Customer Reviews

Young Bess: The Girl Who Would Be Queen (Elizabeth I Trilogy)

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3 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Young Bess is the story of Elizabeth Tudor,the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. After the King had Anne executed,he declared Elizabeth illegitimate,thus losing her place in line to the throne, and removed her from his presence, to Hatfield House. After King Henry dies his last wife Catherine Parr has Elizabeth live with her and her new husband Tom Seymour. Thomas Seymour (known as Lord High Admiral) has an older brother Edward, who becomes The Lord Protector.
So begins the story of court intrique and royal whims that Elizabeth finds herself in. The Seymours gained power when their sister, Jane married King Henry VIII and produced a son and heir, Edward who is Elizabeths brother. Tom Seymour was jealous of his brothers power and pursues a relationship with Elizabeth, sometimes very intimate, with their bedroom antics. Tom would go into "the Lady Elizabeth's chamber before she was ready, and sometimes before she did rise; and if she were up he would bid her good morrow and ask how she did, and strike her upon the back or on the buttocks familiarly...." Kat Ashley, Elizabeths governess and friend tries to tell Elizabeth that these antics need to stop and after awhile Catherine Parr realizes that she needs to get Elizabeth away from Tom so to try to save Elizabeth's reputation she sends her away to the house of Anthony Denny in Hertfordshire. However, when Catherine dies in childbirth in August 1548, Thomas renewed his attentions to the Princess.
In his determination for power Thomas then devises a plan to kidnap the King. He breaks into the Kings apartments at Hampton Court, but was subsequently caught and arrested for treason in his plot to seize the throne from her half-brother, Edward VI. The Privy Council charged him with thirty-three counts of treason, one of which was,that they believed he had had a sexual relationship with Elizabeth and that she was with child, which we know now was not true.
I really enjoyed reading this book about Elizabeth and to learn a little more about her years under the age of 20. Ms. Irwin's writing was pleasurable and easy to understand. If I didn't know that this book had been previously published in 1944, I would feel like it was recently written. Thouroughly researched and beautifully told, Young Bess is a novel that anyone interested in the Tudor court after King Henry VIII, the early years of Elizabeth and even about King Edward VI,would enjoy. I highly recommend this book.

This is a reprint; the book was originally written in 1944. Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures and I have done quite a bit of reading about her - but most of it is from the time after she ascended to the throne. It was very interesting to read a book that takes you back to the time when she was still a child. Before she became the political genius and great Queen of England.

The book was easy to read and is very detailed as to its period and time. My only issue is that at time it seems that the book switches tone from historical novel to history book in trying to put forth the necessary information to move the story forward. This was, of course, a very challenging time in England's history and there was much intrigue going on as Henry VIII faded away. After his death the short reign of Edward was fraught with strife due to his guardians. Elizabeth's position was precarious and she had many lessons to learn.
Yet it is often forgotten that she was still very young.

The book is an excellent starting point for someone wanting to learn about Elizabeth and this period in history. It is part of a trilogy and the other books are also due to be reprinted. I will eagerly await their publication. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Young Bess.

