In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

 In the Shadow of a Queen is a fascinating fictionalized historical fiction with sides of complicated family drama and a hard-fought-for romance.

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Biographical Fiction, Royal Family, England

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My Summary of In the Shadow of a Queen:

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore. Thank you #NetGalley @ShadowMountn @AustenProse #AustenProsePR for a complimentary e ARC of #InTheShadowOfAQueen upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Louise is Queen Victoria’s daughter and after the death of her father (Prince Albert), Louise (and the family) suffers from her mother’s intense and prolonged period of mourning. Eventually, Louise becomes her mother’s personal secretary following in the tradition of each of her sisters before her. The Queen is a controlling person in an era where parents already exert high control over their children’s lives. You can imagine how controlling the Queen is considering her position and naturally controlling nature. Of course, she would have a free-spirited and determined daughter who exerts her own will in her artistic abilities, political opinions, education, and romance.

My Thoughts:

How do you think it would feel to grow up in the Royal Family or in the shadow of a famous family member?

A Modern Girl

Louise is a modern girl for her time. As an artist, she decides to pursue sculpting (which is considered unsuitable for a woman). In addition, Louise supports the suffragette movement and believes that women should be able to be doctors. It’s becoming more and more difficult for the Queen to find Louise a suitable match, one who will understand her free-spirited daughter. Louise is strong-willed and determined and manages to follow her heart.

The Heart of the Story

At the heart of this story is a mother and daughter battle of wills. Louise is determined to embrace modern thinking about art and women’s rights and to follow her dreams. The Queen is concerned about the Crown’s reputation and finding the right match. Louise isn’t all defiance. She does her part in holding the family together after her father’s death and fulfills the role of her mother’s personal secretary. For all of Louise’s determination to live her own life, she considers her mother’s opinions and honors her to the best of her ability. The Queen is not indifferent to the romantic desires of her daughter and works with her to find a good match. (Although showing up at the honeymoon wasn’t a smooth move!). John, the potential groom, understands Louise and supports her interests and causes.

Likable Character

Louise is a likable and dynamic character who manages to live quite well in a complex family and fulfill her responsibilities while pursuing her own interests at the same time. She is cunning in the way she goes about getting her way (especially in sculpting) and respectful and compliant while she forms her own opinions about women, medicine, education, and art. I felt sorry for Louise and her sad childhood situation that involves being raised by nannies and having a mother in deep mourning.

Google

Because reading about a real person always sends me down a Google rabbit hole, I was disheartened to read the rumors that her marriage might have been one of convenience after the initial romance faded. This is not addressed by the author. Fun Fact: Louise sculpted the statue of Queen Victoria outside Kensington Palace. Have you seen it in person?

Recommending In the Shadow of a Queen

Readers who are intrigued with the Royal Family will enjoy this well-researched and well-written fictionalized biography. Fans of strong, determined, and independent women will appreciate the mother/daughter content, and artists might enjoy the sculpture aspects. There’s a lot to love in this heartfelt story and it would make a good book club selection.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

More Information Here

Meet the Author of In the Shadow of a Queen, Heather B. Moore

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QOTD:

Do you love fictionalized biographies or do you prefer nonfiction?
Do you love stories about the Royal Family?

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