HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill

by Susan HOLLOWAY SCOTT, Donald HALL (Editor), David LEHMAN

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
3631370,054 (3.73)13
In the perilous world of kings and queens, one woman matches ambition with loyalty and ruthless intrigue with all-consuming passion in this gripping historical fiction novel. 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?      Brimming 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.… (more)
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 13 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
I liked it but I have read better books on Sarah Churchill. This book didn't dive enough into her true frustrations with dealing with Queen Anne and all the demands put on her and the sacrifices she made to her family - even though it was alot of self greed that led her that way. Additionally, the whole Abigail Hill and the trilogy of the three was barely mentioned. All in all a fairly quick read. ( )
  ChrisCaz | Feb 23, 2021 |
The historical fiction version of the life of Lady Diana Spencer's ancestress, Sarah Churchill. Fascinating and well written. Sarah became friends with an 8 year old Anne Stuart and they remained very close during the three decades before Anne became the queen. Infamously close. ( )
  a1stitcher | Jun 22, 2019 |
  LadyAmbrosia | Apr 18, 2013 |
A fascinating story of Sarah Jennings, who rose from obscurity to be one of the wealthiest duchesses in England and took an important role in history. Through her marriage to John Churchill, a talented soldier who became the first Duke of Marlborough, and her friendship with the future Queen Anne, Sarah occupied an important place in the political power structure of late seventeenth-century England. However, she could also push too far and I felt that the deterioration of her relationship with Anne was as much Sarah's fault as it was Anne's. This novel has certainly peaked my interest in this fascinating couple and I would now like to read more about them. ( )
  wagner.sarah35 | Aug 6, 2011 |
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a few years now, and I decided to take it with me on a short vacation. While I can't say that I was totally enthralled by it, Duchess ended up being pretty good fare for plane trips and layovers.

The novel is based on the life of Sarah Jennings, who first came to the court of Charles II as a twelve-year old when she became a maid of honor to his brother James's wife. There, she befriends the younger Princess Anne and, at 15, meets the love of her life, the soldier John Churchill. Despite their passion, both Sarah and John initially reject the idea of marriage; both are ambitious commoners who expect to make a socially and economically advantageous match. When they decide that they cannot live without one another, the couple works together to get ahead, mainly by pinning their hopes on Anne, who is third in line to the throne. They rely on Anne's obsessive love for Sarah and her promises that nothing will ever change her feelings--as well as their belief that, due to their unpopularity with the english people, her Catholic father James won't last long on the throne, nor will her sister Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange.

Scott presents a fairly interesting overview of the politics, fashions, customs, and rivalries in the late 17th-century court, and Sarah and John are fascinating figures of the day. I do have one caveat, which may not apply to most readers: I might have enjoyed the book more if I had not seen (several times) the excellent 1970s PBS series 'The First Churchills.' In many ways, I felt that I was reading a summary of the series, because nothing really new was added or further developed. I anticipated every event and plot turn (while picturing in my mind Susan Hampshire, John Neville, and Margaret Tyzak--which wasn't a bad way to read it!). So if you haven't seen the series, I'd recommend this book with a higher rating (4 stars). If you have seen 'The First Churchills,' just be prepared for a decent summary review. ( )
1 vote Cariola | Aug 2, 2011 |
Showing 1-5 of 13 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review

» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
SCOTT, Susan HOLLOWAYAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
HALL, DonaldEditormain authorall editionsconfirmed
LEHMAN, Davidmain authorall editionsconfirmed
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
It is no easy trick to overthrow the King of England.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

In the perilous world of kings and queens, one woman matches ambition with loyalty and ruthless intrigue with all-consuming passion in this gripping historical fiction novel. 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?      Brimming 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.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.73)
0.5
1
1.5
2 3
2.5 2
3 16
3.5 8
4 30
4.5 5
5 7

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 202,657,789 books! | Top bar: Always visible