this is by far my favourite philippa gregory to date. I like it even more than the other boleyn girl. I found Hannah very relatable, and the women's rights issues brought up in this novel (marriage, fidelity, promiscuity, property, etc.) made me murderous. An excellent, excellent read.

One of the best of Philippa Gregory, a story of a Spanish Jew serving in Queen Mary's court as a Fool. A very different take on Tudor England from other historical fiction books I have read.

Okay, I broke down and bought another Phillipa Gregory book. Whatever it was about The Other Boleyn Girl that kept me reading got me to buy another book. Sigh. Hopefully I won't have such a love/hate relationship with this one, but I'll be sure to keep you updated.

**UPDATE: Dammit, that was a good book. 500 pages flew by, and I didn't have that guilty hate-it-but-love-it feeling. I really just enjoyed it! Gave a much different portrayal of Queen Elizabeth than I'm used to. The complaint I have is that there were lines that seem directly taken from the movie Elizabeth (the one with Cate Blanchett). Didn't appreciate that, but I enjoyed the storyline. :)

A "seer" in the courts of both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary lives on the edge in many ways in this intriguing tale of court life.

I find the fact that Gregory dares to make Mary the sympathetic one instead of Elizabeth most fascinating!

Gregory's books impressive to say the least!

To those who say the circumstance and situation of the main characther Hanna are highly improbable...get over it people! It's Fiction!

I swear If I could eat a Phillipa Greogry novel I would. I love her work. I love the way she mixes historical fact and fiction and romance all into one yummy tasty book. This book was fascinating to me because I had never even heard of a "fool" before. I had heard of a jester, but not a fool. It was a very interesting point of view. Very unique.