There's a wonderful supporting cast too, with Eleanor's father mirroring King Henry VIII in his taking and tiring of wives and wishing to move on to the next. The King himself makes a cameo appearance and so well is he portrayed that I didn't just feel that I could see him – I was sure that I could smell him. The story is backed by meticulous research, so there's a real flavour of the times without a feeling that the reader is being force-fed history. There's a slightly gruesome telling of an execution but it's necessary to the story and not overdone.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of Jensen's [[The Girl In The Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen|The Girl In The Mask]].For another story with a strong historical background , we can recommend [[Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland]].
{{toptentext|list=Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2009}}