Many know the history behind how Lady Elizabeth became the Virgin Queen. Few have dived into the lives of those who were closest to her from when she had the titles of princess, royal bastard, and thorn in Mary's side. THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS gives us a view into the life of Katherine Chapernowne Ashley, a woman who spent most of her life at court serving some of the most famous names at the time. From her time as a spy for the ambitious Thomas Cromwell till she was named the First Lady of the Bedchamber for Queen Elizabeth, Kat Ashley saw court for what it truly was. A dangerous battle for power. This wonderful story tells readers how she survived.

Kat Ashley is a figure in history mostly known for being the mother figure for a princess who lost her mother at the age of two. She also had a couple of famous stays in the infamous tower of London on behalf of her young royal charge. This wonderful novel lets the reader see what life was like for a servant at court and the battles they had to fight for simple goals like marrying for love and not being labeled a traitor to the crown. During Kat Ashley's many years at court, life was even more turbulent due to the lack of stability of the royal crown. Mistress Ashley witnessed Anne Boleyn rise to power and watched her fall just as quickly. Her main mission in life was to make sure Anne's daughter did not come to the same fate as her headstrong mother.

As a historical fiction novel, THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS does a wonderful job of giving the reader facts known about this extraordinary woman's life while keeping you engaged in the story when Karen Harper must use fiction to fill the gaps. As a history buff, one of the things that I love the most are the author notes where Ms. Harper explains why she choose to take the story in a certain direction when history was not clear on Kat Ashley's background. She gives the reader all scholastic theories on subjects such as Kat's parentage and the spelling of her married name and explains why she used the information she gave in the story. Even though this novel is a work of fiction, I love the fact that Harper used actual events when available to give the reader a sense of who Kat was in real life. The parts of the story where fiction had to be used due to lack of historical fact or personal conversations, I feel Harper did a wonderful job writing the fictional element to flow perfectly with known fact. It is harder and harder to find novels written about historical figures that are true to the story of the person's actual life. After reading THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS, I will eagerly look for other titles written by Karen Harper.

Book Summary

The national bestselling author of Mistress Shakespeare delivers the epic tale of Elizabeth I's most trusted companion-a commoner who lived among royals...

Katherine Ashley, the clever, beguiling daughter of a poor country beekeeper, catches the attention of powerful, ambitious Thomas Cromwell-henchman for King Henry VIII. Cromwell secures for Kat a place in the royal court, but as a reluctant spy. Plunged into a treacherous game of shifting alliances, Kat is entrusted by Anne Boleyn to protect her daughter, Elizabeth. In the face of exile, assassination attempts, imprisonment, and a romantic flirtation that could cost the young princess dearly, Kat will risk everything-even her own secret love-for her bright, clever Elizabeth.