Young Bess

This is a reprint; the book was originally written in 1944. Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures and I have done quite a bit of reading about her - but most of it is from the time after she ascended to the throne. It was very interesting to read a book that takes you back to the time when she was still a child. Before she became the political genius and great Queen of England. The book was easy to read and is very detailed as to its period and time. My only issue is that at time it seems that the book switches tone from historical novel to history book in trying to put forth the necessary information to move the story forward. This was, of course, a very challenging time in England's history and there was much intrigue going on as Henry VIII faded away. After his death the short reign of Edward was fraught with strife due to his guardians. Elizabeth's position was precarious and she had many lessons to learn. Yet it is often forgotten that she was still very young. The book is an excellent starting point for someone wanting to learn about Elizabeth and this period in history. It is part of a trilogy and the other books are also due to be reprinted. I will eagerly await their publication. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Young Bess.

Margaret Irwin's Young Bess introduces us to an Elizabeth rarely written about. Opening when she is twelve years old, readers meet an intelligent, strong-willed child who has been reunited with her father through the auspices of his Queen, Catherine Parr. Loving and admiring her father, Bess, like any other child has been hurt by his refusal to see her for several years, and is mistrustful of his words and actions. The constancy of her governess, Mrs. Ashley is all she has had until this marriage of her father and Catherine Parr, his sixth wife. Twice a widow, Catherine has no children of her own and the care of Bess and Edward, as well as making Mary an important member of court, brings her delight. On the death of the King, Bess is pleased to be placed in the dowager Queen's household under the guardianship of Sir Thomas Seymour, whom the Queen had married less than six months after Henry's death. Seymour uses Elizabeth's youth and proximity to play and flirt to the point that Bess must leave the household to protect her reputation. Angry and also despondent, Bess is even more upset about the news of Catherine's death in childbirth a few months later. Catherine's death leaves Seymour even more time to pursue the young princess and intrigue against his brother, Edward, Lord Protector of young King Edward. Seymour's plots are soon discovered and his treason in plotting against the king causes him to lose his head. Through all of these plots, rumors, deaths, and marriages, Young Bess keeps her own counsel. Mrs. Ashley and Catherine Parr taught her well to hold her opinions and stay out of plotting. Although she fully intends to become Queen one day, the teenage Elizabeth is smart enough to know that it will not come about through plotting against her younger brother or older sister Mary. The book ends with the pitiable death of little King Edward and the machinations of John Dudley, current Lord Protector attempting to put his own son on the thrown instead of Mary or Elizabeth. I greatly enjoyed the strong, wily and intelligent young princess presented to us by Mrs. Irwin. I think Elizabeth would have to have been that way from a very young age to have ruled so well as an adult. It also shows positive aspects of both her parents' personas in her own, without her father's rages and her mother's lack of understanding consequences. King Edward, of whom very little is known, is portrayed as pious and cold, a boy who doesn't mind being sickly and having to stay indoors as he loves to read and study theology. Her sister Mary is portrayed as mercurial, as is often the case, and definitely never actually happy, contentment being the closest she comes to happiness. Young Bess gives a great perspective on an often ignored time in the life of Queen Elizabeth I, and I eagerly await the October publication of Elizabeth: Captive Princess.

Originally published in 1944, historical novelist Margaret Irwin's Young Bess is slated for republication in early March through the Sourcebooks Landmark imprint which resurrects notable vintage titles. Having been reprinted several times since its original publication,Young Bess remains an exquisitely captivating look into the life of the young Princess Elizabeth. Since my first viewing of Cate Blanchett's moving portrayal of the young Queen in Elizabeth (2001) I have been unable to shake a growing interest in the life of this incredibly memorable woman. Young Bess gives readers an immaculate researched look into the life of this unforgettable woman from her young childhood through to the age of 19, when her brother, King Edward, died. This first installment in Irwin's trilogy focuses mainly upon Elizabeth's life between the ages of 13 and 16, highlighting the many political and romantic tensions that shaped her coming of age. From the first few pages of Young Bess it immediately becomes apparent that this is not a contemporary novel - I've never read historical fiction like this from a modern author. Readers are plunged into an intricate cast of characters from nobility through to tutors, governesses, and whipping boys. Those not intimately familiar with the time period will need some time to adjust to the cast, and indeed, a second read-through may be in order once everything is sorted from the first time through. Irwin clearly delights in the nuances of the not-yet stabilized English language of the 1500s, and is quick to include quotations from period songs, poetry, and selections of actual correspondence between the historical characters as appropriate. Though I'm no Elizabethan historican, Young Bess bears all the markings of a faithful portrayal of girl who would be queen. Irwin's desire to include the political and religious conflicts, alliances, and issues of the day also leads her to do much expository `telling' rather than the ever-vaunted `showing' that is so valued in contemporary fiction. There can be pages of these explanations, and yet, she also captures the imagination and sweeps readers into the intimate world of Elizabeth's very nature, and those whose lives most affected her own young one. With growing inclusions of explicit sensuality and occult references in general market historical fiction, some readers may be leery of the genre in general. While romantic tension (some kissing), and some small amount of period-appropriate cursing and oaths are included in the text, this is a clean but passionately written novel. Parents looking for an Elizabeth novel for their children should be aware that much of the content revolves around the budding love between the young Princess and the Lord Admiral, Tom Seymour - an older (mid-thirties to her mid-teens), and at times married man. I'm thankful to Sourcebooks Landmark for keeping Irwin's work in print; her portrayal of this complicated, old-before-her-time girl child is strikin

I found this to be a wonderful, colorful, imaginative book. The plot was terrific and the characters very well evolved. It gave a thrilling account of the famous Queen Elizabeth's life as a young girl. I would advise it for ages 10 and over.

One of the best-written and most evocative historical novels ever. I first read this when I was twelve, and it is still one of my favorite books. Due to this book, I conceived a passionate admiration for Elizabeth I which I've never lost, as well as an interest in English history that's provided years of fascinating research. (I also fell madly in love with the Lord High Admiral, but that's another story....)