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The Stolen One
No one wanted you. But I did.
Kat's true identity is a secret, even from her. All she has ever known are Grace and Anna and their small village. Kat wants more than hours spent embroidering finery for wealthy ladies and more than Christian, the gentle young farmer courting her.
But there are wolves outside, Grace warns. Waiting, with their eyes glowing in the dark . . . and Grace has given Kat safety and a home when no one else would.
Then a stranger appears in their cottage, bringing the mystery of Kat's birth with her. In one night, Kat's destiny finds her: She will leave. She will journey to London, and her skill with the needle will attract the notice of the magnificent Queen Elizabeth—and of the wolves of the court. She will discover what Grace would never tell her.
Everything will unravel.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2009
32 people are currently reading
2403 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Crowley
4 books290 followersSelected among Book Sense and Indie Next top picks, and Amazon and Bookbub Editor's Picks for Best Books, Suzanne writes novels that School Library Journal calls "amazing" and "poignant" and VOYA calls "heart-stirring" and "marvelous." Suzanne, the author of both middle grade and young adult fiction, is a wife, mother, a crafter of dollhouse miniatures, an avid traveler, dog hugger, nap expert, and chocolate lover extraordinaire. Suzanne's novels have received starred reviews in SLJ, KLIATT, VOYA and BCCB, and have been selected for state and national reading lists. After living all over the United States, Suzanne and her family now make their home back in her native state of Texas.
www.suzannecrowley.com
www.suzannecrowley.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
January 26, 2009
crowley drew me into her world with kat's
authentic voice. i love historicals, and it's
so refreshing to read one for the young adult
genre. the author brings the world alive for
the reader, from the beautiful english countryside
to the grand court of elizabeth I, filled with
political intrigue and clandestine romances.
kat was a delightful heroine to read, far
from perfect, but determined and passionate.
i was sorry when the book ended. i wish i had
written this!
authentic voice. i love historicals, and it's
so refreshing to read one for the young adult
genre. the author brings the world alive for
the reader, from the beautiful english countryside
to the grand court of elizabeth I, filled with
political intrigue and clandestine romances.
kat was a delightful heroine to read, far
from perfect, but determined and passionate.
i was sorry when the book ended. i wish i had
written this!
July 8, 2011
I was not sure how I would approach my review of The Stolen One until I came across this sentence: "My heart began to beat." This comes from the first-person narrator, Katherine "Kat" Bab, who is very much alive. From that point onward, it was open season on Suzanne Crowley and The Stolen One. Until I reached that fateful sentence, I was having difficulty forming any opinion about the book. It certainly wasn't great, but there were also very few problems with it. For the most part, it was just a bland, easy-to-read piece of historical fiction. Which, when I think about it, is not a good thing at all.
Kat and Anna are sisters; their mother Grace adopted Kat when she was a baby and has kept Kat's heritage a secret. It's a secret she takes to the grave, which quickly approaches so that Kat can drag Anna off to London to find her parents. Thanks to her amazing embroidery skills, she gets snatched up to be a maid to Queen Elizabeth I, and there are even rumours that she is Elizabeth's illegitimate daughter. Ooh, spicy!
The mystery of the identity of Kat's parents serves well enough as a kind of backdrop plot, I suppose, but Crowley goes to little trouble to make it interesting. Grace was a maid in the keeping of Katherine Parr during the latter's residency at Sudeley Castle, and excerpts from Grace's journals written at this time intersperse Kat's contemporary narration. These are our main source of clues as to the identity of Kat's parents (mostly the mother, because there is only one candidate for the father). Kat's own investigation is rather lackadaisical, and the identity of her mother becomes clear to us from Grace's journal before Kat herself can confirm it. Worst of all, Kat apparently has possession of Grace's journal the entire time, but she doesn't open it until the end of the book. Smart.
I suppose that if the mystery isn't the most intriguing aspect of The Stolen One, then that must be the relationship between village-reared Kat and queenly Elizabeth. Crowley teases us with the possibility that Kat is Elizabeth's daughter, and that puts us in the right state of mind to compare the two as members of the same family. Alas, Crowley does not really convey a good sense of who the Tudors were. While she puts an effort into characters' dialects, their modes of dress, and the living conditions at the time, she supplies a scant amount of historical background. Perhaps this is justifiable, since Kat can't really be expected to have a degree in the history of the British monarchy. Nevertheless, The Stolen One might be set during the early Elizabethan era, but aside from the need to have a young Elizabeth around and some allusions to the oppression of Catholics, there's very little about this book that makes it stand out as Elizabethan. It verges upon "generic British historical", and while I want to emphasize that it doesn't actually cross this line, it does come close.
The third of three plots concerns Kat's love life. Kat has, ostensibly, three suitors: she abandons her village's pear farmer, Christian, to go off to London; she rebukes the son of the Chief of Wardrobes, Nicolas, who chases all the skirts in the castle; and she flirts with Rafael, Lord Ludcombe, rake, and son of a woman who befriends Kat and Anna when they first arrive in London. Honestly, none of the three men seem like perfect catches: Nicolas and Rafael want her only for her body and her proximity to the Queen, and Christian treats Kat like she's property. Oh, and when he can't have Kat, he marries Anna instead. True love strikes again. It's very disappointing when Kat eventually realizes she is also a victim of true love and decides to settle down with one of them. It's all very sudden, and that makes the entire thing seem contrived.
I will level with you and confess that I might have led you astray in one respect: the copy I have here is an ARC, with the words "uncorrected proof" in big letters on the front cover and "reviewers are requested to check all quotations against the final bound book". So the somewhat unfortunate sentence I quoted in my first paragraph could very well have been corrected in the final printing, and if it has, then it's my bad for making so much of it. Nevertheless, I feel like it's a good synecdoche for my opinion of The Stolen One overall. The flaws in this book might be careless mistakes. They might be well-intentioned attempts at romance and mystery set in the Elizabethan era that just don't succeed. Either way, I don't think it matters. The Stolen One has a surfeit of plot and a dearth of characterization; it is too contrived and not nearly mysterious enough.
I wish I could have liked it more, because the ideas behind it are cool, but Crowley doesn't quite attain them. "Meh" might be better than "this is the worst book ever!!", but sometimes I feel like it's a lot more damning. At least with vitriol a book has done something to make the reader care; apathy is the cruelest reaction.
Kat and Anna are sisters; their mother Grace adopted Kat when she was a baby and has kept Kat's heritage a secret. It's a secret she takes to the grave, which quickly approaches so that Kat can drag Anna off to London to find her parents. Thanks to her amazing embroidery skills, she gets snatched up to be a maid to Queen Elizabeth I, and there are even rumours that she is Elizabeth's illegitimate daughter. Ooh, spicy!
The mystery of the identity of Kat's parents serves well enough as a kind of backdrop plot, I suppose, but Crowley goes to little trouble to make it interesting. Grace was a maid in the keeping of Katherine Parr during the latter's residency at Sudeley Castle, and excerpts from Grace's journals written at this time intersperse Kat's contemporary narration. These are our main source of clues as to the identity of Kat's parents (mostly the mother, because there is only one candidate for the father). Kat's own investigation is rather lackadaisical, and the identity of her mother becomes clear to us from Grace's journal before Kat herself can confirm it. Worst of all, Kat apparently has possession of Grace's journal the entire time, but she doesn't open it until the end of the book. Smart.
I suppose that if the mystery isn't the most intriguing aspect of The Stolen One, then that must be the relationship between village-reared Kat and queenly Elizabeth. Crowley teases us with the possibility that Kat is Elizabeth's daughter, and that puts us in the right state of mind to compare the two as members of the same family. Alas, Crowley does not really convey a good sense of who the Tudors were. While she puts an effort into characters' dialects, their modes of dress, and the living conditions at the time, she supplies a scant amount of historical background. Perhaps this is justifiable, since Kat can't really be expected to have a degree in the history of the British monarchy. Nevertheless, The Stolen One might be set during the early Elizabethan era, but aside from the need to have a young Elizabeth around and some allusions to the oppression of Catholics, there's very little about this book that makes it stand out as Elizabethan. It verges upon "generic British historical", and while I want to emphasize that it doesn't actually cross this line, it does come close.
