Nine Days a Queen

Summary: I had freckles. 
I had sandy hair.
I was too short.
Would my feet even touch the ground if I sat on the throne? 

These are the words of lady Jane Grey, as imagined by celebrated author Ann Rinaldi. Jane would become Queen of England for only nine days before being beheaded at the age of sixteen. 

Here is a breathtaking story of English royalty with its pageantry, privilege, and surprising cruelty. As she did in her previous novel Mutiny's Daughter, Ms. Rinaldi uses powerful, evocative writing to bring to life a teenage girl caught in the grip of stirring times.

About:

Authors: Anne Rinaldi

Pages: 228

Year Published: 2005

Review:

I was quite impressed with this novel, my first about the life of Jane Grey. To my knowledge, historically, it was quite accurate - maybe even a bit too accurate. She was portrayed in a sympathetic light, naturally, because after all she was an unwilling queen, a pawn in her parents' game and beheaded at sixteen for it. 

This is a good read particularly for young adults, though maybe not adults. It was a very good fact-based 'summary' overview of important events in her life, her relationships with real characters/figures like Thomas Seymour, Elizabeth I, Catherine Parr, etc.

My only problem is with the storytelling of this book; it almost had a bit of a history textbook feel, only in the first-person point of view. This took away, a little bit, although I don't think it was such a large problem, or one that will ruin your reading experience.

Rating:

3 stars/5 stars