Innocent Traitor

This is the story of Lady Jane Grey, the nine day queen of England. Great niece to Henry VIII, she grows up in an unloved home with constant pressure to be the smartest, prettiest, best behaved noble woman in the land.

During this time there is great upheaval in England. Henry VIII has broken with the Catholic church and formed the Church of England. His daughter from his first marriage, Mary, is an ardent Catholic and refuses to join the reformed faith. Meanwhile his son and heir, Edward VI, firmly believes the ideas of the reformed faith and during his reign, many throughout the land follow his example. Unfortunately his health fails, and those in high places who belong to the reformed faith fear for what may be in store for them when Mary comes to the crown. They hatch a plan to set up Lady Jane as Edward's successor, knowing she is a strong believer of the Protestant faith and a very intelligent young lady.

Jane does not want any of this. She is very unwilling to accept the crown, but with the pressure from not only the highest nobles of the land, but her own parents, she grudgingly becomes Queen. Quickly following the proclamation of Jane as Queen, Mary rallies her supporters and marches on London, quickly quelling the rebellion and proclaiming herself Queen. And Jane's future is very grim.

This book was very informative. I started reading it without very much knowledge about this era in history, so I learned a lot. What a scary time! There was so much upheaval, everyone wanting power and glory for themselves no matter the cost, and most of the time the cost was their death. I am continually thankful that I live now and not during that time - scary stuff. I felt very sorry for Jane, and impressed that she held firm to her faith. She did the best with what she could.

Rating: 2.5/5