Reviews

This is an incredibly well-researched deep dive into Jane Grey. I've always been fascinated by her as a historical figure, but it wasn't until reading this book that I felt I knew any of her dimension, and Tallis has done a tremendous job using primary sources to give color and substance to the paper cut out of a martyred, innocent girl. She's smarter, stronger, and as more agency than we give her credit for in popular culture, and it's a delight and a revelation to learn more about her. My star rating is driven by the fact that while the scholarship is on point, the writing itself isn't as strong, and even as someone who loves historical biography, I put this book down for a long time in the middle before returning to it. (That said, the last chapter did make me cry, so really I'm a clown.)

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informative medium-paced

3.75

I like this book and I learned more about Lady Jane and her family. I’d recommend if you’re interested in the Tudor era. I gave 3.75 instead of 4 because there were too many places where it seemed liberties were taken in descriptions of how people look and felt in specific conversations. Usually it was qualified with statements like “she may have thought” “he probably felt” but not always.