Maid of the King’s Court

In this YA debut, Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces in London (which manages the Tower of London and other sites) delivers a story that’s both delightfully playful and rich in historical detail. It’s 1535 England, Henry the VIII is king, and Eliza Camperdowne has just been betrothed on her 12th birthday, in order to safeguard her family’s future. When the engagement devolves into scandal, Eliza is sent to a finishing school of sorts to “learn how people behave in good society.” Later, she becomes a maid of honor in the king’s court, where she is to wait on Queen Anne herself, but she winds up outlasting Anne and Henry’s subsequent wives as well. Worsley’s accessible prose, headstrong heroine, and sense of romance may remind readers of Shannon Hale’s work. Eliza’s wit and many courtly adventures make her an engaging companion as she transforms from a naïve girl who describes the king as having “exchanged” Anne Boleyn for a new wife to one intimately involved in the machinations of the court. Ages 12–up. Agent: Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Associates. (Mar.)