Title: Duchess Author: Susan Holloway Scott
Published: August 1, 2006
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Page Count: 379
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads: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 the 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 life time
Brimming with the intrigue and sensuality of one of history's most decadent courts, Duchess brings to vivid life the story of the unforgettable woman who determined her own destiny, outspoken, outrageous, but most of all true to herself.
Sarah Churchill, the first Duchess of Marlborough, is a fascinating and important (though oft-forgotten) figure from England’s Stuart era. Duchess portrays Sarah’s rise from a low-born commoner to the most trusted adviser of a queen, after whose death she became the richest woman in England, due to her political and financial cunning. Together with her beloved husband, John Churchill, Sarah founded a long-standing legacy that has included Sir Winston Churchill and Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales.
Duchess being my second novel by Susan Holloway Scott, I had very reasonable expectations going in. The author writes quite well, and though there’s nothing remarkable in the stories she tells, her biographical novels are still pretty solid reads. Not having heard anything of Sarah Churchill before, all of this book’s content was new to me, which kept my interest high.
Sarah Churchill herself is quite the interesting figure—an entirely self-made woman who was apt to quarrel with anyone she got a chance to, who rose high only to fall, then rise again. Duchess especially highlights Sarah’s close friendship with Anne, the younger of James II’s daughters from his first marriage and future queen of England. Sarah’s devotion to Anne was commendable, and their decades-long friendship was one that was often turbulent, but usually genuine. From a historical perspective, I really enjoyed Scott’s focus on Anne, as historians generally remember her elder sister and brother-in-law, William and Mary of Orange, in a much more favorable light. Duchess, for its part, takes a fairly critical tone in dealing with the Oranges (particularly William, who is portrayed here as an overly ambitious misogynist).
Coming away from Duchess, I certainly feel that I’ve gotten a fairly good idea of Sarah Churchill and who she was. Scott doesn’t attempt to view her character through rose-tinted glasses, and instead shows that while Sarah did many great things over the course of her life, she certainly made a lot of mistakes along the way. This seemingly authentic portrayal of so interesting a figure really made this book seem worthwhile, and I certainly enjoyed the new historical knowledge I gained while reading the book. It’s nice to experience new characters and stories, rather than trodding the same ground time after time.
