January 29, 2024
Carr’s lush debut chronicles the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), following a coup by rebel lords. Recently married to her third husband and several months pregnant after he raped her, Mary is rowed from Edinburgh to Lockleven in 1567 to be held in a castle belonging to her father’s mistress. At her side are two chambermaids: Jane, a native of Scotland, and Cuckoo, who, like Mary, is originally from France. The two women are devoted to their queen and attempt to lighten her spirits through the first difficult months of her imprisonment, including her miscarriage, forced abdication, and severe illness. Tension mounts with the arrival of Lady Seton, Mary’s closest friend, as the three women vie for the queen’s devotion. Further drama ensues after Cuckoo has sex with a lute player and the women smuggle him out of their chamber by dressing him in women’s clothes, an act of subterfuge that inspires Mary’s climactic escape. Adding to the gripping plot is Carr’s successful portrayal of the women’s shared determination—driven by “memories as though they are prayers”—to recapture the kingdom. It amounts to a rousing and lyrical epic. Agent: Rebecca Wearmouth, Peters Fraser & Dunlop.
May 31, 2024
Mary, Queen of Scots, is captured by Scottish rebel lords in 1567. For 11 months, she is held in Lochleven Castle, a stone island fortress. Mary is heavily pregnant and has two serving girls to attend her. The women are under constant surveillance, and Mary is bullied until she abdicates her throne in favor of her infant son, James, who has also been taken into custody. She is then forced to name a regent to act in her son's place until he is old enough to rule. Meanwhile, the stress of the ordeal causes her to miscarry. Once she has recovered, the ladies plot a perilous escape, relying on those whose loyalty could change at any moment. Carr's debut novel lays bare the grittiness of the era, where even a queen must endure filthy, vermin-infested conditions. Narrator Kristin Atherton provides an amazing range of accents, from English to Scots to French. Her skillful performance highlights the women's tension and fear as well as their courage, loyalty, and love. VERDICT A gripping and emotionally rich depiction of the 16th-century imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots. Fans of Scottish royal history won't want to miss this.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
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