The Irish Princess

Harper (Mistress Shakespeare) is in fine form, using strong-willed Irish noblewoman Elizabeth Fitzgerald, known to history as the Fair Geraldine, to explore the court of the aging Henry VIII and the brutal political struggles of the time. Raised in a family at the center of the struggle for Irish home rule, young Gera flees to England as most of her relatives are imprisoned or executed. Entering court politics first as a lady-in-waiting to Henry's doomed fifth queen and later wife to highly placed courtier Sir Anthony Browne, her desire for revenge and the reinstatement of her family is balanced by respect for the disinherited princesses Mary and Elizabeth, care for her husband's position, and her secret attraction to seagoing nobleman Edward Clinton. Tudor fans will enjoy this skillfully fleshed-out tale of an adventurous young woman coming-of-age inside a court constantly on edge. (Feb.)