Review: Rich with lust, danger and drama.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 28, 2012
Set within the sumptuous perils of King Henry Vlll's court and the downtrodden dangers of the bawdy houses of Old London Town, The Winchester Goose is a fascinating tale of love, betrayal, and the expectations and machinations of court life, coupled with the hand-to-mouth existence of the poor.Two gently-born young ladies, Isabella and Evelyn Bourne, become ladies-in-waiting to King Henry's new queen, Anna of Cleves. Yet courtly life is not as easy and comfortable as it might appear. Their lives and their fate become inextricably linked with one Joanie Toogood, a Winchester Goose (or prostitute) who plies her trade in the stews on the other side of London Bridge.This novel gives a fascinating insight into what life was like in Tudor times, both for the rich and the poor. Judith Arnopp's prose invokes the smell of the Thames, the cries of costermongers, and the stately strains of court music. You will also hear the thud of the headman's axe, and low whispers in dark corridors as secrets pass between court spies.If you like your historical novels rich with lust, danger and drama then I can thoroughly recommend The Winchester Goose, the latest book by historical novelist Judith Arnopp.