The third of three plots concerns Kat's love life. Kat has, ostensibly, three suitors: she abandons her village's pear farmer, Christian, to go off to London; she rebukes the son of the Chief of Wardrobes, Nicolas, who chases all the skirts in the castle; and she flirts with Rafael, Lord Ludcombe, rake, and son of a woman who befriends Kat and Anna when they first arrive in London. Honestly, none of the three men seem like perfect catches: Nicolas and Rafael want her only for her body and her proximity to the Queen, and Christian treats Kat like she's property. Oh, and when he can't have Kat, he marries Anna instead. True love strikes again. It's very disappointing when Kat eventually realizes she is also a victim of true love and decides to settle down with one of them. It's all very sudden, and that makes the entire thing seem contrived.
I will level with you and confess that I might have led you astray in one respect: the copy I have here is an ARC, with the words "uncorrected proof" in big letters on the front cover and "reviewers are requested to check all quotations against the final bound book". So the somewhat unfortunate sentence I quoted in my first paragraph could very well have been corrected in the final printing, and if it has, then it's my bad for making so much of it. Nevertheless, I feel like it's a good synecdoche for my opinion of The Stolen One overall. The flaws in this book might be careless mistakes. They might be well-intentioned attempts at romance and mystery set in the Elizabethan era that just don't succeed. Either way, I don't think it matters. The Stolen One has a surfeit of plot and a dearth of characterization; it is too contrived and not nearly mysterious enough.
I wish I could have liked it more, because the ideas behind it are cool, but Crowley doesn't quite attain them. "Meh" might be better than "this is the worst book ever!!", but sometimes I feel like it's a lot more damning. At least with vitriol a book has done something to make the reader care; apathy is the cruelest reaction.
July 19, 2010
This book is another example of historical fiction that reads a bit like a video game: we are given a main character purely for the purposes of exploring the world of the story.
This story doesn't accurately reflect Elizabethan England. Adopted commoner Kat would likely have simply married the pear farmer after the death of her guardian, not dressed in an expensive gown and dragged her hearing-impaired foster sister to London. Two wealthy-looking, pretty young girls, traveling alone at this time? I hate to think what could have happened had they not improbably run into a kind-hearted noblewoman who gave them shelter. I'm terribly confused, too, as to why Kat took her ailing sister into danger rather than letting her marry the pear farmer, since she didn't want him and her sister loved him. But I suppose she thought she might want him later and was loath to share. Kat's not big on selflessness.
I quickly grew bored with the story, which is ostensibly about Kat looking for the truth of her origin. She does little fact-finding, instead choosing to happily accept life as the Queen's favorite maid of honor. Well, why not? I thought she was finally showing some sense. Her real family did not want her, she ruined her marriage prospect, and Queen Elizabeth spoiled her rotten and genuinely adored her. It sounded ideal to me. But no, there was also a love quadrangle.
First, we had the pear farmer. He's poor but hunky, loves Kat but treats her like property, refuses to understand why she needs to run off and find her true parentage (same here), and is willing to marry her sister in her stead.
Then we had the assistant from the Queen's Wardrobe. He's an ambitious dandy who covets his father's position as head of the wardrobe staff and covets Kat because she is the Queen's marked favorite.
Finally, Rafael, scalliwag son of Kat's benefactress in London. He's left bastard children littered about Europe and seems happy to continue doing so, and he courts Kat because, well, he's courting every female he sees.
Wow, what a great lineup! I wholeheartedly supported Kat's early statement that she wouldn't marry and found the ending wholly disappointing. Her parentage is obvious if you know anything about the historical figures of the time period, but in a YA setting, that's perhaps not likely, so it's forgivable if dull. Her ultimate choice to leave the Queen who wants to be the mother Kat never had so she can marry the thick-headed pear farmer left me bewildered, perhaps because Kat never gives her reasons for loving him beyond finding him attractive and having known him all her life.
The small bright side here is that period details are fairly accurate, if the speech is a bit modern, and Elizabeth is skillfully and three-dimensionally written.
I think teen girls who relate well to Bella from Twilight will like this book, but those who want to kill Bella and keep Edward for themselves will long for a brighter, nicer, and cooler heroine.
Recommend to: Fans of Queen Elizabeth I and her historical period, romance fans, anyone who likes hearing about pretty dresses
This story doesn't accurately reflect Elizabethan England. Adopted commoner Kat would likely have simply married the pear farmer after the death of her guardian, not dressed in an expensive gown and dragged her hearing-impaired foster sister to London. Two wealthy-looking, pretty young girls, traveling alone at this time? I hate to think what could have happened had they not improbably run into a kind-hearted noblewoman who gave them shelter. I'm terribly confused, too, as to why Kat took her ailing sister into danger rather than letting her marry the pear farmer, since she didn't want him and her sister loved him. But I suppose she thought she might want him later and was loath to share. Kat's not big on selflessness.
I quickly grew bored with the story, which is ostensibly about Kat looking for the truth of her origin. She does little fact-finding, instead choosing to happily accept life as the Queen's favorite maid of honor. Well, why not? I thought she was finally showing some sense. Her real family did not want her, she ruined her marriage prospect, and Queen Elizabeth spoiled her rotten and genuinely adored her. It sounded ideal to me. But no, there was also a love quadrangle.
First, we had the pear farmer. He's poor but hunky, loves Kat but treats her like property, refuses to understand why she needs to run off and find her true parentage (same here), and is willing to marry her sister in her stead.
Then we had the assistant from the Queen's Wardrobe. He's an ambitious dandy who covets his father's position as head of the wardrobe staff and covets Kat because she is the Queen's marked favorite.
Finally, Rafael, scalliwag son of Kat's benefactress in London. He's left bastard children littered about Europe and seems happy to continue doing so, and he courts Kat because, well, he's courting every female he sees.
Wow, what a great lineup! I wholeheartedly supported Kat's early statement that she wouldn't marry and found the ending wholly disappointing. Her parentage is obvious if you know anything about the historical figures of the time period, but in a YA setting, that's perhaps not likely, so it's forgivable if dull. Her ultimate choice to leave the Queen who wants to be the mother Kat never had so she can marry the thick-headed pear farmer left me bewildered, perhaps because Kat never gives her reasons for loving him beyond finding him attractive and having known him all her life.
The small bright side here is that period details are fairly accurate, if the speech is a bit modern, and Elizabeth is skillfully and three-dimensionally written.
I think teen girls who relate well to Bella from Twilight will like this book, but those who want to kill Bella and keep Edward for themselves will long for a brighter, nicer, and cooler heroine.
Recommend to: Fans of Queen Elizabeth I and her historical period, romance fans, anyone who likes hearing about pretty dresses
April 4, 2010
As I've mentioned countless times before on this blog, The Tudor time period is without a doubt one of my favorites. I love the dresses, the scandal, the royals, just about everything except the downfalls to that time, so when the chance arose to read The Stolen One, I jumped at, eager to devour a new addition to this genre.
Thankfully, Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One proved to not only be a beautifully written and intriguing tale of one girl's journey to find who she is at the royal court of the grand Elizabeth, but a book that will have readers begging for more from this very talented author!
From page one, Suzanne allows her wonderful storytelling to transport you into the world of Kat, a character who while has faced much heartbreak still manages to be one strong girl who you can't help but to root for and love. It was fun and at times heartbreaking to be there right along with Kat as discovered the many secrets left behind for her to unravel the mystery of who she is and how she could overcome the hardships she faces because of it. In addition, Suzanne introduced many rich secondary characters such as Christian, a boy who would do anything for the young Kat, Elizabeth, someone Suzanne managed to portray quite well, and Anne, Kat's beautiful yet crippled sister, to mention a few. Leaving the characters of this story to be one of my favorite parts.
The plot of this almost never had a dull moment. Though, I didn't particularly like how the mystery of who Kat's mother was could be told from a mile away and how quickly the book wrapped up with almost no pivoting point, but I did like the other mysteries that arose throughout this, the addition of Grace's diary, and the romance. Along with how Kate's character grew greatly and the lessons she learned through that.
