Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill

During the regency eras it was all about social climbing (whatever it took) and carrying on your family name through sons. This looks at climber Sarah Churchill (ancestor to Winston Churchill and Princess Diana) and choices made while serving who was eventually queen Anne.

Duchess offers a historical journey with powerful characters, page turning detail, threaded with a determination and survival. Behind the romance and excitment of court, lies a life driven by honor, loyality, and ambition. I couldn't put this one down!

Imagine being chosen at age 12 to be a maid of honor in the bawdy and tempestuous Court of King Charles II of England. Imagine leaving your mother and all you knew to live among strangers, not knowing who to trust or whether to trust anyone at all. Imagine having to make your own way and all of your decisions at such an early age. While it may be unfathomable to us today, in 1670 England this was not out of the ordinary. Sarah Jennings is overjoyed at being chosen to serve the Duchess of York, Mary Beatrice. This is an opportunity few ever see and yet she's been picked for the honor. It is a most favorable outcome for a girl from a family of little consequence and even less money. Although she may be young and inexperienced, Sarah manages to capitalize on her wit, wisdom and good looks from the start. Lady Anne, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, develops an immediate friendship with Sarah that will last the majority of their lives. The shy and retiring Lady Anne finds a friend and a champion in Sarah. Sarah possesses wisdom beyond her years when she comes to court. She is wise enough to sidestep the Court intrigues that surround her --- intrigues and assignations that other women find irresistible. She is smart enough to keep her own counsel and remain diplomatic, and wise enough to save her virtue for marriage amidst the many temptations of the Court. When Sarah meets Colonel John Churchill, she knows he is her destiny and the very reason she's been saving herself. While marriage to Colonel Churchill is a while in coming, Sarah finally wins her man. This alone is a credit to her as she brings nothing of financial value to the marriage in a time when a woman's dowry and connections are all important. Throughout the tumultuous years at Court, Sarah manages to advance herself further and further one step at a time. She receives raises in position and increases her finances. She is also a willing and effective advocate for her husband, helping him to climb the ladder of success. When at long last Lady Anne becomes Queen Anne, Sarah's years of loyalty and friendship pay off and she's well rewarded for her service. Although Sarah's life is one most of us would not prefer, it speaks volumes as to the determination and intelligence of this woman. In many ways her life is not her own as the demands of the Court always come first. She manages to exceed the accomplishments of most of the women of her day and rise to power and success. I couldn't put down DUCHESS. The portrayal of life at Court is full of the intrigue and scandal that surround any royal family, and that makes for an excellent read. I highly recommend it. --- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

As someone who slept through more history classes than I should have, I was thoroughly entertained and impressed by this author's ability to make historical complexities seem crystal clear. Pulling off this mix of great storytelling with a detailed account of the events surrounding Charles' court is, I suspect, very tough to do, because she makes it seem so easy. This is excellent stuff!

Sarah Churchill was a woman well beyond her times: shrewd, intelligent, outspoken, and charming when she needed to be. She and her husband, the military hero General John Churchill, survived and prospered for half a century in the murky, complicated royal courts of the Stuart kings and queens. By comparison the numerous ladies who crossed swords with Henry VIII were rank amateurs compared to Sarah's gift for intrigue. Scott's book is rich in both research and character. History moves at a brisk, page-turning pace, and I learned much that I didn't know. A very satisfying reading experience! As for the other commenter here who objects to the relationship between Sarah and Queen Anne: this is not fiction, but historical fact. The English court was a sophisticated place where pretty much "anything went." Any reader familiar with Sir Winston Churchill's landmark biography of his noble ancestors knows that he believed the two women were lovers, and he is frank about it. Given the family papers available to him, if he said it was so, then it must have been. I can't wait to see what this talented author does next with Lady Barbara Castlemaine. Can Samuel Pepys be far behind?

By 1673, Sarah Jennings has no prospects, no hopes and no future as the family of the thirteen year old has been left impoverished like many other commoners by the Civil War. However, an opportunity occurs when Sarah surprisingly is chosen to be a maid of honor at the court of Charles II. She leaps at the chance because she has an ambition to attain entry into the highest levels of Restoration society. She quickly becomes a favorite of the lonely Princess Anne with her honesty and ethics in a court filled with depravity amorality and hedonistic decadence. She soon meets her male equivalent John Churchill who matches her in ambition, ethics and chutzpah. They become an entry and quickly rise in power until they are titled the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. However, climbing the ladder seems easier than maintaining their lofty status as jealousy and backstabbing are the norm. Finally when the Stuarts are dethroned in 1788, will they survive the bloodless Glorious Revolution? This is an intriguing biographical fiction of ancestors of Winston Churchill though the emphasis is more on Sarah (duh - the title). Sarah is a fascinating protagonist as she swims in a sea of debauched sharks yet in spite of her aspiration manages to remain a principled honest person unafraid to speak the truth to anyone even the Royals. Her Duke is her male equivalent in candor and ambition as they make personal choices that provide for a terrific period piece that historical fiction readers will appreciate. Harriet Klausner