"intriguing biographical fiction"
By 1673, Sarah Jennings has no prospects, no hopes and no
future as the family of the thirteen year old has been
left impoverished like many other commoners by the Civil
War. However, an opportunity occurs when Sarah
surprisingly is chosen to be a maid of honor at the court
of Charles II. She leaps at the chance because she has an
ambition to attain entry into the highest levels of
Restoration society. She quickly becomes a favorite of
the lonely Princess Anne with her honesty and ethics in a
court filled with depravity amorality and hedonistic
decadence. She soon meets her male equivalent John
Churchill who matches her in ambition, ethics and
chutzpah. They become an entry and quickly rise in power
until they are titled the Duke and Duchess of
Marlborough. However, climbing the ladder seems easier
than maintaining their lofty status as jealousy and
backstabbing are the norm. Finally when the Stuarts are
dethroned in 1788, will they survive the bloodless
Glorious Revolution? This is an intriguing biographical fiction of ancestors of
Winston Churchill though the emphasis is more on Sarah
(duh -- the title). Sarah is a fascinating protagonist as
she swims in a sea of debauched sharks yet in spite of her
aspiration manages to remain a principled honest person
unafraid to speak the truth to anyone even the Royals.
Her Duke is her male equivalent in candor and ambition as
they make personal choices that provide for a terrific
period piece that historical fiction readers will
appreciate. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 25, 2006
SummaryBrimming with the intrigue and sensuality of one of
history's most decadent courts, Duchess brings to
vivid life the story of an unforgettable woman who
determines her own destiny—outspoken, outrageous, but
most of all true to herself.
London:1673. With her family ruined by war, penniless
thirteen-year-old Sarah Jennings is overjoyed to be chosen
as a maid of honor at the bawdy Restoration court of Charles
II. She soon wins the trust of Lady Anne of York, a lonely
princess who becomes one of her staunchest allies. And
though Sarah's beauty stirs the desires of jaded
aristocrats, she wants a grander future for herself than
that of a pampered mistress. Only one man possesses ambition
and passions that match her own: John Churchill, a dashing
young military hero. He would ask for her hand—and win
her heart for a lifetime....
But Whitehall Palace is ripe with ever-shifting alliances
and sexual scandal, and Sarah will need all her cleverness
to succeed. Titles, power, and wealth are the prizes, while
an idle whisper in the wrong ear can bring a cry of treason,
and the executioner's ax. Will Sarah's loyalties—and
her dreams—falter when a king is toppled from his
throne and a new queen crowned? And will she dare risk
everything when her one true love is tested by a passionate,
dangerous obsession?
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