The Queen's apprenticeship by Tracy Ryan

A cast list is a helpful start along with a contents page with some dates showing how the two threads of this historical novel are interleaved between 1500 and 1535. We meet Jehane, the daughter of a journeyman printer who was killed in a fire. When her mother remarries, through no fault of her own, she is compromised by her stepbrother and cast out. To survive on her own she disguises herself as a boy and as Josse, sets out to find her father’s family. The second thread, based on historical writings, is that of Marguerite de Navarre, whose ambitious mother Louise of Savoy, is determined to see her son, Marguerite's brother, François take his place as heir to the French throne. It is a story of power and ruthless ambition as the nobility jostle (and joust) for influence while living a life of luxury far removed from the common people’s struggle. Jehane’s fictional story is more relatable, following her adventures and encounters across France. Marguerite’s is more episodic, following actual historical events with a lot of detail. All this is viewed through a modern, feminist lens, asserting men’s power over women who are always victims or complicit. I would have appreciated a historical precis and a map at the start for a historical and geographical perspective.

This is the first in a series of three novels based on the Queens of Navarre and will appeal to lovers of women’s historical fiction.

Themes: Renaissance France, Women, Power.

Sue Speck