Queen's Folly

by Elswyth Thane

According to author, Elyswith Thane, "during the historical research on The Tudor Wench (her previous novel), a man carried a secret message to Elizabeth which probably saved her life at the time of the Lady Jane Grey tragedy. History acknowledges him for a few hours only, and after three hundred and eighty-three years there is no way to trace him..." Spanning the years of 1553 to 1938, this is a novel to cherish.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Historical

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Thane is most famous for her "Williamsburg" series of historical fiction. The books cover several generations of a single family from the American Revolutionary War up to World War II. The action moves from Williamsburg in later books to England, New York City and Richmond, Virginia.

Reviews

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

from the back cover:
Lovers' Meeting...
Their meeting had lasted only a matter of minutes - time enough for Anthony Brand, a courier from the palace of King Edward, to hand the frightened young princess, Elizabeth, the secret message that would save her life.

For a few minutes they stood face to face - he soaked and dripping from his long night journey through the rain, she with her hair down, looking proud yet vulnerable, and beautiful. Elizabeth knew she would remember him always - the handsome young rider who had risked his life to save hers. And he could not forget her - nor her radiant beauty.

Then came the day that Anthony Brand never dared hope for - the day Elizabeth became Queen, the day they met again...

"Both unusual and entertaining" - The New York Times

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young and beautiful Queen Elizabeth rewards a young man for his loyalty and love toward her with the gift of a run-down castle, which he lovingly restores. The focal point of the castle is a painting of the queen, to which the young man practically worships her image. The love and devotion to the castle (and the painting) is passed down through the generations of sons, to the displeasure of each wife. Thane's novels are always weaved into history, making them double rewarding.

[Zoey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

[Linda Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful romance.

[Eden Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this author and it was a great book but the ending was too abrupt for me!

[Hendrix Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool, but wish I'd just skipped straight to 1938

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had gotten the idea from school (not so much elementary but OMG! Jr. High and High School sucked!) that history was boring and to be avoided if humanly possible. I read the chapters, I answered the even numbered questions on the last page of each chapter and I waited for it to be over. Then I discovered Elswyth Thane's books and found out that there was a whole world out there where history was romantic and entertaining. I assumed that my teachers knew about it and didn't approve but, just in case, I didn't discuss my outside reading with anyone at school and my parents never paid any attention to what I brought home from the library, assuming that the library wouldn't be stocking anything they wouldn't approve of (They did but I soon discovered that 649.65 books were in a locked cabinet. They might have been interested to know that 363.49 and 301.424 books were out on open shelves. Go figure.)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a gentle, old-fashioned read with a touch of ghostliness and a bit of romance, this one is for you. It's out of print, so you'll have to check it out at your public library. I love to toss a retro read like this into the mix just to relax, especially during the summer.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good old-fashioned (published 1937) novel that combines historical fiction, ancient English country houses, a hint of a ghost story and a satisfyingly romantic ending. A nice change of pace after reading a lot of contemporary fiction.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of a family, and their house, from the 1550s to the 1930s.

I have always loved this book. It is the ultimate "comfort read" for me.