HISTORICAL
FICTION
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Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
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National Gallery of Ireland Portrait of Elizabeth FitzGerald, painted
by an unknown artist, c.1575
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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The Irish Princess
by Karen Harper
Elizabeth
“Gera” Fitzgerald’s world was once full of love and happiness….
As one of the daughters of Garrett Fitzgerald, the 9th Earl of Kildare,
Gera is used to a life of luxury. Her world comes crashing down when
her father is imprisoned in the Tower of London by King Henry VIII.
Soon Gera finds herself living in England instead of her beloved
Ireland and she will have to learn to navigate through the various
intrigues of the Tudor court if she hopes to survive. Her only wish: to
see King Henry VIII dead!
THE IRISH PRINCESS is a fascinating look at Tudor history in a broader
context. Many of the current Tudor novels focus solely on King Henry
VIII’s immediate family or court but Karen Harper expands the field a
bit by showing the damage King Henry VIII’s machinations caused to
other countries. Gera is the perfect heroine for such a tale as she is
headstrong, determined, and loves her homeland of Ireland. Karen Harper
does a marvelous job at showing Gera’s anguish over her family and her
loss of her homeland. Through her eyes, we see the greed and unlimited
ambitions of the Tudor family in a much more menacing light.
One aspect I find particularly intriguing in THE IRISH PRINCESS is the
role of women during the Tudor period. Gera is stubborn and unwavering
in her wants and needs but it is only through the ties of her husbands
that she is able to fully be free. Her second husband in particular
helps her channel her energy into constructive means.
Karen Harper incorporates history and imagination into her tales to
bring history to life. Her Author’s Note at the end of the book
provides the historian with areas of the tale that are still up for
debate while providing the general reader with a sense of how she chose
to craft Gera’s tale. The insights add a further dimension to the
storyline as the reader can envision what might have been- which is
part of the joy of historical fiction- while also showing what happens
to Gera beyond the scope of THE IRISH PRINCESS.
THE IRISH PRINCESS is a stellar addition to the genre! Karen Harper
never fails to disappoint with her richly developed characters and
strong world building and THE IRISH PRINCESS shows why she is an
automatic read for me. Bravo!
Publisher: New
American Library
(February 2011)
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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