Adding to this, Crowley's writing was spectacular and continued to amaze me with just how far she went to bring this story to life!
In all, The Stolen One is a book that I highly suggest you pick up, especially if you're a Tudor history fan like me.
Grade: A-
Thankfully, Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One proved to not only be a beautifully written and intriguing tale of one girl's journey to find who she is at the royal court of the grand Elizabeth, but a book that will have readers begging for more from this very talented author!
From page one, Suzanne allows her wonderful storytelling to transport you into the world of Kat, a character who while has faced much heartbreak still manages to be one strong girl who you can't help but to root for and love. It was fun and at times heartbreaking to be there right along with Kat as discovered the many secrets left behind for her to unravel the mystery of who she is and how she could overcome the hardships she faces because of it. In addition, Suzanne introduced many rich secondary characters such as Christian, a boy who would do anything for the young Kat, Elizabeth, someone Suzanne managed to portray quite well, and Anne, Kat's beautiful yet crippled sister, to mention a few. Leaving the characters of this story to be one of my favorite parts.
The plot of this almost never had a dull moment. Though, I didn't particularly like how the mystery of who Kat's mother was could be told from a mile away and how quickly the book wrapped up with almost no pivoting point, but I did like the other mysteries that arose throughout this, the addition of Grace's diary, and the romance. Along with how Kate's character grew greatly and the lessons she learned through that.
Adding to this, Crowley's writing was spectacular and continued to amaze me with just how far she went to bring this story to life!
In all, The Stolen One is a book that I highly suggest you pick up, especially if you're a Tudor history fan like me.
Grade: A-
June 26, 2010
I instantly fell in love with the cover, too bad I didn't fall in love with the story. The Tudor England setting might be tried and true but it felt a little worn here. Telling the legendary (urban legend that is) story of Katherine Parr's (Henry VIII's last wife -- and the only one to out live him) long lost daughter, "The Stolen One" chronicles Kat's life first as a country girl who shows great talent for embroidery and then as a lady of Elizabeth I's court. She deals with all of the typical teenage trials with a dash of court intrigue for good measure. While I loved the idea of the plot, I never really like Kat, Anna, Grace or any of the others, and the development was slow and trying. Not one I will be recommending any time soon.
February 6, 2009
Even though set in Elizabethan England, heroine Kat Bab is modern in her determination to discover her true identity and parentage, her desire to live a "big life" away from the village, and in her struggle over whom to love. Crowley's research of the times is evident in the vivid descriptions of the village and court life, especially the embroidery and clothing details. I solved the mystery of her identity much earlier than Kat did, and so was a little surprised that it took her so long, but I found her a compelling character, struggling as we all do between what we feel we should do and what we want to do, and trying to find that balance.
February 13, 2012
I had the same views of those who have read and already rated this as a 2-3 stars. Thus, I won't repeat the same things again. I'll just list them down:
1. The protagonist herself. Urgh!
2. The romance. I'm so disappointed in it. No words could describe it.
3. Christian! I've never in my life detested so much the-guy-who-gets-the girl character before.
4. The random paranormal and mystical elements insinuated in the book which led me to a reaction of "DUH????!" after finishing the book.
5. The kind of predictability of the secret.
There you go! But I will commend the author on the detailed historical background. It was rather good but other than that, sorry!
1. The protagonist herself. Urgh!
2. The romance. I'm so disappointed in it. No words could describe it.
3. Christian! I've never in my life detested so much the-guy-who-gets-the girl character before.
4. The random paranormal and mystical elements insinuated in the book which led me to a reaction of "DUH????!" after finishing the book.
5. The kind of predictability of the secret.
There you go! But I will commend the author on the detailed historical background. It was rather good but other than that, sorry!
April 5, 2010
This is one of those books that never quite came together for me. I like historical "What if's?", but there was never much question to the reader who Katherine really was. And I never believed in the love story.
September 20, 2017
Imaginative historical fiction. My only issue with it was that the girl seemed smart, but then she wouldn't figure out something that seemed pretty obvious to me as the reader, and our dissonance was off-putting on occasion. She was a fun character though and I admired her.
December 18, 2009
While I can't say I loved this book, it did like it. A few things made me not give this four or five stars.
First, because Kat's character made me border on hating her. She was too...carefree. She didn't seem to care about anyone else. She was selfish, and the author didn't balance that selfishness out with something else to make us like her. Once Kat got to the palace she forgot Anna and the reason she was there for the most part, gave it a halfhearted look, and simply enjoyed being the queen's pet. I don't think the author did this to her character on purpose, but that was the underlying feeling I got - I couldn't really let myself be pulled in because Kat would always disappoint me with something she says flippantly or idiotically. Kat was acting more like a 15 year old still trying out the world, then the 17 year old she claimed to be. In the end, though, the tension with who her parents were did get to me. Crowley did a good job there, but didn't make that the entire center of the story like it should've been.
Second, Kat's love life drove me nuts. There was: Nicolas, Rafael and Christian.
I didn't like Nicolas from the beginning. Too pretty boy. I got the idea he only got to know her well because she had a talent with sowing (and was very prideful about it), since he was 2nd in charge of the queen's gowns. And I was very happy how Kat saw him cheating in the mirror while she was standing in for the queen in a painting. He showed his true colors there.
I liked Rafael from the beginning, playboy though he was - and that might say something about my own character. But I did like him. I think he honestly liked Kat in his own way, they did kiss two or three times, and when the fever struck and he died... Well, my sister was in the room when I screamed out loud (seriously): "Wait - " *flips a page back* "WHAT?! He's WHAT?!" My sister now thinks I'm crazy, by the way, has been for years, but I just proved it to her last night. :D Anyway, that was an unexpected turn that shocked me like nothing else. I'm not sure why the author described Rafael's eyes always as dark and emotionless. But I think it fit somehow - it didn't seem too sterotypical.
As I'm writing this, I did notice some sterotyping going around with the guys. Christian was the classic, slightly dark (I'll explain about the dark thing in a moment) boy next door. Rafael, the bad boy/playboy. Nicolas, the jock. Of all the characters in this book, I really really REALLY disliked Christian. Some of his comments... Let's see:
(When she refuses to marry him:) "Father told me," he continued. "Grace paid a visit a fortnight ago, and they spent a long time walking amongst the pear trees. But I think I have always known that you are not one of us. Just everyone else in teh village knows or suspects. No one will have you, Kat," he said. "No one." (pg 21, hardback edition)
(When she refuses to marry him a second time:) "If not you, then Anna," he said stiffly. And I felt a small arrow into my heart at his words. "One of you, by God, will show up tomorrow." (pg 78, hardback edition)
(When she comes crawling back to him in the end:) "Christian!" I called once more as he walked Cowslip Hill. And he finally stopped. "Am I good enough for you now, Kat?" "You were always good enough for me. Yes, Christian," I said. "I love you. I love you." (*skip some*) "Well, you have the rest of your life to show me," he said, turning back toward the cottage. "Come," he said quietly. (pg 399, hardback edition)
I'm sorry, but really? If he loved her that much, why would he be so willing to marry Anna just like that? Why say cruel words about how no one would love her? Cuz I can tell you, that's not the way to win a girl's heart. And at the end, I almost screamed at the book, "Kit, you idiot! He's going to be controlling! You're just a prize to him! Or an obsession even!" But she went with him anyway, and they had a kid together.
Oh, yeah, Christian's bitter, but I think I understand just a bit: Kat could've been waaaaaaay nicer when she refused to marry him. Not... what was it... one of the times she sniggered. That would hurt.
I'm a little confused though: since this is historical, why did Crowley keep slipping in stuff about ghosts and magic and seeing wolves/people in the fog? And smelling juniper? Seemed kinda random to me, and that was a loose end at the end, but oh well . . . maybe this wasn't supposed to be strictly historical.
My last comment about this would be that Crowley did an AMAZING job with the background digging for this. She kept it close to historical as possible. I read the author's note in back, and I never noticed that it didn't say the queen's babe had died. Just sorta dropped out of the picture. That was pretty cool, I hadn't noticed before, and it would make a story. And plus, I love her style. Forgot to say that before. Her description and style was incredible.
