Hard going and difficult to engage with the characters, quite a lot of blurring of fact and fiction.

It seemed like a never-ending book sadly.

The Girl in the Glass Tower is a literary thriller based on true historical characters, a time when women were invisible and slaves to male ambition. Lady Arbella Stuart, cousin to Queen Elizabeth and niece of Mary Queen of Scots is brought up in isolation in rural Derbyshire at Hardwick Hall, the glass tower of the title. A possible claimant to the Elizabethan throne, she is a pawn of others political intrigues but falls in love with Will Seymour, great nephew to Lady Jane Grey and they marry in secret. Arbella becomes friends with the poet Aemilia Lanyer who assists her bid for freedom. The novel is beautifully researched and a compelling read.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This turned out to be a huge book although I hardly noticed it at the time because I was so absorbed in the tale of this little known royal. Lady Arbella Stuart very nearly succeeded Elizabeth I in 1603. She was raised at Hardwicke house - an Eluzabethan building known for the vast amounts of then expensive glass it boasted in it's windows. This all sets the scene nicely for a claustrophobic and melancholy tale with a real 'princess' imprisoned in a way wven more poignant because she can see in glaring detail everything she is not permitted. As metaphors go it fits neatly. Intersecting with the main thrust of the story is that of Abi, the poetess sent in disgrace from James' court. This is a beautiful, richly layered and engaging historical novel that has managed to touch on an aspect of the Tudor-Stuart reign that few today are aware of. A beautiful book.

An introduction to the characters or perhaps a list of the characters, giving their history,at the beginning of the book would have been extremely helpful as I had no idea who I was reading about. However, I did google the characters and found that helped me enormously. I found the pace good until around the last half of the book and then I found I was skipping pages. It gathered momentum again towards the end. I loved the characterisation and felt Arbella was portrayed sympathetically as was Ami - I felt the two stories complemented each other and worked well. I also felt the ending was conclusive and as it should be. On the whole I enjoyed the book immensely but felt it was overlong and that perhaps some of Arbella's time at Hardwick could be condensed. A good read.

I can't really do a full review because I did not finish reading the book but this wasn't really my cup of tea, I put it down because I couldn't get into it

Having read about this novel just before Christmas, I've seen it mentioned in several other places since, always with the greatest admiration. I was attracted by the idea of a book set at the turn of the 17th century which focused in on more unusual characters and also promised to teach me more about the history of the period. Both Aemilia and Arbella were real women, although neither was familiar to me. I'm always keen to learn more about women who transcended or challenged the expectations of their time, and both of our protagonists fit that definition. Written with care and sensitivity, Fremantle's book brings them both back to vivid life.

The years have not been kind to Aemilia Lanyer. Back in the fading days of Elizabeth I's reign, she and her poetry were celebrated at Court; but when James I came to the throne, with his dislike of educated women, Aemilia was dispatched to a meaner existence. Now, weighed down with the debts of her dead husband, she ekes out her days in Clerkenwell with her teenage son Hal. It is Hal who offers Aemilia some unexpected distraction from her financial woes. As a young musician at Court, he happens to see the rooms of the late Arbella Stuart being cleared. Remembering that his mother once knew this unfortunate princess, he brings home a bundle of old papers destined for the fire, little realising what a treasure he has found. For this is Arbella's account of her own life: the tale of a woman who dared to dream beyond the confines in which circumstances kept her. Faced with the words of this almost-friend, a woman she never truly understood, and one whom she inadvertently betrayed, Aemilia longs to finally learn the truth about Arbella Stuart.

Fremantle's story raises sobering points about female agency and independence - or the limits thereof - in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. She is excellent at conveying Arbella's frustration at being kept as a child long beyond her time, and the ways that she misguidedly tries to take control of her situation. I'm not able to judge how historically accurate the book is, not knowing anything about either woman beyond what I read it, but I enjoyed Fremantle's historical note at the back of the book and it looks as though she's really done her research and tried to show both woman honestly. Through their eyes, we see England at a liminal period, between the waning grandeur of the Tudor age and the clumsier, ultimately tragic Stuart monarchy. Of course, our view is narrow because the two women work in very circumscribed worlds - we don't see much of the world beyond the home and the court, but that in itself says much about how women were restricted - even brilliant women like these two. Poignant and thought-provoking, it's an engaging read.

The full review will be published on Wednesday 1 March at the link below:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/03/01/the-girl-in-the-glass-tower-elizabeth-fremantle

I didn't get on well with Fremantle's first book and gave her a second chance with this one but she's clearly not a writer for me: very much in the Gregory/Weir mode of historical fiction, this is a book which views Early Modern women via a presentist lens and reconstructs their stories as chick-lit. Aemilia Lanyer is reconstructed as Ami and is given a best friend role in the life of Arbella Stuart, women who, in the social realities of the 16th/17th centuries might have had a patronage relationship but nothing more.

