The Queen's Governess Audiobook By Karen Harper cover art

The Queen's Governess

A Novel

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The Queen's Governess

By: Karen Harper
Narrated by: Ana Clements
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If you liked Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, you'll love this brilliant historical novel by New York Times best seller Karen Harper.

Thomas Cromwell may have been known as the powerful and ambitious henchman for King Henry VIII, but the woman he installed in the king's court may have had the biggest impact on England's history....

Katherine Ashley was just the daughter of a poor country beekeeper, no matter how clever and beguiling she was. But when she catches the eye of Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII's chief minister, she finds her fortune suddenly, drastically changing. Cromwell secures Katherine a place in the king's court as the governess to and protector of Anne Boleyn's only child, Elizabeth. But her new position is not all that it seems to be. She is a governess...but also a spy, keeping tabs on the king's scandalous wife.

In the face of exile, imprisonment, assassination, and even a secret romance, Katherine will have to risk everything for Elizabeth I, one of the greatest monarchs in British history.

©2010 Karen Harper (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction
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A good story but not my favorite narrator. She didn't do each person's voices very differently.

good story

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I really enjoyed the story of Kat Ashley did not know much about her life .

great book !!!

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heavy accent at beginning was tough to understand and I nearly gave up. glad I stuck to it.

well written

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I liked every part of it. the whims of the nobles that could declare ones fate. how becoming queen could change the personality and gentleness of them.

how easily queen's were disposed of

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Even though the story is familiar. Because it's written from the point of view of Elizabeth's lady and waiting, it lends the tale another dimension. It would make a good movie!

Unique point of view of a tutor servant.

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Loved it overall. A little corny with MY GIRL statements but I understood where she was coming from. Worth the listen.

Great listen

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As a longtime reader of Philippa Gregory, this was a nice addition to my literary adventures, and having heard the stories of many of these individuals told from different points of view in other stories, I really enjoyed this alternate telling from the angle of Elizabeth’s governess. So many things line up historically, and the telling of personalities that shift based on the person recounting, the event is really interesting. For example, in Gregory‘s novel about Catherine Parr, Tom Seymour is considered to be a dashing lover, a forbidden love, they must be kept apart, how she longs for him, etc., etc. but in this variation, through the eyes of the governess working in Catharine‘s house, and trying to protect Elizabeth, he is told in a way that makes him seem like a womanizer, philanderer, and overall bad guy. I’m curious as to the truth behind what happened between Tom Seymour and Cat Ashley, if that was ever actually recorded, or if that was just the liberties of the novelist, but either way, the exercise in “there are always two sides of every story“ I found rather fascinating as a very third-party bystander. If you enjoy tutor history, definitely recommend adding this to your list.

Thorough and Interesting

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I was so excited to see this was now available on audible. I read this book years ago and loved it so much. I loved revisiting it and being able to listen to it while driving or working.

If you’re a Tudor fan this is a perfect book for you.

So good!

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Loved the story, loved the narrator. The history revealed is spellbinding and close to accurate. Proves once again, things are not so different today as they were hundreds of years ago.

Historically fascinating and intense. The lives, love, grief, death and joy reflects the lives of the past.

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Love Tudor historical fiction and haven’t seen a novel before written from the perspective of Kat Ashley. It was very enjoyable and well narrated!

Really enjoyed!

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