Wow, this is the longest review I've ever done. And normally I give high reviews anyway, and this is my first mixed one - so sorry, Crowley!
Three stars.
First, because Kat's character made me border on hating her. She was too...carefree. She didn't seem to care about anyone else. She was selfish, and the author didn't balance that selfishness out with something else to make us like her. Once Kat got to the palace she forgot Anna and the reason she was there for the most part, gave it a halfhearted look, and simply enjoyed being the queen's pet. I don't think the author did this to her character on purpose, but that was the underlying feeling I got - I couldn't really let myself be pulled in because Kat would always disappoint me with something she says flippantly or idiotically. Kat was acting more like a 15 year old still trying out the world, then the 17 year old she claimed to be. In the end, though, the tension with who her parents were did get to me. Crowley did a good job there, but didn't make that the entire center of the story like it should've been.
Second, Kat's love life drove me nuts. There was: Nicolas, Rafael and Christian.
I didn't like Nicolas from the beginning. Too pretty boy. I got the idea he only got to know her well because she had a talent with sowing (and was very prideful about it), since he was 2nd in charge of the queen's gowns. And I was very happy how Kat saw him cheating in the mirror while she was standing in for the queen in a painting. He showed his true colors there.
I liked Rafael from the beginning, playboy though he was - and that might say something about my own character. But I did like him. I think he honestly liked Kat in his own way, they did kiss two or three times, and when the fever struck and he died... Well, my sister was in the room when I screamed out loud (seriously): "Wait - " *flips a page back* "WHAT?! He's WHAT?!" My sister now thinks I'm crazy, by the way, has been for years, but I just proved it to her last night. :D Anyway, that was an unexpected turn that shocked me like nothing else. I'm not sure why the author described Rafael's eyes always as dark and emotionless. But I think it fit somehow - it didn't seem too sterotypical.
As I'm writing this, I did notice some sterotyping going around with the guys. Christian was the classic, slightly dark (I'll explain about the dark thing in a moment) boy next door. Rafael, the bad boy/playboy. Nicolas, the jock. Of all the characters in this book, I really really REALLY disliked Christian. Some of his comments... Let's see:
(When she refuses to marry him:) "Father told me," he continued. "Grace paid a visit a fortnight ago, and they spent a long time walking amongst the pear trees. But I think I have always known that you are not one of us. Just everyone else in teh village knows or suspects. No one will have you, Kat," he said. "No one." (pg 21, hardback edition)
(When she refuses to marry him a second time:) "If not you, then Anna," he said stiffly. And I felt a small arrow into my heart at his words. "One of you, by God, will show up tomorrow." (pg 78, hardback edition)
(When she comes crawling back to him in the end:) "Christian!" I called once more as he walked Cowslip Hill. And he finally stopped. "Am I good enough for you now, Kat?" "You were always good enough for me. Yes, Christian," I said. "I love you. I love you." (*skip some*) "Well, you have the rest of your life to show me," he said, turning back toward the cottage. "Come," he said quietly. (pg 399, hardback edition)
I'm sorry, but really? If he loved her that much, why would he be so willing to marry Anna just like that? Why say cruel words about how no one would love her? Cuz I can tell you, that's not the way to win a girl's heart. And at the end, I almost screamed at the book, "Kit, you idiot! He's going to be controlling! You're just a prize to him! Or an obsession even!" But she went with him anyway, and they had a kid together.
Oh, yeah, Christian's bitter, but I think I understand just a bit: Kat could've been waaaaaaay nicer when she refused to marry him. Not... what was it... one of the times she sniggered. That would hurt.
I'm a little confused though: since this is historical, why did Crowley keep slipping in stuff about ghosts and magic and seeing wolves/people in the fog? And smelling juniper? Seemed kinda random to me, and that was a loose end at the end, but oh well . . . maybe this wasn't supposed to be strictly historical.
My last comment about this would be that Crowley did an AMAZING job with the background digging for this. She kept it close to historical as possible. I read the author's note in back, and I never noticed that it didn't say the queen's babe had died. Just sorta dropped out of the picture. That was pretty cool, I hadn't noticed before, and it would make a story. And plus, I love her style. Forgot to say that before. Her description and style was incredible.
Wow, this is the longest review I've ever done. And normally I give high reviews anyway, and this is my first mixed one - so sorry, Crowley!
Three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2022
I really liked this. A little hard to keep straight because there are 2 separate timelines going back and forth, but overall it’s good.
August 1, 2009
Plot Sketch: Kat, a red-headed, spirited girl was raised in the country with her sister, Anna by Grace Bab, a woman the locals in Winchcombe called a witch. To survive, the three crafted beautiful garments and sold them as luxury goods. Grace's best friend was Christian, the pear farmer boy up the road. Although they were raised as cousins, Grace has assured Godfrey, her brother, and Agnes, his wife that it would be okay for Christian to marry Kat because Kat is not of her blood. After a set of unfortunate circumstances find their way into the lives of Kat and Anna, they head off to London in search of answers as to who Kat's mother is. They are on a search for a Mrs. Eglionby, but get sidetracked by the Lady Ludmore and her good-looking son. Soon thereafter, Kat goes to Queen Elizabeth's court, where she is quickly adored by the Queen and makes a lot of people jealous. Kat does some soul searching while in the service of the queen and concludes her journey in a very happy manner.
Verdict: I Heart It!! This is the best historical fiction piece that I've read in a long time. I really liked it. For some reason it seems that most of the pieces of historical fiction that I pick up end up being about the Tudors, and this was no exception. I especially enjoyed the attention to historical detail that Crowley paid in her writing. She took the time to research and get right the healing herbs of the time, as well as the status and position of her not-so-make-believe characters. She took a historical mystery and crafted a beautiful story that kept me interested even over the course of 400 pages to provide a hypothetical in answer to that mystery. I did not stop and go, "Huh?" at all; I had no hang-ups with this novel. If you are a fan of historical fiction, definitely pick up this lovely tale of Kat and her pear-farmer friend Christian.
The Gauntlet:
At what location does most of the story take place?
London, England, late 1500s.
What is the main character's name?
Katherine Bab
Does I Heart Monster like the main character?
Absolutely. I loved her.
How long did it take I Heart Monster to finish the book?
a few days.
Did I Heart Monster get stuck at any points in the book? If so, why?
No, I did not get stuck, I was just a busy bee.
Is this a good read for Monster?
Nope.
What, if anything, would I Heart Monster change to make the book more interesting?
Nothing.
What was I Heart Monster's favorite line?
I hold what I have.
How many chapters were in the book?
30
Verdict: I Heart It!! This is the best historical fiction piece that I've read in a long time. I really liked it. For some reason it seems that most of the pieces of historical fiction that I pick up end up being about the Tudors, and this was no exception. I especially enjoyed the attention to historical detail that Crowley paid in her writing. She took the time to research and get right the healing herbs of the time, as well as the status and position of her not-so-make-believe characters. She took a historical mystery and crafted a beautiful story that kept me interested even over the course of 400 pages to provide a hypothetical in answer to that mystery. I did not stop and go, "Huh?" at all; I had no hang-ups with this novel. If you are a fan of historical fiction, definitely pick up this lovely tale of Kat and her pear-farmer friend Christian.
The Gauntlet:
At what location does most of the story take place?
London, England, late 1500s.
What is the main character's name?
Katherine Bab
Does I Heart Monster like the main character?
Absolutely. I loved her.
How long did it take I Heart Monster to finish the book?
a few days.
Did I Heart Monster get stuck at any points in the book? If so, why?
No, I did not get stuck, I was just a busy bee.
Is this a good read for Monster?
Nope.
What, if anything, would I Heart Monster change to make the book more interesting?
Nothing.
What was I Heart Monster's favorite line?
I hold what I have.
How many chapters were in the book?
30
February 4, 2010
"No one wanted you. But I did..."
Kat Bab has heard those words all of her life and thus her soul was forever at unrest wanting to solve the mystery of her lineage.
THE STOLEN ONE is an intriguing tale set in the Elizabethan era; full of history with detailed descriptions of gorgeously crafted wardrobes. A story ever mindful of it's forbidden secrets.
