Maid of the King's Court

by Lucy Worsley

Overview

In the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?

Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing. But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe. Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore. British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763692025
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/14/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	439,442
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lucy Worsley is the chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces. She is also a presenter of programs on royalty and other topics for the BBC. Maid of the King's Court is her young adult novel debut. Lucy Worsley lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2017
In this YA debut, Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces in London (which manages the Tower of London and other sites) delivers a story that’s both delightfully playful and rich in historical detail. It’s 1535 England, Henry the VIII is king, and Eliza Camperdowne has just been betrothed on her 12th birthday, in order to safeguard her family’s future. When the engagement devolves into scandal, Eliza is sent to a finishing school of sorts to “learn how people behave in good society.” Later, she becomes a maid of honor in the king’s court, where she is to wait on Queen Anne herself, but she winds up outlasting Anne and Henry’s subsequent wives as well. Worsley’s accessible prose, headstrong heroine, and sense of romance may remind readers of Shannon Hale’s work. Eliza’s wit and many courtly adventures make her an engaging companion as she transforms from a naïve girl who describes the king as having “exchanged” Anne Boleyn for a new wife to one intimately involved in the machinations of the court. Ages 12–up. Agent: Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Associates. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

The novel is a satisfying blend of fact and artistic liberty: the women's duties as maids of the court are drawn from history, but Katherine's illicit lover is an amalgam of her two real-life lovers. The retention of British spellings and the inclusion of lesser-known customs of the period add further authenticity. Exhilarating, romantic, and illuminating; has the potential to turn casual readers into Tudor history buffs.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A thrilling read that is sure to have readers running to a history book, eager to learn more about the facts behind the story.
—Booklist

The dialogue-heavy prose and the courtly intrigues make this historical novel a riveting page-turner...this title will enhance larger collections where historical fiction is in demand.
—School Library Journal

Historian Worsley successfully transports readers into the sixteenth-century world of the wealthy in her debut fiction novel with detailed descriptions of trysts, monthly baths, bowling competitions, and colorful performances of the “Dance of the Gentle Fawn.”
—VOYA

Worsley’s accessible prose, headstrong heroine, and sense of romance may remind readers of Shannon Hale’s work. Eliza’s wit and many courtly adventures make her an engaging companion as she transforms from a naïve girl who describes the king as having “exchanged” Anne Boleyn for a new wife to one intimately involved in the machinations of the court.
—Publishers Weekly Online

Fictional and historical figures and events are woven together seamlessly in Worsley's tale, which challenges readers to reimagine the lives of courtiers and two of Henry's wives, Anne and Katherine, through the eyes of the fictional Elizabeth...Every bit as captivating as Katherine herself, Maid of the King's Court is not to be missed.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers

This book is well written and leaves readers anticipating the events of the next chapter.
—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

02/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—The fate of the noble Camperdowne family rests on the marriage prospects of the baron's spunky but dutiful daughter Elizabeth. After a canceled betrothal, Elizabeth is sent to live with distant relatives in the hopes of furthering her prospects. At the age of 15, she becomes a maid of honor at the court of Henry VIII, along with her cousin and rival, Katherine Howard. Instead of securing an advantageous marriage, Elizabeth befriends Ned Barsby, a courtier of low standing. As it becomes increasingly clear that the king is displeased with his current wife, Elizabeth's father asks her to aim to become Henry's mistress. But Katherine beats her to the game and becomes not only the king's mistress but also his next wife and queen. After two years, word spreads that Katherine is having an affair, and she is arrested and later beheaded. The dialogue-heavy prose and the courtly intrigues make this historical novel a riveting page-turner. Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces and a British television personality, uses the perspective of a fictitious cousin to explore the motives of the ill-fated Katherine Howard. Although some historical details are altered—the character of Francis Manham, Katherine's lover, is a blend of at least three different individuals, for example—much of the novel comes from documented events, such as the scene in which Queen Anne of Cleves's staff must inform her "exactly how babies were made." VERDICT Dense but accessible, this title will enhance larger collections where historical fiction is in demand.—Magdalena Teske, Naperville Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2016-12-21
Hampton Court curator Worsley's debut novel for teens digs into the danger that lies just beneath the glamour of Henry VIII's court.Newly trained maid-in-waiting Elizabeth Camperdowne is sent to court to find a rich husband and save her father, Lord Anthony, from financial ruin. Wild-natured, red-haired white Elizabeth and her "luxuriantly plump and sloe-eyed" cousin Katherine Howard arrive at court in time for the lecherous Henry's marriage to wife No. 4, Anne of Cleves, whom they will attend. After Henry sends Anne into exile for failing to consummate their marriage, the narrative proceeds to follow Katherine's rise from mistress to fifth wife and her subsequent execution for adultery. Elizabeth, the fictional narrator, must remain vigilant; one wrong move can cost her her life, but she does have a choice, which gives her more power than she thought she possessed. She can seize the opportunity to save her family by becoming the king's mistress, or she can risk everything to be with the man she loves, bastard-born page Ned Barsby. The novel is a satisfying blend of fact and artistic liberty: the women's duties as maids of the court are drawn from history, but Katherine's illicit lover is an amalgam of her two real-life lovers. The retention of British spellings and the inclusion of lesser-known customs of the period add further authenticity. Exhilarating, romantic, and illuminating; has the potential to turn casual readers into Tudor history buffs. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 15 & up)

Kirkus Reviews