Whistlestop Book Review: "Elizabeth I" by Margaret George

Be awed by the presence of Elizabeth Tudor, the woman behind the sovereign, as you explore the humanity of the indomitable Virgin Queen of England through the pages of Elizabeth I.  Margaret George’s meticulously researched first person account of the last thirty years of the queen’s life is an enthralling breath of fresh air.

Written with a consistently regal tone, the book gives us a mirror image of Elizabeth, the woman. Glimpses into the brilliance and machinations of Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Sir Walter Raleigh abound. Skillfully woven into the book are both the human and regal facets of the queen who “ruled as much from the heart as from the head.”

We see Elizabeth’s success and love for her people. Her ability to stand for long periods of time seems a metaphor for her triumph as regent. She manages uprisings in Ireland and continued assaults from Spain. She masterfully chooses advisors for her privy council perfectly suited to their jobs. In a nation beset with famine, the queen imbues calm. In an attempt to keep the plague under control, Elizabeth closes theaters and concerts and sends provisions to survivors. We view her humbly conduct an intimate ceremony of kissing and washing the feet of her subjects on Maundy Thursday (as Jesus did with his disciples) while giving each gifts of food.

No sovereign rules without frustrations. Queen Elizabeth’s include controlling the sulking, deceitful Earl of Essex, stepson of her beloved Leicester. She juggles insufficient resources to provide food for the needy after three years of failed harvests. To provide her kingdom with funds, she must decide which jewels to pawn. She persists in dodging the matter of her successor as she nears the age of seventy, not out of a lack of responsibility but because she wants to settle it in her own way. She watches her most trusted advisors in the Privy Council die off one by one.

The novel brilliantly sheds light on the queen’s humanity without losing any reverence for her scepter. She spends hours in prayer. Called a stingy penny-pincher, Elizabeth I wore elaborate gowns and owned the finest collection of jewels in Europe.  Her brave show encouraged the nation she pulled out of poverty. Particularly touching scenes depict her feeding broth and reading the Bible to beloved advisors Walsingham and Burghley on their deathbeds. She gallops on horseback across the fields to be alone and endures hot flashes. Her favorite pastime—translating philosophy from the Latin.

George, a premier historical novelist, is known for her intense and impeccable research. Most interesting is her humble thanks to the queen in her Acknowledgements. “…the spirit of Elizabeth…hovered over the book as it was taking shape and whispered her guidance.”

Penguin Group provided the advance review copy.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont

Meet and Greet: Elizabeth Johnson

Book Giveaway Drawing!

Read the details later in this post.

Liz Johnson grew up reading Christian fiction, and always dreamed of being part of the publishing industry. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream—becoming an author. Liz makes her home in Nashville , TN , where she enjoys theater, exploring the local music scene, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her two nephews and three nieces.

BRC: Welcome to Book Readers Central.

I’m thrilled to have been invited to Book Readers Central to talk about my writing and my most recent book, Code of Justice.

BRC: What type of books do you write?

So far, I’ve published three romantic suspense novels, but I’m open to writing any love stories. I’ve put together some contemporary romance stories, and even an historical romance. I just love love!

BRC: Tell us, why do you write?

I’ve always had ideas, stories and characters who just want me to tell their tale. But it’s not that easy. Writing takes a lot of hard work, so what keeps me writing is believing that God has given me a talent for writing. In the New Testament Jesus tells a parable of a man who takes what he’s been given and buries it. In the end what he was given is taken away. But in that same story, Jesus speaks of a man who is given many talents and puts them use. His talents are multiplied. I’d rather be the latter, so it keeps me working on my writing, continuing to improve.

BRC: You have a good attitude. 

How would you describe your newest release?

Code of Justice is a story of a sister’s love. FBI agent Heather Sloan is broken when her sister Kit dies in a helicopter crash, and Heather vows to figure out who’s responsible. Her love for her sister leaves Heather willing to risk her own life to find the killer. But that drive also risks her budding romance with sheriff’s deputy Jeremy Latham, who’s assigned to investigate the crash. Heather must discover if justice and mercy can go hand in hand.

BRC:What do you hope the reader takes away after reading it?

I hope that the readers take away a reminder that we can trust God to be just in every situation. When we love mercy and put our trust in God, we free ourselves from the prison of hate and vengeance and open ourselves to the amazing things that God has in store for us.

BRC:Which is your favorite character from your book?

I love Heather, who I first introduced in my second book, but I think that Kit may be my favorite character. She doesn’t live far past the first page, but her fingerprint is all through this story. Who she is is a direct reflection on how Heather reacts to losing her.

BRC:Do you have a funny or touching story that relates to your book?

I’m not sure I have a funny or touching story, but I am very thankful for the reminder that writing this book brought me. Sometimes it’s easy to take my amazing family for granted, especially my sister. Writing this book reminded me of how special our bond is and how much I appreciate and love being her sister. I was reminded to tell her that every chance I get. This book is incredibly special to me for just that reason.

BRC:Tell us about your writing process.

Every one of my books has started with a simple idea sparked by a trip I’ve taken or a map I saw or something like that. And from that comes a question. What if. What if there was a girl who did this? What if there was a guy who did that? Then I build on that. I start to flesh out the ideas, writing a several-page summary. At some point in this process, I begin to really get to know my characters, including finding pictures of people who look like them. This helps me keep the characters in mind, figuring out their motivations and goals. When I have the summary and characters figured out, I divide it up by chapters and begin writing. When I finish the first draft, there’s lots of editing to be done, and I’m very thankful to have a great editor.

BRC:What will you write next?

My next book is a novella called A Star in the Night, which is part of A Log Cabin Christmas Collection, releasing from Barbour in September. It’s an historical romance set near Franklin, TN at the end of the Civil War. All the stories in this collection are set in log cabins at Christmas-time. After that I’ll be working on more romantic suspense novels as well as a contemporary romance.

BRC:Which books do you recommend to readers?

I recommend books that I love! For humor I recommend Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. For overall uniqueness, I always recommend The Princess Bride, which is one of the most original novels I’ve ever read. It’s so smart! For YA, I recommend nearly anything by Meg Cabot, who’s written across genres but maintains really amazing characters.

BRC:Where can readers find you online?

I blog at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com. I’m also on twitter @lizjohnsonbooks. I love hearing from readers, so stop by any time.

Book Giveaway Drawing: Elizabeth Johnson will give away a free copy of Code of Justice to a reader of this blog. To enter, leave a comment to this post. If you are a follower of Book Readers Central and tell me so in a separate comment, I'll give you an extra chance to win. 

Please include a valid email address in an anti-spam format (example: youremailhandle[at]gmail[dot]com]) or your entry will become invalid. Entries will be accepted until this Friday at midnight (Pacific Time/US).

I'll announce the winner on Book Readers Central on Saturday. The winner must respond within two weeks of notification. Detailed rules of giveaways on Book Reader's Central are located in the footer of this blog.

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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