#1 New York Times bestselling author and queen of royal fiction ( USA Today ) Philippa Gregory brings to life the passionate, turbulent times of seventeenth-century England as seen through the eyes of the country's most famous royal gardener. John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England, but it is his clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant. As an informal confidant of Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of ...
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#1 New York Times bestselling author and queen of royal fiction ( USA Today ) Philippa Gregory brings to life the passionate, turbulent times of seventeenth-century England as seen through the eyes of the country's most famous royal gardener. John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England, but it is his clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant. As an informal confidant of Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court. Tradescant's talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life-his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country-is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love.
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Fans of 'The Other Boylen Girl' Series will be thrilled!
Spanning the time period of James I, through the Restoration, this book is a page turner!
Phillipa Gregory has always been a favorite author of mine...I read some of her books a very long time ago, and this 2 book series (the second book is Virgin Earth) are no exception!
Her books can be re-read many times, and I believe I now own just about everything she has ever written!
Highly recommended!
mawillia
Jun 12, 2009
Generally likeable.
Liked reading this book, Ms. Gregory writes with her usual attention to period details. I feel it would have been better if she had concentrated more on the historical gardening and less on the love life of John Tradescant. Historical details are good as always. Will be reading the second book of the saga "Virgin Earth" next.