Kat, a skilled embroiderer is raised in a tiny village only knowing her mother Grace and sister Anna and although she is loved, she is not content. Besides knowing whom are her true parents, Kat yearns for a life outside of her Village. Then one evening a stranger pays a visit and in that encounter the secret that has held Kat tethered to Grace begins to unravel and she knows she must journey to London to seek her answers. Despite the warnings and the proposal from a good man nothing can make her stay and Catherine journey's off to London with Anna in tow. Once there it is not long before the Queen notices Katherine and is soon a part of her court. Ever mindful of her quest to reveal the secrets of her lineage she will discover that knowledge of the truth comes with a heavy price and in the end what choice will she make. Loyalty or Love?
THE STOLEN ONE is a perfect combination of history, mystery and romance. I was along for the ride as Kat searched for the truth and was entranced along the way. I was pleased Kat's personal growth within the story and can say that I admired how the Queen was portrayed. The story was well paced and I really enjoyed the bits from Grace's perspective through her journal. It added that bit "A HA" factor that made this story shine. I also enjoyed learning the details about the opulent wardrobes that were so much a part of the backdrop to this story.
I used to be a fan of historical romances but have strayed away along the years. Upon reading THE STOLEN ONE I remembered why I enjoyed them so much. I was transported in time with it's rich details and wonderful story telling. Suzanne Crowley did an amazing job for the mystery surrounding Mary Seymour is intriguing and provides the key for a brilliant read. I recommend this book to anyone in search of an amazing read that is good for all ages.
Kat Bab has heard those words all of her life and thus her soul was forever at unrest wanting to solve the mystery of her lineage.
THE STOLEN ONE is an intriguing tale set in the Elizabethan era; full of history with detailed descriptions of gorgeously crafted wardrobes. A story ever mindful of it's forbidden secrets.
Kat, a skilled embroiderer is raised in a tiny village only knowing her mother Grace and sister Anna and although she is loved, she is not content. Besides knowing whom are her true parents, Kat yearns for a life outside of her Village. Then one evening a stranger pays a visit and in that encounter the secret that has held Kat tethered to Grace begins to unravel and she knows she must journey to London to seek her answers. Despite the warnings and the proposal from a good man nothing can make her stay and Catherine journey's off to London with Anna in tow. Once there it is not long before the Queen notices Katherine and is soon a part of her court. Ever mindful of her quest to reveal the secrets of her lineage she will discover that knowledge of the truth comes with a heavy price and in the end what choice will she make. Loyalty or Love?
THE STOLEN ONE is a perfect combination of history, mystery and romance. I was along for the ride as Kat searched for the truth and was entranced along the way. I was pleased Kat's personal growth within the story and can say that I admired how the Queen was portrayed. The story was well paced and I really enjoyed the bits from Grace's perspective through her journal. It added that bit "A HA" factor that made this story shine. I also enjoyed learning the details about the opulent wardrobes that were so much a part of the backdrop to this story.
I used to be a fan of historical romances but have strayed away along the years. Upon reading THE STOLEN ONE I remembered why I enjoyed them so much. I was transported in time with it's rich details and wonderful story telling. Suzanne Crowley did an amazing job for the mystery surrounding Mary Seymour is intriguing and provides the key for a brilliant read. I recommend this book to anyone in search of an amazing read that is good for all ages.
April 2, 2009
For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Katherine Bab has lived in the English countryside with her adoptive mother, Grace, and Grace's daughter, Anna. Kat has always longed to know the identities of her birth parents, but Grace has always refused to tell her who they are, or give her any more information than frequent comments about how she inherited the worst qualities of her parents. And despite the love of a young farmer named Christian, who is the son of her adoptive mother's brother, Kat longs for something more than marriage to a farmer, though she does have feelings for him. When Grace dies, refusing even on her deathbed to reveal the secret, Kat decides she and Anna will travel to London in search of the answer to the mystery of her past.
But London is not what Kat expected - it is a busy, dirty, noisy place. Shy Anna, who is deaf, longs to return to the country. When Kat and Anna are taken in by a noblewoman, Kat's talent with embroidery and stitching gets her invited to the court of Queen Elizabeth, to make dresses for the queen and instruct the Queen's ladies. At court, Kat draws the attention of two handsome young gentlemen, but she cannot forget Christian, no matter how hard she tries. And she is troubled by rumors that she could be related to the Queen, perhaps even be her secret, long-lost daughter. Will she ever discover her true identity? And if she does discover who her parents were, how will she choose between her two worlds?
The Stolen One was one of the best historical novels I've read in a long time. Katherine is a wonderfully developed character - she seemed so real, sometimes I would even become frustrated at her actions! The author did a wonderful job at bringing to life the setting of Elizabethan England, and the very different ways of life in the countryside, the city, and at court. Although this book is written for teen readers, I think adults who love historical fiction will enjoy it is as well - it is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and the classic story of a young woman's search for her identity and where she belongs in the world.
But London is not what Kat expected - it is a busy, dirty, noisy place. Shy Anna, who is deaf, longs to return to the country. When Kat and Anna are taken in by a noblewoman, Kat's talent with embroidery and stitching gets her invited to the court of Queen Elizabeth, to make dresses for the queen and instruct the Queen's ladies. At court, Kat draws the attention of two handsome young gentlemen, but she cannot forget Christian, no matter how hard she tries. And she is troubled by rumors that she could be related to the Queen, perhaps even be her secret, long-lost daughter. Will she ever discover her true identity? And if she does discover who her parents were, how will she choose between her two worlds?
The Stolen One was one of the best historical novels I've read in a long time. Katherine is a wonderfully developed character - she seemed so real, sometimes I would even become frustrated at her actions! The author did a wonderful job at bringing to life the setting of Elizabethan England, and the very different ways of life in the countryside, the city, and at court. Although this book is written for teen readers, I think adults who love historical fiction will enjoy it is as well - it is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and the classic story of a young woman's search for her identity and where she belongs in the world.
August 21, 2009
When I first picked The Stolen One up, I wasn’t that enthused to read it because historical fictions weren’t really my favorites. However, by the end of the book, I grew to it and ended up loving it.
Okay, first, the book started out slow. Like, really slow. The plot moved like molasses. Yet, towards the end of the book, I realized that the slowness was a wonderful pace for The Stolen One. It allowed the readers to digest everything and understand everything that’s going on. You have to admit, there are some books that move too fast and at the end, I go like: what just happened?! The Stolen One, however, is not like that at all.
Details. Hmm. Okay, there’s details, definitely but it’s a good amount and not like those insane minute details that the LOTR trilogy has. Suzanne is a really talented author due to the fact that she understands how much to give to the readers and how much to hold back.
Kat, the female protagonist, is a character who I admire a lot. She is a strong-willed girl and loves adventure. She isn’t afraid to say what she wants to say and isn’t afraid to do what she wants. I mean, she even ditches her “fiancée” and instead, goes off to London to seek her dream and her past. If that doesn’t show courage, I don’t know what does. She has romantic encounters but at the end, realized that despite all the wooing directed towards her, the one she truly loved is the one she left behind. She learns valuable lessons and also, as a bonus, learns about her past and her deceased family.
The ending was magnificent. It didn’t leave me hanging off the cliff, trying to decipher what had just happened but instead, left me breathless and thinking that how could an ending end so wonderfully? It didn’t leave me yearning for more about Kat because it already told me what had happened to Kat.
Overall, The Stolen One was a great book and I highly recommend it!
Okay, first, the book started out slow. Like, really slow. The plot moved like molasses. Yet, towards the end of the book, I realized that the slowness was a wonderful pace for The Stolen One. It allowed the readers to digest everything and understand everything that’s going on. You have to admit, there are some books that move too fast and at the end, I go like: what just happened?! The Stolen One, however, is not like that at all.
Details. Hmm. Okay, there’s details, definitely but it’s a good amount and not like those insane minute details that the LOTR trilogy has. Suzanne is a really talented author due to the fact that she understands how much to give to the readers and how much to hold back.
