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bibliobethreads's review
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
siobhanreadssometimes's review
4.0
4.5 stars
I can’t speak to representation in this book & I would love to see reviews from Ghanaian reviewers. It does appear as though Kate Morrison has done a lot of research, spoken to Black experts on this period and talks of taking her responsibility seriously to represent what we know about the experiences of Black Tudors and that her intention is to give lie to the racist myth of an all-white British history in this period. I can’t speak as to whether she succeeded.
I would love to read historical fiction set in this period about Black Tudors by a Black author - I couldn’t find any in my rudimentary research but I will definitely keep looking as I believe reading own voices work is incredibly important.
In terms of my personal enjoyment of story, plot & writing I found this book very enjoyable. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, even gripping at points. It feels in the vein of Philippa Gregory type historical fiction with a female protagonist who fights the barriers she faces with her wits and endures through adversity.
CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS BOOK (in case anyone needs them - this may not be exhaustive as I’m just doing this from memory so apologies if I miss anything): miscarriage, infant death, threat of group sexual assault (no assault takes place), murder, stabbing, graphic descriptions of a man being hung, drawn & quartered, sickness, family member death, slavery, racial microaggressions, racial slurs (historical ones), misogynistic slurs & graphic insults
I can’t speak to representation in this book & I would love to see reviews from Ghanaian reviewers. It does appear as though Kate Morrison has done a lot of research, spoken to Black experts on this period and talks of taking her responsibility seriously to represent what we know about the experiences of Black Tudors and that her intention is to give lie to the racist myth of an all-white British history in this period. I can’t speak as to whether she succeeded.
I would love to read historical fiction set in this period about Black Tudors by a Black author - I couldn’t find any in my rudimentary research but I will definitely keep looking as I believe reading own voices work is incredibly important.
In terms of my personal enjoyment of story, plot & writing I found this book very enjoyable. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, even gripping at points. It feels in the vein of Philippa Gregory type historical fiction with a female protagonist who fights the barriers she faces with her wits and endures through adversity.
CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS BOOK (in case anyone needs them - this may not be exhaustive as I’m just doing this from memory so apologies if I miss anything): miscarriage, infant death, threat of group sexual assault (no assault takes place), murder, stabbing, graphic descriptions of a man being hung, drawn & quartered, sickness, family member death, slavery, racial microaggressions, racial slurs (historical ones), misogynistic slurs & graphic insults
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
3.0
I am not a big reader of historical fiction, but something about this drew me in, it’s set in Elizabethan England, where Susan who was taken from Ghana as a child navigates a world of tension and division, religion being one of the largest causes of this, Susan is a servant in a Catholic household so we have priest holes, invisible ink and underground press, it was an interesting story. However I do have a few issues with this, given it’s a white author writing about a black character during a period of slavery, I’m not saying white authors can’t or shouldn’t be writing about black characters or history, (I am saying this as a white reader) I just think with the emphasis on own voices and the struggles black authors have in getting published whether writing about their own history or not, it just seems uncomfortable to me to have a white author telling you about black experiences. I like Kate Morrison as an author and this was a good book, I just don’t necessarily feel it was her story to tell, no amount of research can give you the experience of living a black life in white supremacy , wether present or history.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
the_freya's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely fantastic debut novel. Morrison's writing brings Elizabethan London to life. Susan (Nsowah) shows the reader another, and often absent, point of view of this period of popular history.
bookshortie's review
5.0
This is the story of Nsowah, born in Ghana during the Elizabethan period, taken from her home country as a baby along with her mother and brother by Portuguese Slavers who are unaware that Nsowah’s mother is a Princess and Royalty in her own country. When the ship that they are in is attacked by the English, Nsowah and her mother are taken and transported to England, separated from her brother. Nsowah and her mother are given to a family as servants, converted to Christianity by their new owners and their names are changed so Nsowah is given the name Susan. At the age of 3 Susan’s mother dies and she is raised by Kate the housekeeper as well as by her Master and Mistress who treat her like their own daughter. She is raised alongside their own daughter Anne and is raised as a secret Catholic as they too are hiding their true beliefs. They ensure that she is educated alongside their daughter Anne, becoming an accomplished young woman and is treated more like a member of the family than a servant. But the Mistress’ opinion towards her changes after Anne dies and when the Master’s secret is discovered he wants to ensure that Susan is safe, arranging her marriage to John Charlewood a London Printer who is much older than her to ensure her safety. Once married Susan becomes the Mistress of a household in her own right. So begins Susan’s journey as a wife, mother, Mistress of a household and partner in her husband’s printing business, bringing with it its own challenges which Susan faces with calm and grace. When Susan is arrested for treason and tortured her true strength of character shines through.
I immensely enjoyed this book and you could tell from the care that had been put into it that the author had done in depth research into the time period that the book is based. One of the reasons I asked to take part in this blog tour was because it looked and sounded different to anything I’d read before in the historical genre. The first factor that drew me to this book was that the main character was a person of colour in Tudor times. I have often wondered what roles people of black heritage would have played during Tudor times (and not just as servants) as there are very little books that I have seen that dealt with this subject so this gave me a brilliant insight. Although this is a work of fiction at times I forgot that Susan was not based on a real character and her story I can imagine is a true reflection of what a woman of black heritage may have gone through during these times. Religion and belief play a big part of the story as it would have done at this time when following your true beliefs could have led to you being arrested and punished for treason.
Another thing I liked about this book was that it wasn’t heavy to read like some historical fiction books can be so it was easy to imagine Susan’s life and everything that she went through. I also love the cover of this book which is utterly stunning.
If you enjoy historical fiction filled with secrets, mystery and intrigue this is the book you’ll want to read.
I received a gifted copy for an honest review.
I immensely enjoyed this book and you could tell from the care that had been put into it that the author had done in depth research into the time period that the book is based. One of the reasons I asked to take part in this blog tour was because it looked and sounded different to anything I’d read before in the historical genre. The first factor that drew me to this book was that the main character was a person of colour in Tudor times. I have often wondered what roles people of black heritage would have played during Tudor times (and not just as servants) as there are very little books that I have seen that dealt with this subject so this gave me a brilliant insight. Although this is a work of fiction at times I forgot that Susan was not based on a real character and her story I can imagine is a true reflection of what a woman of black heritage may have gone through during these times. Religion and belief play a big part of the story as it would have done at this time when following your true beliefs could have led to you being arrested and punished for treason.
Another thing I liked about this book was that it wasn’t heavy to read like some historical fiction books can be so it was easy to imagine Susan’s life and everything that she went through. I also love the cover of this book which is utterly stunning.
If you enjoy historical fiction filled with secrets, mystery and intrigue this is the book you’ll want to read.
I received a gifted copy for an honest review.
liesbeth's review against another edition
5.0
Written in a lush language that somehow does not get in the way of a perfectly paced thrilling plot. I enjoyed spending time with these fascinating and well-written characters in early modern London, a world which I research academically but seldom get to experience so vividly.
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