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Summary
Summary
In March of 1603, as she helps to nurse the dying Queen Elizabeth of England, Frances Gorges dreams of her parents' country estate, where she has learned to use flowers and herbs to become a much-loved healer. She is happy to stay at home when King James of Scotland succeeds to the throne. His court may be shockingly decadent, but his intolerant Puritanism sees witchcraft in many of the old customs--punishable by death.
But when her ambitious uncle forcibly brings Frances to the royal palace, she is a ready target for the twisted scheming of the Privy Seal, Lord Cecil. As a dark campaign to destroy both King and Parliament gathers pace, culminating in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Frances is surrounded by danger, finding happiness only with the King's precocious young daughter, and with Tom Wintour, the one courtier she feels she can trust. But is he all that he seems?
Acclaimed as a brilliant historian, Tracy Borman proves with this thrilling debut novel that she is also a born storyteller.
Author Notes
Tracy Borman is a British writer and historian. She studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a Ph. D in 1997. Tracy is now Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust, a charity that encourages children to visit and learn from historic properties. She has recently been appointed Interim Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and the Banqueting House, Whitehall. Her works include: Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen, Henrietta Howard: King's Mistress, Queen's Servant, and Witches: A Tale of Sorcery, Scandal and Seduction.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Borman (The Private Lives of the Tudors) lures readers into this first in a series of historical novels set during the reign of the Stuarts. In 1603 England, healer Lady Frances Gorges returns to her family home of Longford after nursing Queen Elizabeth I through her dying days. Frances is forced to leave the idyll of Longford at the demand of her uncle, Lord of Northampton, who has secured her a position in the household of young Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James, Elizabeth's successor. Though Frances warms to the effervescent princess and young lawyer Tom Wintour, she despises the court's debauchery and is fearful of using her healing skills after witnessing the execution of a supposed witch. Yet Frances's refusal to ignore pleas to help an ill child ends in disaster when the child dies, and she is arrested and tortured to determine if she is a witch. When the charges are dropped and she is released to tend to the ill Elizabeth, Frances's blossoming romance with Thomas becomes complicated when he reveals a secret, and Frances must decide if she will remain loyal to Thomas. Borman is an astute chronicler of 17th-century English life, keenly depicting the excesses of the court and the dangers of religious persecution. The vivid detail and effortless storytelling will appeal to many readers, particularly fans of historicals in the vein of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Historian Borman (The Secret Lives of the Tudors, 2017) embeds a fictional character in the royal court of James I in her promising debut novel. After nursing a dying Elizabeth I, healer Lady Frances Gorges is summoned, against her wishes, to the court of the newly crowned King James I. Mistrusting court politics, she attempts to navigate the twisted halls of the royal palace, where malice and intrigue reign supreme. Trained in her youth in herbology, Frances is now viewed with suspicion by many, including Robert Cecil, the king's powerful Privy Seal. With witch-hunting season in full swing, women who possess medical knowledge and are skilled in the art of healing are prime targets of zealots like Cecil. By introducing Tom Wintour, a real-life figure, as Frances' love interest, Borman adds a little historical heft and a lot of spice to her tale. The action culminates with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, as the stage is nicely set for volume two of this projected trilogy.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Historian Borman tells a compelling story of the young noblewoman Frances Gorges and her service to Elizabeth I and then James I of England's daughter, Elizabeth. Spanning from March 1603 to January 1606, the book depicts court life and the plot to assassinate the king. Frances has the gift of healing and understands herbal remedies, which endears her to James`s wife, Queen Anne. Those abilities arouse the suspicions of the king and his courtiers, who believe Frances is a witch. Borman balances a wealth of characters-the numerous courtiers, Frances's family members, the royal staff-and locations without overwhelming readers. Frances's character is the most developed, though others, including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, and the assassination conspirators, are well crafted, too. Readers also get a sense of Stuart England through the seamless incorporation of vocabulary and descriptions of clothing, environment, and culture, especially the tensions between Protestantism and Catholicism and the fear of perceived witchcraft. Themes of loyalty, love, misogyny, and fear are also well delineated. The love story between Frances and another historical figure, Thomas Wintour, is cloying at times, but it is still realistic and enthralling. VERDICT A captivating work that brims with action and romance. For historical fiction fans.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