Margaret Irwin's Young Bess introduces us to an Elizabeth rarely written about. Opening when she is twelve years old, readers meet an intelligent, strong-willed child who has been reunited with her father through the auspices of his Queen, Catherine Parr. Loving and admiring her father, Bess, like any other child has been hurt by his refusal to see her for several years, and is mistrustful of his words and actions. The constancy of her governess, Mrs. Ashley is all she has had until this marriage of her father and Catherine Parr, his sixth wife. Twice a widow, Catherine has no children of her own and the care of Bess and Edward, as well as making Mary an important member of court, brings her delight. On the death of the King, Bess is pleased to be placed in the dowager Queen's household under the guardianship of Sir Thomas Seymour, whom the Queen had married less than six months after Henry's death. Seymour uses Elizabeth's youth and proximity to play and flirt to the point that Bess must leave the household to protect her reputation. Angry and also despondent, Bess is even more upset about the news of Catherine's death in childbirth a few months later. Catherine's death leaves Seymour even more time to pursue the young princess and intrigue against his brother, Edward, Lord Protector of young King Edward. Seymour's plots are soon discovered and his treason in plotting against the king causes him to lose his head.
Through all of these plots, rumors, deaths, and marriages, Young Bess keeps her own counsel. Mrs. Ashley and Catherine Parr taught her well to hold her opinions and stay out of plotting. Although she fully intends to become Queen one day, the teenage Elizabeth is smart enough to know that it will not come about through plotting against her younger brother or older sister Mary. The book ends with the pitiable death of little King Edward and the machinations of John Dudley, current Lord Protector attempting to put his own son on the thrown instead of Mary or Elizabeth.
I greatly enjoyed the strong, wily and intelligent young princess presented to us by Mrs. Irwin. I think Elizabeth would have to have been that way from a very young age to have ruled so well as an adult. It also shows positive aspects of both her parents' personas in her own, without her father's rages and her mother's lack of understanding consequences. King Edward, of whom very little is known, is portrayed as pious and cold, a boy who doesn't mind being sickly and having to stay indoors as he loves to read and study theology. Her sister Mary is portrayed as mercurial, as is often the case, and definitely never actually happy, contentment being the closest she comes to happiness. Young Bess gives a great perspective on an often ignored time in the life of Queen Elizabeth I, and I eagerly await the October publication of Elizabeth: Captive Princess.

Originally published in 1944, historical novelist Margaret Irwin's Young Bess is slated for republication in early March through the Sourcebooks Landmark imprint which resurrects notable vintage titles. Having been reprinted several times since its original publication,Young Bess remains an exquisitely captivating look into the life of the young Princess Elizabeth.

Since my first viewing of Cate Blanchett's moving portrayal of the young Queen in Elizabeth (2001) I have been unable to shake a growing interest in the life of this incredibly memorable woman. Young Bess gives readers an immaculate researched look into the life of this unforgettable woman from her young childhood through to the age of 19, when her brother, King Edward, died. This first installment in Irwin's trilogy focuses mainly upon Elizabeth's life between the ages of 13 and 16, highlighting the many political and romantic tensions that shaped her coming of age.

From the first few pages of Young Bess it immediately becomes apparent that this is not a contemporary novel - I've never read historical fiction like this from a modern author. Readers are plunged into an intricate cast of characters from nobility through to tutors, governesses, and whipping boys. Those not intimately familiar with the time period will need some time to adjust to the cast, and indeed, a second read-through may be in order once everything is sorted from the first time through.

Irwin clearly delights in the nuances of the not-yet stabilized English language of the 1500s, and is quick to include quotations from period songs, poetry, and selections of actual correspondence between the historical characters as appropriate. Though I'm no Elizabethan historican, Young Bess bears all the markings of a faithful portrayal of girl who would be queen.

Irwin's desire to include the political and religious conflicts, alliances, and issues of the day also leads her to do much expository `telling' rather than the ever-vaunted `showing' that is so valued in contemporary fiction. There can be pages of these explanations, and yet, she also captures the imagination and sweeps readers into the intimate world of Elizabeth's very nature, and those whose lives most affected her own young one.

With growing inclusions of explicit sensuality and occult references in general market historical fiction, some readers may be leery of the genre in general. While romantic tension (some kissing), and some small amount of period-appropriate cursing and oaths are included in the text, this is a clean but passionately written novel. Parents looking for an Elizabeth novel for their children should be aware that much of the content revolves around the budding love between the young Princess and the Lord Admiral, Tom Seymour - an older (mid-thirties to her mid-teens), and at times married man.

I'm thankful to Sourcebooks Landmark for keeping Irwin's work in print; her portrayal of this complicated, old-before-her-time girl child is striking and unforgettable.

I first read this as an almost-teenager back in the late 1950s. The copy I read (and still have) was my parents' Book of the Month Club edition. Other reviewers have done a good job describing the story; my point is that the staying power of this novel and the sequel, Elizabeth, Captive Princess, speaks to the amazing job the author did bringing Elizabeth's early years to life. It is amazing that Elizabeth survived to come to the throne. The final book in the trilogy, Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain, isn't as thrilling, but that might be because the central tension of the first two novels, Will Elizabeth Survive?, is missing here.

