by Don Henwood
First published 2021
Prince Edward and Tom Canty meet by chance in sixteenth-century England. The two boys share the same face but live worlds apart. Tom survives as a street urchin while Edward enjoys royal privilege. They decide to exchange clothes and roles. Tom enters the palace and tastes luxury he never imagined. He learns to navigate court politics and discovers the intoxicating nature of absolute power. Edward wanders the streets in Tom's rags and witnesses firsthand how the Tudor system crushes the poor. He sees the brutal punishments his father's laws inflict on desperate people. The prince encounters cruelty he never knew existed in his kingdom. Both boys struggle with their new identities. Tom fears exposure while trying to act royal. Edward fights to prove his true identity while dressed as a beggar. Their adventure becomes a journey of understanding across the vast divide between rich and poor in Tudor society.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, social-issues, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-swap
Setting: England, Tudor England
Period: 16th Century
416 pages · Paperback · Independently published