British historian Borman's (The Private Lives of the Tudors, 2016, etc.) debut novel depicts a lady-in-waiting caught up in the Guy Fawkes conspiracy.Borman's protagonist, Frances Gorges, is on the sidelines, literally "in waiting" much of the time. Amid the upheaval surrounding the accession of King James I to the throne recently vacated by Queen Bess, Frances is relishing her solitude at her family estate, Longford. Her parentsa marchioness and the lesser nobleman she married for loveand her ambitious sisters are living elsewhere, in semiexile. (Her family's absence is convenient; they might otherwise have pulled too much dramatic focus from Frances herself.) Her uncle, the earl of Northhampton, hoping to advance the family fortunes by using his niece as bait for highly placed suitors, insists that she come to court. The earl's motivations are never consistenthe ranges from being Frances' quasi-incestuous tormentor to her ally. At court, Frances is appointed to attend the king's young daughter, Elizabeth. Soon, though, Frances, skilled at herb lore and healing, is targeted as a witch by her uncle's archrival, Lord Cecil, who, to curry royal favor, is fanning James' anti-witchcraft fervor. Despite ample evidence that Cecil can't be trusted (he even takes Frances to witness the execution of an accused witch), she falls into his trap. In the Tower, she's forced (along with readers) to endure a lurid torture scene in which a "witch-pricker" searches her body for a telltale "Devil's Mark." Cleared of charges, Frances returns to court, whereupon the witchcraft angle gives way to much duller fare. Lavish depictions of architecture and scenery pad the narrativebuildings come alive, people less so. The book's second half is devoted to Frances' hand-wringing over whether or not the Guy Fawkes plot will succeedher beloved, Tom Wintour, is a ringleader, and she sympathizes with the plot's ultimate aim: to replace James with Princess Elizabeth. Clichs abound: Hearts leap, eyes blaze, and far too many curtseys are "bobbed."A potentially intriguing take on regime change derailed by its choice of heroine. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
DEBUT With this first novel in a projected trilogy, historian -Borman (The Private Lives of the Tudors; Thomas -Cromwell) depicts the life of Lady Frances Gorges, a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I, and, according to the author, a noted healer. As Frances gets dangerously close to being targeted as a witch by the Privy Seal, Lord Cecil, she finds a friend in newly crowned King James's daughter, the precocious Princess Elizabeth, for whom she serves as the new lady of the bedchamber. Frances is also deeply drawn to Tom Wintour, a courtier whose gentle manner soon earns her trust. But Tom has secrets that could endanger her and those she holds most dear. The incredibly detailed and vivid narrative transports readers to a time when women were seen as no more than a commodity to be traded, and conspiracy loomed in every corner. VERDICT This engaging page-turner is enhanced by flawless prose and an absorbing plot, making it a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and post-Tudor England. [See Prepub Alert, 1/18/18.]-Adriana Delgado, Palm Beach Cty. Lib., Loxahatchee, FL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
The queen's breath came rapid, rasping, her chest rising and falling in short, jerking movements. There could be little time. Frances hastened to her side and, without observing the usual ceremony of undressing, peeled back her mistress's gown, exposing her ragged, wasted chest. 'Crooked carcass', the Earl of Essex had scoffed. He had lived to regret it. She smoothed the oil over the queen's waxy skin, uttering a prayer as she did so that it might soon take effect. The breathing slowed, became more melodic, quiet. Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open. 'Helena'. At once, Frances' mother rushed to her old mistress's side. 'Ma'am', she whispered. Slowly, the queen surveyed the gloomy confines of her chamber. Her bony fingers trailed distractedly over the sumptuous damask bedclothes, tracing the intricately embroidered spheres of moons and pearls. Her bright red wig had long since been discarded, along with the other youthful adornments of her wardrobe, and her thin grey hair lay in lank, wispy clusters, barely covering the scalp underneath. 'Are they gone? All?' 'Yes, Madam.' The queen's lips curled into a small, sardonic smile, showing her sparse, blackened teeth. 'Of course', she lisped. 'Why worship the setting sun when the Scottish dawn is upon us?' * The chill March wind, which bent the skeletal trees to and fro in the park beyond, could not penetrate the thick glazed windows of Richmond - the queen's 'warm box', as she called it. Braziers had been lit in every room and thick tapestries lined the walls of the royal bedchamber, rendering it hot and oppressive. Impatiently, Frances brushed a stray lock of chestnut brown hair from her clammy forehead as she continued her labours. Please let her live. Just a little longer. The silent gloom was suddenly broken by the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs to the chamber. The door was flung open, though the force of the gesture was at odds with the man who made it. Robert Cecil, the queen's diminutive chief adviser, walked haltingly into the room, his gait made awkward by his twisted back. He was flanked by members of Elizabeth's council. They fanned around the bedside, reminding Frances of crows on a winter's day. She looked at their faces, searching for concern, or grief, or obeisance. But she saw only impatience. 'Lady Frances', drawled Cecil. 'How fares Her Majesty today?' That he should address the daughter was a deliberate slight. Frances glanced towards her mother, who gave the slightest of nods. 'The same, my lord', Frances replied. She ignored Cecil's expression of disapproval, and added: 'We pray for improvement.' Frances focused intently upon her work, her fingers moving deftly between tiny glass phials, scales and pots. 'And you, my lady. What occupies you there?' Silence followed. Frances knew the question was directed at her but kept her back turned and became conscious that she was holding her breath. Her mother made a gentle cough, prompting. Slowly, Frances turned to face the assembled company. 'Well?' Cecil urged, clearly enjoying her discomfort. He watched her intently, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as they met hers. 'I am making salves for Her Majesty's comfort, my lord.' A pause. 'Do you think the ministrations of Her Majesty's physicians inadequate, then?' 'No, my lord, of course not', she said, feeling her colour rise and silently chiding herself for it. She cast about for an explanation that would satisfy her interrogator, for such he seemed. 'Her Majesty willed it', she added weakly. 'You should have a care, my lady', Cecil murmured, his voice low. 'Our new king might mark you as a witch!' Then he let out a peal of laughter, so loud and prolonged that his fellow ministers felt obliged to join in, somewhat uncertainly. 'He is not our king yet, my lord.' Her mother's voice cut through the mirth. 'Indeed not. But we must ever have an eye to the future, eh, my Lady Marchioness?' Excerpted from The King's Witch: Frances Gorges Historical Trilogy, Book I by Tracy Borman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