Kat, the female protagonist, is a character who I admire a lot. She is a strong-willed girl and loves adventure. She isn’t afraid to say what she wants to say and isn’t afraid to do what she wants. I mean, she even ditches her “fiancée” and instead, goes off to London to seek her dream and her past. If that doesn’t show courage, I don’t know what does. She has romantic encounters but at the end, realized that despite all the wooing directed towards her, the one she truly loved is the one she left behind. She learns valuable lessons and also, as a bonus, learns about her past and her deceased family.
The ending was magnificent. It didn’t leave me hanging off the cliff, trying to decipher what had just happened but instead, left me breathless and thinking that how could an ending end so wonderfully? It didn’t leave me yearning for more about Kat because it already told me what had happened to Kat.
Overall, The Stolen One was a great book and I highly recommend it!
July 1, 2009
Katherine Bab – AKA Kat always knew that she would never marry and she‘s determined to find out who she really is. Grace – Kat’s adoptive mother is keeping secrets from her and claims it’s better she not know for it would bring certain misfortune. After Grace passes away, Kat flees to London leaving her child hood friend Christian broken hearted to uncover these secrets for herself.
She’s determined to find information on her birth parents even if it includes lavishing in the luxuries of beautiful stitches and gowns. She’s always dreamed of meeting Queen Elizabeth who has a striking resemblance and temperament as Kat which only brings the question: Is the Queen Kat’s birth mother?
While at court, Kat catches the eyes of two other men who may or may not have their own agenda for winning her heart. Grace has always warned Kat to stay away from Queen Elizabeth and to be wary of wolves at the Queen’s Court.
Will finding these answers doom her to a life she does not want because she doesn’t know her own heart….
This novel is beautifully written, I was fascinated with Katherine’s story and how it tied into Queen Elizabeth’s period. I love the characters in this book. Kat is a strong protagonist and she’s very outspoken which is not what one would expect in her era for a woman. The depiction of Queen Elizabeth is fascinating. I was also intrigued by the inner working of the Queen’s court. I loved the details about the designs and stitch work on the Queen’s gowns. Crowley did an amazing job with the imagery, it was like viewing everything through Kat’s eyes and I relished every minute of it. I wish I could express how outstanding this book is, but I can’t find the words because it is much more than what I’ve written but I don’t want to spoil anything. Find out for yourself!
This is a beautiful story and one that I would definitely read again.
She’s determined to find information on her birth parents even if it includes lavishing in the luxuries of beautiful stitches and gowns. She’s always dreamed of meeting Queen Elizabeth who has a striking resemblance and temperament as Kat which only brings the question: Is the Queen Kat’s birth mother?
While at court, Kat catches the eyes of two other men who may or may not have their own agenda for winning her heart. Grace has always warned Kat to stay away from Queen Elizabeth and to be wary of wolves at the Queen’s Court.
Will finding these answers doom her to a life she does not want because she doesn’t know her own heart….
This novel is beautifully written, I was fascinated with Katherine’s story and how it tied into Queen Elizabeth’s period. I love the characters in this book. Kat is a strong protagonist and she’s very outspoken which is not what one would expect in her era for a woman. The depiction of Queen Elizabeth is fascinating. I was also intrigued by the inner working of the Queen’s court. I loved the details about the designs and stitch work on the Queen’s gowns. Crowley did an amazing job with the imagery, it was like viewing everything through Kat’s eyes and I relished every minute of it. I wish I could express how outstanding this book is, but I can’t find the words because it is much more than what I’ve written but I don’t want to spoil anything. Find out for yourself!
This is a beautiful story and one that I would definitely read again.
March 22, 2011
Kat was raised by a woman not her mother (Grace), who claimed no one wanted Kat. Grace taught Kat how to embroider until her skills grew proficient enough to earn a good living for their family. Grace's own daughter, Anna, is deaf but can read lips and is as close to Kat as a real sister. Christian, a handsome shepherd boy living next door, asks Kat to marry him, but Kat feels she cannot answer him until she finds out the truth of her parents and her birth. When Grace dies, Kat moves to the capital to seek out those answers, and finds an unlikely ally in the queen herself.
I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting--beautiful gowns, Queen Elizabeth, a spunky female character. I liked the kindly woman who took Kat and Anna in when they reached the city. I liked Kat's maid and I loved the descriptions of the gowns. I enjoyed the fact that you didn't quite know whether or not the queen is good until the very end of the book. I liked that Crowley was not afraid to kill off characters.
However, I felt that while a promising idea, the execution was not quite good enough to deserve four stars. The writing was near flawless but not very inspiring. I got annoyed with Kat halfway through the book for loving Christian and still fooling around with the stupid pages and such as court. I didn't feel like the atmosphere of the court was complete, since we got to know so few characters there. There were mention of advisors to the queen--who were they? I think that would have helped the ending to be a little more believable. Also, wolves show up a lot in the beginning then we don't see them again? And random ghosts? What happened there? I didn't understand.
Content Warning: Mention of teenage sex as early as 14 years old, extra-marital affairs, and sensuality. Recommended for 16+
I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting--beautiful gowns, Queen Elizabeth, a spunky female character. I liked the kindly woman who took Kat and Anna in when they reached the city. I liked Kat's maid and I loved the descriptions of the gowns. I enjoyed the fact that you didn't quite know whether or not the queen is good until the very end of the book. I liked that Crowley was not afraid to kill off characters.
However, I felt that while a promising idea, the execution was not quite good enough to deserve four stars. The writing was near flawless but not very inspiring. I got annoyed with Kat halfway through the book for loving Christian and still fooling around with the stupid pages and such as court. I didn't feel like the atmosphere of the court was complete, since we got to know so few characters there. There were mention of advisors to the queen--who were they? I think that would have helped the ending to be a little more believable. Also, wolves show up a lot in the beginning then we don't see them again? And random ghosts? What happened there? I didn't understand.
Content Warning: Mention of teenage sex as early as 14 years old, extra-marital affairs, and sensuality. Recommended for 16+
June 18, 2009
I haven’t read such a delightful historical fiction read since probably Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy. The sixteenth-century England that Suzanne Crowley writes is colorful, alluring (like how Kat is often described by others), and not at all stilted. It’s easy to get lost in either the rowdy, rudimentary backcountry or the deceptive yet attractive London court.
I enjoyed how the chapters with Kat’s first-person narration were divided by snippets of Grace’s old diary entries. This added even more mystery and urgency to Kat’s quest, as we readers begin to piece together what Kat herself does not yet know.
Above all, Kat’s character really made THE STOLEN ONE come alive for me. She works for me as the protagonist because of the subtle yet completely justified way she changes from countryside to courtside. She is not afraid to speak her mind, which makes for interesting conversations between headstrong or ambitious characters. I found her attractive yet normal, aspiring yet innocent.
I couldn’t get as much into the romance(s) of the story, however, partially because most of the tête-à-têtes occurred almost randomly and inexplicably. It’s okay when the main character attracts attention because of her allure; when the attraction seems ambitious and is left unexplained, however, I get worried. I also have mixed feelings about the ending of this book. Perhaps, after reading so much about Kat speaking her mind and not simply going along with what everyone expects of her, I was disappointed in her decision.
Even so, THE STOLEN ONE is a strong book with a marvelous protagonist. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a splash of magic and romance should read this book: it’s made for you.
I enjoyed how the chapters with Kat’s first-person narration were divided by snippets of Grace’s old diary entries. This added even more mystery and urgency to Kat’s quest, as we readers begin to piece together what Kat herself does not yet know.
Above all, Kat’s character really made THE STOLEN ONE come alive for me. She works for me as the protagonist because of the subtle yet completely justified way she changes from countryside to courtside. She is not afraid to speak her mind, which makes for interesting conversations between headstrong or ambitious characters. I found her attractive yet normal, aspiring yet innocent.
I couldn’t get as much into the romance(s) of the story, however, partially because most of the tête-à-têtes occurred almost randomly and inexplicably. It’s okay when the main character attracts attention because of her allure; when the attraction seems ambitious and is left unexplained, however, I get worried. I also have mixed feelings about the ending of this book. Perhaps, after reading so much about Kat speaking her mind and not simply going along with what everyone expects of her, I was disappointed in her decision.
