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Friends,books and life - The Queen's fool by Philippa Gregory

It's quite interesting to see how people change throughout the years. The people that you thought will stick with you might end up being the ones that desert you when you need them the most. Yet, those whom you seldom contact might be the ones who are willing to help.

I was bored when I went facebook surfing, and I realised that many of my acquaintances are either in MOE or doing those OTOT jobs. It is really quite unexpected, but I guess to each their own huh. All of us have our own paths to walk, and the decisions are not forced upon us.



I am still reeling from Philippa Gregory's The Queen's Fool. I must admit that I like her historical fiction. It may not be entirely historically accurate but she is quite gifted in spinning out stories and theories.

The main lead is Hannah Green, a Jewish girl who has to hide her heritage in order to survive in a country full of heresy. She and her father are escaping from the Spanish Inquisition and looking for a better life in England and she has the gift of Sight, which allows her to predict the future. A chance encounter with Robert Dudley, a noble at the court of King Edward, takes her from her father's humble print shop to the royal palace where she becomes the Holy Fool, a trusted companion of the Tudor queen and a spy for the Dudleys. 

I like how Hannah evolves from a boyish girl into a woman; from one who does not know desire to loving a man (Daniel Carpenter) even with his faults. The story follows her life in and out of the Tudor Court, and how a seemingly innocent request can have dire consequences; how one wrong word can cost a life.

Love, seduction and plots seem to go hand in hand with the royal courts, and the change of loyalties due to events also reflects the uncertainty in the country itself. 

I would really love to read more of this kind of books ;)

The two quotes that I enjoyed~

“It is not love that matters, Mistress Boy, it is what you choose to do with it. What’d you choose to do with yours?” 

“I felt his hardness and I suddenly understood-an older girl would have understood long before-that this was the currency of desire. He was my betrothed. he desired me. I desired him. All I had to do was tell him the truth.” 

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