The first time I read the novels, it was easy to identify with the young Elizabeth, because in a sense they are coming-of-age stories. I have reread them over the years and still find them gripping. These books set me off on a life-long love of historical fiction, or as I like to think of it, chocolate-covered history.

An historical aside about the books is that the subtitles are not original.

Why I read this: I love historical fiction and have been fascinated with this time period for quite some time.

Plot: This novel follows the life of the daughter of Anne Boelyn - Elizabeth. The plot felt slow moving most of the time - the history buildup at the beginning felt a little overdone and more like a history book. The whole book read a little more like a history book told through a story but livened up after 50 pages in.

Characters: You definitely get into the head of Bess and how like Anne she really turned out to be - even as a child.

Relatability: After watching the Tudors and reading a few books about that specific time period, I already knew quite a bit of the background already. It's definitely an interesting period in England's history.

Cover Commentary: I love the new cover.

Young Bess was wonderful story, centering around a time in Elizabeth's life when things still aren't certain for her. Danger, doubt and treachery are at every turn. The research that the author did for this book shines through in the writing. Ms. Irwin has given us a powerful tale of what life is like before the reign of the Golden Age. This was an enjoyable read, a must read for any Tudor fan.

I would like to say this is a 3.5 star book.
Young Elizabeth Tudor lives in the shadow of her infamous mother, Anne Boleyn. Declared a bastard and banished from her father's court, young princess Elizabeth has become adept at dodging the constant political games and royal whims that ensure her situation is never secure.

After Henry VIII's death, Elizabeth is taken in by the king's last wife, Katherine Parr, and Katherine's new husband, Tom Seymour. But handsome Tom is playing for higher stakes. Marrying a widowed queen is one thing, but courting the King's daughter and second in line to the throne is another. Seymor pursues the adolescent Elizabeth, as she finds herself dangerously attracted to him. And with her brother's death, Elizabeth faces a perilous and uncertain future with danger encroaching from all sides...

You have read the stories about Queen Anne and King Henry but what about Princess Elizabeth? In Young Bess, the first book in the Elizabeth I trilogy, readers learn about Elizabeth "Bess" and her life after her mother's death. Bess does not have much love for he father, the King. In fact you could say she will not be heart broken when he dies. Bess strikes up a romantic interlude with her step-mother, Catherine Parr's husband, Tom Seymour. She and Tom are playing a dangerous game. Though, who is really playing whom?

I liked this book. I have to admit that I don't know much about the Tudor era but I find books about this time period fascinating. This was a nice change from all the other books that are currently out about Queen Anne and Kind Henry VIII. This book focused on Princess Elizabeth. In Young Bess, Elizabeth is really conniving and vindictive. Bess and Tom's relationship I felt was more of a love/hate relationship than the real deal. She almost made her father, King Henry VIII look good. Young Bess is a check out read for fans of the Tudors. I can't wait to continue this exciting journey with author, Margaret Irwin.

Young Bess is the first in a trilogy Margaret Irwin wrote on the life of Elizabeth Tudor and begins towards the end of Henry VIII's life during his marriage to Catherine Parr. Upon Henry's death Bess goes to live with the widowed Catherine who soon marries the new King's uncle Tom Seymour - but was Catherine really Tom's first choice for a bride or would he have preferred to marry the young princess to further his own ambitions? Bess is barely on the cusp of womanhood and Tom's *flirtations* begin to appear most inappropriate and Catherine must step to nip it in the bud and separate the two.

The book continues through the reign of her brother Edward as Bess and Tom face the consequences for their reckless actions. The trilogy continues in Elizabeth, The Captive Princess and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. While I did enjoy this novel a great deal and Irwin's writing is top-notch, this book didn't bring any new knowledge to *the table* either. I believe this was written for the YA market and would do very nicely for today's younger readers new to the period as well as for those who do enjoy a YA book on occasion. Readers looking for a heavier going read should look elsewhere, and I highly recommend Susan Kay's Legacy (which BTW is being reissued by Sourcebooks in 2010).