Set in Elizabethan England, this novel tells of 16-year-old Kat, who has grown up in a country cottage under the care of a foster mother. After her death, Kat goes to London in hopes of learning her parents’ identities. There she is taken under the wing of Queen Elizabeth I, and soon a rumor swirls through court that Kat’s mother is the queen herself. The mystery of Kat’s past is intertwined with the always-involving question of whether her heart lies with one of the handsome rogues at court or with a young farmer back home. Interspersed with Kat’s first-person narration are passages from a secret journal, written years before. Though readers unfamiliar with Tudor history may find themselves lost at times, particularly in the journal entries, all becomes clear in the concluding chapters.
