The King's Confidante: The Story of the Daughter of Sir Thomas More

This is more the story of Thomas More than the story of his daughter, even though she played a huge part in his life. Thomas More was a behind the scenes man who was forced to go on stage even when he hated it. Plaidy, as usual, tells this story in such a manner that you feel for the people in the story. More just wants to lead a religious life and raise a good family. He looks out for them as best he can, without all the glitz and glam everyone else of the time seems to feel is so important. But because he's brilliant is forced, time and time again, to go to court and serve King Henry VIII, a man More knew was dangerous, but could find no true way to back away. He was between a rock and a hard place. But don't let his saintliness fool you. Plaidy does slip in some instances where you have to wonder if he was always looking for God. I'm not trying to downplay the man, but he was human and not at all perfect. I did like that she showed a different side of English life in the 16th century. Many of her books are focused on court life and this one is decidedly different in that it's not always about court life, but about the middle class of England. I did like that you were introduced to a different set of characters than was usual for her. Overall this is another Plaidy book not to be missed.

This is the story of the daughter of Sir Thomas More, a scholarly lawyer who rose to fame and fortune as the confidante and advisor to King Henry VIII. Chancellor of England, Sir Thomas More was a devoted family man, and the apple of his eye was his eldest daughter, Margaret, whom he fondly called Meg. The More family was a happy one, and Meg was devoted to her father. Sir Thomas More, contrary to popular belief at the time, thought that women should be given an education equal to that given men. Consequently, the intelligent and precocious Meg became an erudite scholar. She was everything Sir Thomas More could have hoped for in a daughter. The focus of the book is not the Court of King Henry but, rather, the home life of the More family and the ways in which they spent their days, shadowed only by the tempest caused by the King's desire to rid himself of his lawful wife in order to marry the notorious Anne Boleyn. This is an interesting departure for the author, whose books often focus on court life. This birds-eye view into a non-royal family in Tudor England is sure to capture the imagination of the author's many fans.

Excellent book all around! This was my first time reading Jean Plaidy and I look forward to reading many more. This was such an intruguing story that your attention is captured from start to finish.

I agree 100% with the previous reviewer. This is one of Plaidy's best books, a wonderful albeit somewhat fictionalized account of the life of Sir Thomas More. It delves beyond his association with Henry VIII and tells the story of how Thomas rose from an obscure lawyer to King's councillor then Chancellor of England and matyr to his conscience. But throughout his rise and fall, the center of his world is really his love of learning and his family - particularly his eldest daughter, Margaret More Roper. She is the daughter in question and it's through her eyes, as well as Sir Thomas' that this incredible story is told.

This was a pleasure to read about Sir Thomas More, a notable figure among the prolific Tudor court of Henry VIII. Thomas More was a brilliant scholar and wrote "Utopia." You can't read a Henry VIII book and not have mention of the infamous Thomas More. Yet, we never get to see him in a personal tone until you read "St. Thomas's Eve" by Jean Plaidy. This novel does not focus on Henry VIII, it follows Thomas More's personal life as he marries, has children, remarries and becomes a grandfather. His star rises in the courts, albeit unwillingly, because of his talented way with words, and as a lawyer King Henry enjoys his unique intellect. Thomas is portrayed as very religious and honest to a fault. He opened his home to others, housing an orphan and then a step-child, and taught several gentlemen on site as well. There were several poignant scenes that I enjoyed that involved More's children. The novel features all of them quite well: the eldest Meg, Mercy Gigs (the orphan), Elizabeth, Cecily, Jack and the step-daughter Alice Middleton (Ailie). The story is about how this quaint little family evolves and grows, and even when the girls marry they all live under one family roof. There is emphasis placed on the bond between Thomas and his eldest daughter, Meg, who becomes a Mrs. Meg Roper. There are a few introductions to some of the other notable figures of the times, such as Erasmus, Hans Holbein, the Howards of Norfolk and the Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and many of the other names are mentioned in passing in a gossiping nature. We hear about the problems with Catherine of Aragon to the "Frenchified" and deformed Anne Boleyn and "The King's Secret Matter". Plaidy seemed to be on a mission to make the novel not read like a book of the Court Life, but truly focused on the travails of this family who struggled to control the way the vengeful court affected it. The More family wanted for nothing but each other and the freedom of learning. Thomas More did not want to be a courtier but you cannot say no to a King. As the children grew, Thomas was away more and more at the beck and call of the King. His children had their premonitions that all would not be grand for long, one false step and tragedy would be theirs. Once things were set in motion in Henry's love life, Thomas disapproved. He tried to step away, but the King did not want any of his towns people to flock to More's views. All Thomas had to do was to acknowledge King Henry as the Head of the Church, after the break with Rome due to the Pope's not allowing the divorce of Catherine and Henry. Thomas stayed fast to his virtue, would not sign the Act of Supremacy, and also would not condone the marriage of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Plaidy successfully demonstrates the sadness the family feels when they realize that the humble happiness that they crave will not come to fruition. Although history tells us what fate befell Thomas More, I was still emotional as Plaidy spelled it out for me. The love t