Author: Lucy Worsley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: No
Brief Summary:
This fictional account of the girlhood of Queen Victoria highlights her friendship with a young (minor) noble , Miss V. Conroy. Despite being totally different in personality, the two become as close as sisters as they navigate both growing up and all of the duties and rigors that the rigid Kensington Sytem sets in place for the future Queen. What transpires will change the course of history forever.
Here is what GoodReads has to say:
My take on things:You are my sister now,' Victoria said, quietly and solemnly. 'Never forget it. I love you like a sister, and you are my only friend in all the world.' Miss V. Conroy is good at keeping secrets. She likes to sit as quiet as a mouse, neat and discreet. But when her father sends her to Kensington Palace to become the companion to Princess Victoria, Miss V soon finds that she can no longer remain in the shadows. Miss V's father has devised a strict set of rules for the young princess, which he calls the Kensington System. It governs her behaviour and keeps her locked away from the world. He says it is for the princess's safety, but Victoria herself is convinced that it is to keep her lonely, and unhappy. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing friendship with the wilful and passionate Victoria, Miss V has a decision to make: to continue in silence, or to speak out. By turns thrilling, dramatic and touching, this is the story of Queen Victoria's childhood as you've never heard it before.
I really enjoyed this one a lot. Even though the story is blatantly fictional, the author has the ability to make it believable enough that you almost wish it were true. It puts a whole different light on Queen Victoria, that’s for sure!
