Product DescriptionI am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.
Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen”–a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.
The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor.
Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy.
Alison Weir uses her unmatched skills as a historian to enliven the many dynamic characters of this majestic drama. Along with Lady Jane Grey, Weir vividly renders her devious parents; her much-loved nanny; the benevolent Queen Katherine Parr; Jane’s ambitious cousins; the Catholic “Bloody” Mary, who will stop at nothing to seize the throne; and the protestant and future queen Elizabeth. Readers venture inside royal drawing rooms and bedchambers to witness the power-grabbing that swirls around Lady Jane Grey from the day of her birth to her unbearably poignant death. Innocent Traitor paints a complete and compelling portrait of this captivating young woman, a faithful servant of God whose short reign and brief life would make her a legend.
“An impressive debut. Weir shows skill at plotting and maintaining tension, and she is clearly going to be a major player in the . . . historical fiction game.” –The Independent
“Alison Weir is one of our greatest popular historians. In her first work of fiction . . . Weir manages her heroine’s voice brilliantly, respecting the past’s distance while conjuring a dignified and fiercely modern spirit.” –London Daily Mail
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Lady Jane
What a poor little girl!!! It is really sad how the parents used their daughters for personal advancement. Lady Jane was a victim of the tudor times. She had parents whom did not love her as parents should love thier children and used her for thier own personal advancements. I do not want to spoil the story for anyone, but it was a good read. In the end, I imagine Jane must have welcomed death, as she would finally be free from her abusive family and free from being an instrument of treason. ... Read More
Rating: - Unlucky to be named Jane
I really unjoyed this book.
Poor Jane,, a total inncocent.
All she wanted were her books and her faith it seemed.
For me, it's been a bit tough to find anything on this Jane or Jane Rochford. I already read Vengence Is Mine, but I won't go there here.
This womanchild was so dominated by her parents, to the point of child abuse.
You really feel for Jane, her life is nothing like she had hoped it would be.
She was used til the very end. The crown was put upon her ... Read More
Rating: - a great story
what a wonderful story and tragic story made more so that it is true. alison weir is equally fantastic in writing this in novel form rather than the fiction books she writes. this novel is captivating, interesting, and moving. i highly recommend this to anyone loving either history or great stories involving mystery and intrigue. definitley a great buy.
Rating: - Get to know the tragic nine day Queen
A fascinating novel of the life of Lady Jane Grey, England's nine day Queen. Intelligent beyond her years, Jane is born to greedy and corrupt parents who plot to place her on the throne of England after Henry VIII's heir, Edward VI, dies. Jane, who is powerless to stop her conniving parents, is merely a spectator to the tragic events that ultimately lead to her death.
Other reviewers have pointed out that Mrs Weir's writing was slightly dull. While I admit that her style of writing ... Read More
Rating: - Not terrible, but not a re-reader.
When I was in high school, my mom was reading a book called The Six Wives of Henry VIII. At one point, she copied down one of Henry's poems to Anne Boleyn and gave it to me ("Green Grows The Holly"). Being young, American, and ignorant, I had no idea who or what the hell she was talking about. I think I had, at that point, seen the movie "Elizabeth" with Cate Blanchett (and oh, Joseph Fiennes!), but I hadn't thought about anything beyond that. I think it was the poem that led to me reading the book. ... Read More
- a great story
- Not terrible, but not a re-reader.
