First published 2011
Lettice Knollys has known Elizabeth Tudor since they were children. Now she watches her flame-haired cousin rule England while she herself has lost everything. Lettice once competed with Elizabeth for Robert Dudley's love and lost. Her son, the Earl of Essex, challenged Elizabeth's throne and paid with his life. As the Virgin Queen navigates threats from Spanish fleets and English nobles, Lettice burns with her own version of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Two brilliant women circle each other in a court filled with Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Raleigh. One fights to protect her crown and country. The other struggles to restore her family's power and position. Their rivalry spans decades of English history, from Elizabeth's rise to the height of her reign. Each woman believes she understands the real Elizabeth Tudor. Each wants to prove her vision correct. This is the story of their intertwined lives and competing truths.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, historical-romance, biographical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Tudor Court
Period: 16th Century
671 pages · Hardcover · Viking