The Virgin Queen’s Daughter by Ella March Chase

What I Loved:

Ella March Chase writes a book that is completely founded on non-historical information around Elizabeth I, and it is so intriguing. The what-if factor made it impossible for me to put this down.

How I Felt:

I was excited to get through this book. I wanted to know what was happening, what would happen. I was propelled through this book by the writing and the characters.

The Story:

Nell de Lacey is the daughter of a previous lady-in-waiting to Katherine Parr, King Henry VIII’s last wife. All she wants in life is to meet the Princess Elizabeth! Elizabeth is soon crowned Queen, and Nell is called up to be a lady-in-waiting. **How Exciting!!**

But there are rumors at court, ones surrounding Elizabeth and a nine-month gap in her history. Nell arrives and those rumors are quickly flames. Nell looks like the Queen with red hair and a face to match Elizabeth’s. Nell is now in danger of being caught in court politics and possibly sent to the tower.

To Read or Not To Read:

If you love historical fiction or are a fan of Phillipa Gregory, this is a great book option for you!

Where To Find This Book:

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As captivating now as it was more than four centuries ago, the reign of Elizabeth I—with its scandal, intrigue, and resilience—has sparked the imaginations of generations. In her sweeping historical debut, Ella March Chase explores a thrilling possibility: that the Tudor bloodline did not end with the Virgin Queen.

Tucked away in the country estate of her beloved father, Lord Calverley, young Nell de Lacey feeds her hungry mind with philosophy, language, and studies of science. Her mother, once a devoted lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr, would rather her daughter stop dabbling in the grand affairs of men and instead prepare for her eventual duties as a wife. She knows all too well what menace lurks in royal courts.

But Nell’s heart yearns for something more, and a chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth, then a prisoner of the Tower of London, pushes her closer toward finding it. Now, years later, Nell’s chance arrives when she is summoned to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth. Nell is entranced by the splendor and pageantry of royal life, unaware of the danger and deception that swirls around the monarch and her courtiers.

But a lingering rumor about nine unaccounted for months in the Virgin Queen’s past reignites when the flame-haired Nell—a mirror image of Her Majesty both physically and intellectually—arrives at court. Quickly she catches the eye not only of the cunning Elizabeth, but of those who would see the queen fail. With strong evidence to connect Elizabeth to her newest maid of honor and the politics of England in turmoil, the truth could send Nell and those she loves to the Tower to join in the wretched fates of those who’ve gone before her.

Engrossing and enlightening, The Virgin Queen’s Daughter brings to life one of the greatest mysteries of one of the greatest monarchs. Ella March Chase’s vivid storytelling gives due credence to a daughter who might have been and a mother who never was.

Just the Facts:

The Virgin Queen’s Daughter by Ella March Chase
Page Count: 352 pages
Publisher: Crown
Pub Date: December 30th 2008