Review: In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

She's a princess whose artistic passion and political beliefs set her at odds with her mother: Queen Victoria.

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Historical Fiction

In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

Description

One of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's daughters, Princess Louise, is a young woman whose will resists the queen’s rigid rules and strict protocols for a princess. After her father’s untimely death, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control, to attend balls, or to have any kind of relationship outside the royal family. Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s disapproval by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise begins getting involved in the day’s political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen deems it time for Louise to settle down and get married.

My Thoughts

Although I didn't feel an emotional connection to Princess Louise or other characters through much of this novel, the historical setting and political tensions kept me interested enough to keep reading until I eventually became more invested in the story.

A Shadow Indeed

Now, in more than one sense, the novel is appropriately titled. In one sense in particular, Queen Victoria's way of enforcing solemnity and prolonged mourning customs over everyone in her household for years does cast a rather depressing shadow. Thankfully, after the first quarter or so of Princess Louise's story, that aspect of the shadow sees some gradual lifting.

Personal Convictions and Awakening Love

As for the princess herself, I came to admire her character with her growth into womanhood, her convictions about human lives and women's rights coming to the fore. Also, aside from the especially repetitive mentions of her key suitor's (then husband's) eye color, I enjoyed watching the love story unfold in the last third of the book.

Evident Hope

Given that the heroine here wasn't the most conventional at the time in her royal family, the kind of social progress she began to envision might not have always seemed possible. But what she came to accomplish in her lifetime must be a testament to hope she carried for change and for making a positive impact.

In the words of one of her art tutors: "Hope is where it all begins, Princess Louise."

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