if one's familiarity with
his historical personage comes chiefly from philosophy. THE
KING'S DAUGHTER brings together history, romance, and suspenseful
action in a flowing prose style that brings a reader directly into the
time period. Kudos to Christie Dickason for opening a
period of history to historical fiction lovers that is less thoroughly
explored as some of currently popular releases. I would recommend
THE KING'S DAUGHTER to readers who are historical fiction fans and
those wanting to explore the genre. The combination of historical
detail and modern themes makes THE KING'S DAUGHTER easily accessible to
readers who crave history with portraits of women with whom one can
more easily identify.
Publisher: Harper
(November
23, 2010)
Author
website
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
|
|
