Scan barcode
A review by wordsofclover
A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In the court of King James 1, Anne Turner is told to befriend the young Frances Howard to needs help styling herself in a court that knows how much her husband despises her and her family. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, Frances latches onto the older, wiser Anne, and the two become fierce friends, sticking to each other during grief, annulments and poverty. As Anne uses Frances's connections to help keep her family afloat, Frances uses Anne as a confidante which eventually leads to a true scandal when they are accused of murder.
I enjoyed this historical fiction book set in a court that I have yet to read a lot of books from. While I've read books focusing on the witchcraft trials during James's reign, this is one of the first I've read set within his court and with characters who lived very closely with him. It was fun to learn more about the king's 'favourites' and reading more that it appears he was most likely bisexual and took lovers of both genders.
There was a strong strand of female friendship in this book, not only between Frances and Anne but also Anne and Mistress Bowdery. How people lived in the court such as the wealthy spending money the didn't have and living in debt because that's how the King liked it to be (and therefore these people not being able to pay the lower classes for work done like Frances and Richard Weston).
This book felt well written and really well researched and I'd like to read more from Lucy Jago. I didn't know anything about this true murder scandal before, and it was fun to learn about all the things leading up to it even if it had a tragic ending. I thought the epilogue between the daughters was also really well and touching, and it was nice that a story of female friendship still ended with the blossoming of a new one.
I enjoyed this historical fiction book set in a court that I have yet to read a lot of books from. While I've read books focusing on the witchcraft trials during James's reign, this is one of the first I've read set within his court and with characters who lived very closely with him. It was fun to learn more about the king's 'favourites' and reading more that it appears he was most likely bisexual and took lovers of both genders.
There was a strong strand of female friendship in this book, not only between Frances and Anne but also Anne and Mistress Bowdery. How people lived in the court such as the wealthy spending money the didn't have and living in debt because that's how the King liked it to be (and therefore these people not being able to pay the lower classes for work done like Frances and Richard Weston).
This book felt well written and really well researched and I'd like to read more from Lucy Jago. I didn't know anything about this true murder scandal before, and it was fun to learn about all the things leading up to it even if it had a tragic ending. I thought the epilogue between the daughters was also really well and touching, and it was nice that a story of female friendship still ended with the blossoming of a new one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death