Even so, THE STOLEN ONE is a strong book with a marvelous protagonist. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a splash of magic and romance should read this book: it’s made for you.
June 20, 2013
Katherine knows that Grace hides things from her. But what Grace doesn't realize is that Katherine knows where her hiding spots are. Maybe one of the hidden treasures will bring a clue to whom she really is.
Katherine Babs has always wanted a better life. She spends her days in a small cottage embroidering beautiful clothes for royalty, along with her sister Anna and her mother Grace. Grace isn't Katherine's biological mother, and over the years has refused to answer any of Katherine's questions. A neighboring pear farmer, Christian, has asked for Katherine's hand in marriage. She bides her time on answering him. But when Grace suddenly dies, Katherine flees to London to uncover the secret of who she really is, and leaves Christian alone.
Kat's fiery red hair and beautiful sewn clothes gather the Queen's eye, and Kat soon finds herself as one of her ladies. Katherine quickly finds herself as one of Queen Elizabeth's favorites, even among the rumors that Katherine could be the secret daughter of the Virgin Queen. She misses her quaint village and Christian, but keeps herself busy embroidering beautiful dresses, and the two handsome men at court who vye for her affections.
Even as the clues unfold that determine who Katherine is, the danger to her life escalates. She must soon come to a decision that will affect the rest of her life and the Court. For matters of the heart are not decisions made lightly.
THE STOLE ONE is a bewitching novel set in Tudor England, rich in period detail, suspense, and romance. Kat is a spectacular character, who just wants to find out where she belongs. There are many interesting characters in THE STOLEN ONE that will intrigue you. I was mesmerized with this story, and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Katherine Babs has always wanted a better life. She spends her days in a small cottage embroidering beautiful clothes for royalty, along with her sister Anna and her mother Grace. Grace isn't Katherine's biological mother, and over the years has refused to answer any of Katherine's questions. A neighboring pear farmer, Christian, has asked for Katherine's hand in marriage. She bides her time on answering him. But when Grace suddenly dies, Katherine flees to London to uncover the secret of who she really is, and leaves Christian alone.
Kat's fiery red hair and beautiful sewn clothes gather the Queen's eye, and Kat soon finds herself as one of her ladies. Katherine quickly finds herself as one of Queen Elizabeth's favorites, even among the rumors that Katherine could be the secret daughter of the Virgin Queen. She misses her quaint village and Christian, but keeps herself busy embroidering beautiful dresses, and the two handsome men at court who vye for her affections.
Even as the clues unfold that determine who Katherine is, the danger to her life escalates. She must soon come to a decision that will affect the rest of her life and the Court. For matters of the heart are not decisions made lightly.
THE STOLE ONE is a bewitching novel set in Tudor England, rich in period detail, suspense, and romance. Kat is a spectacular character, who just wants to find out where she belongs. There are many interesting characters in THE STOLEN ONE that will intrigue you. I was mesmerized with this story, and thoroughly enjoyed it!
October 28, 2010
I never usually read historical fiction and this book is part of the reason why. It has a lovely cover and the premise totally had me expecting that there was going to be something supernatural in it. I mean, why not when there's a focus on wolves in the premise and in the beginning of the story. Haha, nope. Imagine my disappointment.
Kat's main goal is to find out who her mother is and what her origins are, which is why she decides to leave town and go to London. Well, once she gets into the high society lot this quest she has gets thrown out the window and the majority of her time is taken up by how much she can please the Queen, or how best she can fit in with them. Not to mention the men she flirts and is attracted to. That's when this story becomes a chore to read because none of this seems important to the plot and nothing substantial ever happens. It just drags on and on and on. And this book is not short either - over 400 pages.
In the end she goes back and marries off the boy who loved her in the first place, but really, how did she come to realization that she loves him too? Just because the other guys were bad for her? So therefore she has to return to safe and ordinary because no one else is perfect enough for her? Bleh!
This definitely has not made me want to read more from this genre. There is a nice genealogy map and author's note at the end. It's got a happy ending and the plot revolves around Kat finding herself so if you like that kind of stuff, I'm sure this book would be a good fit for you.
Kat's main goal is to find out who her mother is and what her origins are, which is why she decides to leave town and go to London. Well, once she gets into the high society lot this quest she has gets thrown out the window and the majority of her time is taken up by how much she can please the Queen, or how best she can fit in with them. Not to mention the men she flirts and is attracted to. That's when this story becomes a chore to read because none of this seems important to the plot and nothing substantial ever happens. It just drags on and on and on. And this book is not short either - over 400 pages.
In the end she goes back and marries off the boy who loved her in the first place, but really, how did she come to realization that she loves him too? Just because the other guys were bad for her? So therefore she has to return to safe and ordinary because no one else is perfect enough for her? Bleh!
This definitely has not made me want to read more from this genre. There is a nice genealogy map and author's note at the end. It's got a happy ending and the plot revolves around Kat finding herself so if you like that kind of stuff, I'm sure this book would be a good fit for you.
May 19, 2013
I had some high hopes for this books- I love the time period of Elizabethan England and the plot itself sounded interesting, but reading it, the entire time I just felt very let down. The plot was very slow and didn't seem to have any real point, even as the story went on, and the entire storyline had the question of "So what?" hanging over it. I found that the story wasn't interesting enough to keep me entertained or really to care what happened to the characters, so I was bored very easily. The characters themselves were dull; Kat was incredibly frustrating and I was just so infuriated by almost everything that she did. She made terrible choices and had no real sense; she wasn't fun to read about at all. Anna seemed like a very sweet girl and I feel as though I would have really liked her if I had only SEEN some more of her- for Kat's "sister", she didn't get much page time or character development. Queen Elizabeth was okay, but not what I had expected or hoped for in such an iconic character. I loved Nicholas Pigeon, but he was sort of cast aside after awhile, the same with Rafael. Christian was mediocre (although I loved when he threw Cat in the pond towards the end) and I never loved Grace the way I felt we were expected to.
All in all, I really could not get into this book. It was dull and had boring characters, and I just could not become interested at all.
All in all, I really could not get into this book. It was dull and had boring characters, and I just could not become interested at all.
November 6, 2011
Katherine isn't the most likable heroine, nor is any of the romance in this satisfying (as in you want the characters to end up together). Anna is the only one who truly is innocent in this whole mess, unwillingly pulled into Kat's pursuit of her birthright and wrongly hurt along the way.
But this isn't one of those stories that you read to become attached to the characters. You read it because it is an interesting "what if" historical-fiction. Unfortunately, I cannot tell my Readers what the "what if" is, because then I'll ruin the ending. If you are very much up-to-date on your Elizabethan history, you'll definitely appreciate Ms. Crowley's spin on one of history's smaller, yet just as intriguing, mysteries.
Content-wise, there's nothing explicit to complain about. Plenty is alluded to - in the world of Queen Elizabeth's court, illegitimate children were springing up everywhere. But the Author never presents the Readers with any actual scenes, and all references are when someone's background/reputation is being explained to Katherine.
The Stolen One will eventually be added to my shelves. Though I cared little for anyone except Anna, it's a story I would enjoy re-reading someday.
But this isn't one of those stories that you read to become attached to the characters. You read it because it is an interesting "what if" historical-fiction. Unfortunately, I cannot tell my Readers what the "what if" is, because then I'll ruin the ending. If you are very much up-to-date on your Elizabethan history, you'll definitely appreciate Ms. Crowley's spin on one of history's smaller, yet just as intriguing, mysteries.
Content-wise, there's nothing explicit to complain about. Plenty is alluded to - in the world of Queen Elizabeth's court, illegitimate children were springing up everywhere. But the Author never presents the Readers with any actual scenes, and all references are when someone's background/reputation is being explained to Katherine.
The Stolen One will eventually be added to my shelves. Though I cared little for anyone except Anna, it's a story I would enjoy re-reading someday.
