Synopses & Reviews
A richly imagined, gorgeously written historical novel featuring a unique hero: Jeffrey Hudson, a dwarf tasked with spying on the beautiful but vulnerable queen
It's 1629, and King Charles I and his French queen Henrietta Maria have reigned in England for less than three years. Young dwarf Jeffrey Hudson is plunged into the Stuart court when his father sells him to the most hated man in England—the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham trains Jeffrey to be his spy in the queens household, hoping to gain intelligence that will help him undermine her influence with the king. Desperately homesick, Henrietta Maria surrounds herself with her "Royal Menagerie of Freaks and Curiosities of Nature"—a "collection" consisting of a giant, two other dwarves, a rope dancer, an acrobat/animal trainer and now Jeffrey, who is dubbed "Lord Minimus."
Dropped into this family of misfits, Jeffrey must negotiate a labyrinth of court intrigue and his own increasingly divided loyalties. For not even the plotting of the Duke nor the dangers of a tumultuous kingdom can order the heart of a man. Full of vibrant period detail and perfect for fans of Carrolly Erickson and Philippa Gregory, The Queen's Dwarf is a thrilling and evocative portrait of an intriguing era.
Review
Praise for The Queens Dwarf:
“Entertaining… a fascinating glimpse into 17th-century court life, rife with ladies in waiting who could be confidants or backstabbers; lush, wasteful banquets; and people like Jeffrey who are treated kindly but were essentially pets for royalty.” -Publishers Weekly
“Rich in detail and brimming with intriguing characters, Chases novel will please fans of historical fiction.” --Kirkus
“A tour de force on many levels… Jeffrey became a living, breathing person to me. As the story is told in the first person, we become privy to Jeffreys darkest inner monologues, his deepest wishes, his personal struggles. To his peers and the King and Queen, Jeffreys physical size says nothing of his great humanity, his courage and his ability to love… A marvelous, engrossing and highly recommended read.” -Historical Novel Society
"The Queens Dwarf is a feast for readers told by a masterful author. Ella March Chase beautifully renders myriad facets of life in seventeenth century England: the sumptuous and the gritty, the magical and the terrifying. The seemingly fantastical—yet historically accurate—collection of characters will tug at your heart." -Tahsha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of Behind the Shattered Glass
"Enthralling, unexpected, and mysterious, this vivid novel set in the rarely explored world of acrobats, mages, giants and dwarves who populated Queen Henrietta-Maria's court offers a fascinating tale of an unlikely hero and his companions' hunt for a royal assassin, even as an infamous love affair threatens to overturn the kingdom. The Queens Dwarf proves that Ms. March-Chase has a very bright future in historical fiction!" - C.W. Gortner, author of The Tudor Conspiracy
“The Queens Dwarf is a beautiful tapestry, authentic history carefully woven together with a curiously engaging story. I love the in-depth look at a rarely written about queen, and the perfect blend of beautiful language and action that compels turning of page after page. Clever bits of irony threaded throughout and a cast of fresh characters, low and nobly born, make this a delightful pleasure read.” --Sandra Byrd, bestselling author of Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I
“Masterfully written, The Queens Dwarf is hard to put down. This engrossing, atmospheric novel paints a vivid portrait of the early days of the reign of Charles the First, bringing a little-known period of English history to glorious life.” --Kate Emerson, author of Royal Inheritance
“A tour de force. To take such an unlikely hero, to surround him with a cast of freaks and yet to create with them a story of intrigue, derring-do, humanity and romance is indeed an achievement for writer Ella March Chase.” --Rhys Bowen, author of The Family Way
"This book is a banquet--Sumptuous and delicious; I devoured every word, and still wanted more. Its pint-sized hero leapt straight into my heart." --Brandy Purdy, author of The Queens Pleasure
About the Author
ELLA MARCH CHASE cannot remember a time she did not want to write historical fiction. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. She lives in a house filled with books and music and is lovingly herded by a loyal Shetland sheepdog named Oliver. Chase is the author of The Virgin Queens Daughter and Three Maids for a Crown, a story of the Grey Sisters.