The Counterfeit Princess - Hardcover

Thomas, Jane Resh

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395938708 ISBN 13: 9780395938706

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2005

Synopsis

`Iris is only 15 when her parents are suddenly and violently hauled away from their country estate by her father’s enemy, the Duke of Northumberland. Forced to flee the only home she has ever known, Iris is hidden by her father’s friends and allies, who soon have the sad task of informing her that her parents are dead.
Despondent, and wanting revenge, Iris agrees to be trained as a spy by the duke’s foes, and then work undercover as a lowly kitchen maid.

A meeting with the young princess Elizabeth changes Iris’s life completely. Because of their resemblance to each other, Elizabeth invites Iris to join her court, where she mingles with lords and ladies and bravely consents to pose as Elizabeth in a desperate ploy to save the princess’s life.

This vivid historical novel from the author of Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I plunges readers into the treacherous world of the English court. An unusual coming-of-age tale featuring a strong, active heroine, The Counterfeit Princess will appeal to princess fans everywhere.

About this title

About the Author

Jane Resh Thomas has written more than a dozen fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, including the highly praised BEHIND THE MASK for Clarion. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reviews

Grade 7 10–Intrigue and danger abound in 16th-century England as the young King Edward nears death and various factions vie for control of the throne. Iris, 15, finds herself embroiled in the treachery when her parents, the Earl and Countess of Bentham, are executed by the Duke of Northumberland and she is forced into hiding. Wanting revenge, she agrees to be trained as a spy for Princess Elizabeth and is also asked to act as her double, to lure Northumberland's men away. Soon after, Princess Mary and her Catholic supporters manage to overthrow Northumberland, and Princess Elizabeth is required to go to the royal court in London. She insists that Iris accompany her as a courtier and, once there, the girl has the satisfaction of seeing that Northumberland is in the Tower, awaiting execution. Iris is well delineated and remains interesting as she grows and changes. An afterword sets the novel in context. However, those unfamiliar with Tudor England may not understand what is going on or who all the players are. Readers may enjoy this book alongside other perspectives on the same events, such as Carolyn Meyer's Beware, Princess Elizabeth (2001) and Mary, Bloody Mary (1999, both Harcourt) and Ann Rinaldi's Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey (HarperCollins, 2005). Throw in Jane Yolen's The Queen's Own Fool (Philomel, 2000), about Mary, Queen of Scots, for a great mini-lesson on Tudor-Stuart Britain.–Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
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Gr. 5-8. Thomas takes the facts of Elizabeth I's life before she was queen--the intrigue after Edward's death, the ascent of Mary--and throws a fictional gloss over it. Young Iris sees her parents taken away to be murdered by Northumberland's men and her estate turned over to Northumberland. She becomes, in quick succession, a serving maid, a trained spy, and, because of her resemblance to Princess Elizabeth, a decoy. She shares not only the red-gold hair and fair complexion of the princess but also her fiery stubbornness. Elizabeth's life is a rich trove for historical novelists, but while Iris is a stong-willed heroine, the story itself is fairly mild and moves at a stately pace. This will have particular appeal for kids who devoured Beware, Princess Elizabeth (2001) and others in the Royal Diaries series. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395938708
• ISBN 13: 9780395938706
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208