August 13, 2009
Katherine (Kat) is an alluring red haired girl living with her adoptive mother Grace and Grace's daughter Anna in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1500s). Grace has taught her daughters the trade of embroidery and Kat is particularly gifted at it (her gowns have been sold in the best shops in London). Yet Kat remains discontented and wants to know her true heritage. She is constantly puzzled by hints dropped by Grace about how she takes after her mother or father in some way, yet Grace will tell her nothing important.
One night a stranger comes revealing more hints about Kat's history, before dieing of the plague. Grace dies the same night warning Kat to stay away from London, it's intrigues, and especially the Queen. Kat, being fiercely independent, decides to go to London anyway to sell her wares and try to find out about her family. Gowns with the embroidery that Kat has to sell are bound to receive attention, and when they catch the eye of the royal court, Kat becomes entangled in a world she is not prepared for, but one which might just give her the answers she is seeking.
One night a stranger comes revealing more hints about Kat's history, before dieing of the plague. Grace dies the same night warning Kat to stay away from London, it's intrigues, and especially the Queen. Kat, being fiercely independent, decides to go to London anyway to sell her wares and try to find out about her family. Gowns with the embroidery that Kat has to sell are bound to receive attention, and when they catch the eye of the royal court, Kat becomes entangled in a world she is not prepared for, but one which might just give her the answers she is seeking.
January 24, 2016
In the English countryside Kat spends her days embroidering fine clothes to sell and dreaming of the royal life of Queen Elizabeth. Whenever her mind has a free moment, Kat thinks about how she would give anything to know who she really is and how she ended up in that cottage with Grace and her daughter Anna. When a stranger seems to have the answers that Kat's always craved, she'd go anywhere and do whatever it takes to find them for herself.
This is one fun piece of young adult historical fiction. The court intrigue alone is so fun (although some readers may be frustrated trying to keep everyone's names straight). Kat's a very imperfect character but very real - and the time period feels authentic, with all the horribleless that goes with it. The Queen is as hardened and yet fragile as I'd imagined and the whole story just felt plausible enough that I couldn't put it down. When things could've easily broken down into complete bawdiness, the author reigned it in, giving us a sense of what life was like without actually making us live it. With a touch of the mystical throughout, this fun one hit the four-star mark for me.
June 28, 2011
I am not someone who is too wrapped up with the Tudors, so I didn't know much about the time period but still found this book very interesting. Plus, it made me do some research to learn about that time period which was fun. It looked at the possibility that Catherine Parr's daughter, who in history has been reported as dying at the age of two, really lived, taken away by a servant and raised in the country. Kat has always believed that there is something more to her life than what she has right now. When her adopted mother dies, she takes her "sister" Anna goes to London to find out the truth about her past. Seemingly by chance, she ends up at the court of Queen Elizabeth. Here she learns about court and eventually about her past. There are wonderful descriptions of the clothes everyone wears, as Kat is very talented with the needle. I listened to audio book which can be difficult because the accent gets in the way and mix that with Anna who is deaf so speaks brokenly, I feel I may have missed a few things. But not enough to take away from the overall story which is very good.
March 17, 2011
This book was a bit slow at first, but was well worth it. The characters, set in England at the English Court (during the reign of Elizabeth I) were well evolved, and believable. The author had great skill to immerse me in the smells, sights, and sounds of 16th century England. You can imagine yourself in Katherine's shoes, and the agonizing choices she has to make, and that universal need to know who and what you are, that wanting to belong. Reminiscent of Neal Stephenson, and his Baroque Cycle, Ms. Crowley has shown us the human side of Queen Elizabeth I, and her court, and even the life of the common person, and to see that they were once alive, with love and dreams, and passions. That Elizabeth I was more than those cold lifeless form that is portrayed in so many portraits. If you like the show"The Tudors"(now on BBC America) and/or books by Mary Stewart, you will love this book.
January 26, 2013
Title: The Stolen One
Author: Suzanne Crowley
Series: N/A
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary: Set during the lush Elizabethan period, this smart, sensual novel drips with intrigue, period detail, and drama, as it follows a girl from the English countryside who travels to London to uncover the secret of who she really is.
Review: This was a pretty good book. I had my doubts at the beginning, but Crowley pulled through for me.
Things I Loved: The writing style and dialogue of the characters is perfection. I actually felt as if I was in the Elizabethan Era. I've always been interested in that kind of stuff, and now I want to read more fiction novels about it.
Things I Hated: In the beginning, it's kind of unclear as to where the plot is going, and it takes half the book to get into the story. But I think if you had some prior knowledge about the era, you'd be set. But overall, I have no regrets.
Author: Suzanne Crowley
Series: N/A
Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary: Set during the lush Elizabethan period, this smart, sensual novel drips with intrigue, period detail, and drama, as it follows a girl from the English countryside who travels to London to uncover the secret of who she really is.
Review: This was a pretty good book. I had my doubts at the beginning, but Crowley pulled through for me.
Things I Loved: The writing style and dialogue of the characters is perfection. I actually felt as if I was in the Elizabethan Era. I've always been interested in that kind of stuff, and now I want to read more fiction novels about it.
Things I Hated: In the beginning, it's kind of unclear as to where the plot is going, and it takes half the book to get into the story. But I think if you had some prior knowledge about the era, you'd be set. But overall, I have no regrets.
August 2, 2013
Spoilers throughout:
This was one of those books I had to force myself to keep reading. After about fifty pages of wolfs and dwarfs and mysterious peasant girls I finally got sucked in... a little bit.
Really this story came alive when Katherine and Anna finally made it to London, more specifically, to court life.
In a nutshell, this was a 'Who is she' book. Who is Katherine? Who are her parents? Why did she end up with Grace, who says no one else wanted her? Why does she feel compelled to the Queen?
After thinking she might be the Queen's dauther for a good portion of the book, I guess the twist is they are step-sisters. And, the most insipirational/crazy decision that Katherine makes of picking true love was bittersweet.
I enjoyed parts of this. Other times, I felt there were too many secondary, non-important characters. Slow Start-up, picks up middle/end.
3 stars.
Not as over the MOON as I wanted to be.
This was one of those books I had to force myself to keep reading. After about fifty pages of wolfs and dwarfs and mysterious peasant girls I finally got sucked in... a little bit.
Really this story came alive when Katherine and Anna finally made it to London, more specifically, to court life.
In a nutshell, this was a 'Who is she' book. Who is Katherine? Who are her parents? Why did she end up with Grace, who says no one else wanted her? Why does she feel compelled to the Queen?
After thinking she might be the Queen's dauther for a good portion of the book, I guess the twist is they are step-sisters. And, the most insipirational/crazy decision that Katherine makes of picking true love was bittersweet.
I enjoyed parts of this. Other times, I felt there were too many secondary, non-important characters. Slow Start-up, picks up middle/end.
3 stars.
Not as over the MOON as I wanted to be.
July 8, 2016
3.5 stars
I quite enjoyed this one. There was a phase I was into a couple of years ago where everything about Queen Elizabeth (and The Tudors in general) fascinated me: Philippa Gregory novels, the Wives of King Henry VIII documentary and ANY Netflix movie I could find about that time period. This book took me back to that place. I love court and political intrigue of that time and these characters fit well into that period (knowing a little about the real life people helped put context into the story). The mystery was well played out, I just wish the romance was fleshed out a bit more. Fun little gem!
I quite enjoyed this one. There was a phase I was into a couple of years ago where everything about Queen Elizabeth (and The Tudors in general) fascinated me: Philippa Gregory novels, the Wives of King Henry VIII documentary and ANY Netflix movie I could find about that time period. This book took me back to that place. I love court and political intrigue of that time and these characters fit well into that period (knowing a little about the real life people helped put context into the story). The mystery was well played out, I just wish the romance was fleshed out a bit more. Fun little gem!
September 3, 2009
It was really hard for me to connect to this book from the very beginning...I really like the plot...the idea of an unknown past it really kept me reading …but the more I read the more I realized I was not connecting with the story. The characters and the writing are…really…really good! Kat is definitely a “little something” I don’t know why but sometimes she remind me of Ms. Scarlet O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind” the character of Queen Elizabeth I really liked I just wish to get to know more about other characters…I can’t say much without spoiling the book!! But is really a good historical fiction book…and if you like the genre you will like The Stolen One.
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