The Nine Days Queen

Description

236 pages
$14.99
ISBN 0-439-96102-5
DDC jC813'.54

Publisher

Year

2006

Contributor

Elisabeth Anne MacDonald-Murray teaches English literature at Brandon
University in Manitoba.

Review

Lady Jane Grey’s pathetically brief tenure on the English throne is
wonderfully dramatized in this tragic story. The narrative follows Lady
Jane from her presentation at court at the age of nine, when she arrives
in London for the coronation of her cousin, Edward VI, to her execution
at the age of 16 in the Tower of London as a traitor to the crown. The
young royal comes to life as an intelligent and spirited girl who
becomes enmeshed in deadly intrigues within the English court, and is
used as a pawn by her relatives as they struggle for control of the
throne. Forced into an arranged political marriage, and then coerced
into accepting the crown against her wishes and better judgment, Jane
becomes a victim of her ambitious parents and their would-be allies. Her
sad story depicts the realities of life for a 16th-century noblewoman.

Meticulously researched, Bradford’s narrative provides a fascinating
account of the social and political situation within the Tudor court. It
also draws a historically accurate portrait of life in early modern
England. Written for middle-schoolers, the story deals sensitively and
seriously with the many issues that Jane confronted as she negotiated
her way through a world that was often rife with danger and uncertainty.
Highly recommended.

Citation

Bradford, Karleen., “The Nine Days Queen,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed February 11, 2025, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/22778.