Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Tasha Alexander
Harper, Oct 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 9780061431234
King Philip of Spain believes he is doing God’s work although he loathes cutting down trees to make the ships he needs to return Europe back to the true Catholic God; he considers his mission is to save the soul of England, his late wife’s country. With the heretic Elizabeth on the throne, he plots to replace her with her guest prisoner of twenty years, Queen Mary Stuart.
Captain Walter Raleigh has docked his ship the Tyger in London for repairs. With him are two natives from the New World, whom he hopes to introduce to the Queen. Walter wants her backing to set up a settlement at Roanoke Island in what he calls Virginia in honor of Queen Elizabeth.
As she does every Sunday, Elizabeth walks from the Presence Chamber to the Chapel Royal so that her people can see her. However, this time Walter steps out of the crowd and puts his cloak down so she would not step in a puddle. Later after rejecting her advisors latest marital scheme to prevent a French-Spanish alliance, she has her favorite lady in waiting Bess Throckmorten brings Walter to her. The Spanish ambassador Guerau calls Walter a pirate, but he mentions a colony and introduces her to his friends and tobacco. Walter has begun his efforts to obtain her Highness’ patronage even as he and Bess fall in love while Phillip launches the Armada.
This is a terrific character driven biographical fictional account of Queen Elizabeth, who comes across as a powerful queen with state and personal problems. Readers will obtain an incredible insight into the mind pf King Phillip of Spain who believes God is on his side as well as a deeper look at Raleigh than the usual romanticized popular version of a cloak dropper. The rest of the cast also is fully developed as Tasha Alexander provides a wonderful novelization of the upcoming sequel to the award winning film Elizabeth.
Harriet Klausner
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