Clumsy writing ('the sight of him caused a flush to run up my body as if I'd been dipped in a vat of soup') and lots of 'as you know' info-dumps intrude in the story, as well as Arbella having to be told things that she can't not have known given her relationship to the throne: e.g. the moment when Penelope Rich explains that her brother, Robert Devereux, is the Earl of Essex rather than her dead father.

The less you know about this period the more this book might work: good for readers who want their history accessible and simplified.

The musing voice of the narrator is carefully done to keep our sympathies from the start with Arbella, niece of Queen Mary of Scots - although I personally did not engage with her dilemmas - I learned a great deal about this period, and about how women were thought of and how they had to put on a facade - early on one highly place lady says she must act shallow so that she will not be perceived a threat. Arbella takes many risks, dreaming of a freedom someone of her rank in that poisonous political world cannot ever have - her recklessness gets some of her serving people into trouble as she gest into trouble - inevitably falling for the wrong man. I appreciated the research and the ambition of the work; the delimitations of lives etc. Very worthy and excellently written. Aimed at people who love the Tudor genre (as it seems to be it has become).

‘Memories are like that cracked pane of glass with its subtle distortions.’

Lady Arbella Stuart is ‘The Girl in the Glass Tower’ and I picked up this book with interest: Lady Arbella Stuart had always been a shadowy figure in my reading about Tudor/Stuart history. I knew that she had been considered as a possible successor to Elizabeth I, and when I first came across her name I was convinced it had been misspelled. But I knew little about her.

First, some biography. Lady Arbella Stuart was the only child of Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox and his wife Elizabeth Cavendish. She was a grandchild of Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox and Lady Margaret Douglas, whose parents were Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England and widow of James IV of Scotland. In short, Arbella Stuart was the great-great- granddaughter of Henry VII, and was in line to the English throne. While it seems that she did not seek the throne herself, there were others keen to push her claims. Her grandmother, Elizabeth Cavendish, better known as ‘Bess of Hardwick’ was key.

In this novel, Elizabeth Fremantle brings Arbella Stuart out of the shadows. Arbella’s story is told in the past tense, in conjunction with the story of another historical figure, Aemilia Lanyer (Ami) a writer and poet whose story is told in the present. It makes for an interesting juxtaposition: Ami’s story moving back in time as Arbella’s story moves forward. The gaps in one story are filled in the other. Arbella spends much of her time with her grandmother, effectively imprisoned behind the imposing glass windows of Hardwick Hall. She is being kept safe: there is much danger in the world for those with royal blood. And living within this glasshouse, unable to take control over many aspects of her life, Arbella wishes to ride her horse Dorcas, and longs to be free.

‘You may not be Queen of England but you are queen over the realm of your body.’

The historical facts can be found readily for those in search of them, having all of the detail before reading the novel may well spoil the experience for some readers. Arbella wanted to marry, but because of her place in the succession neither Elizabeth I nor James I would agree. There were offers made for her, but they came to nothing. As Arbella grew older, she sought to control her life by controlling her body.

In this novel, her one last chance for happiness was thwarted. Ami Lanyer is part of this and, while aspects are wholly fictional, it provides an interesting dimension to Arbella’s story.

I finished this novel feeling like I had some greater sense of Arbella Stuart, but also wanting to know more about Aemilia Lanyer. I was left with a small question, though: were containers really called cartons in late 16th and early 17th century England?

Note: My thanks to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Covering the era of Elizabeth I this book focuses on the story of Lady Arbella, granddaughter of Bess of Hardwick and with a strong claim to the throne. Raised by her domineering Grandmother in Derbyshire, Arbella's fate is set to be Queen, yet, like most of the Tudor reign, plots, paranoia and politics all play their part to intervene in her destiny.

I enjoyed how the story was told on two narratives: one told in the first person via personal papers of Arbella, the other through the holder of the papers, Ami, a close ally of Arbella's in her later years.
Both characters have tragic and difficult lives, and the underlying narrative of how difficult it was being a woman during those times, despite having two consecutive female monarchs, was an interesting element not often explored in historical novels.

I'm a regular visitor to Hardwick Hall and therefore aware of Arbella's story but this novel really brought her, and Bess, to life for me and I'm looking forward to my next visit to note some of the rooms, gardens and paintings featured in this book more closely.

I recently went to Hardwick Hall and this retellibg of Arbella's story was so evocative of place and time. The reader is drawn into the cut throat world of Elizabethan England and Arbella's plight as she is groomed to be Elizabeth's successor. I loved the dual narrative and how the two stories came together. An unforgettable story and all the more sad because of the truth though hat lies behind it

Excellent historical fiction which soon draws the reader into this period in English history and its intrigue and plot.
The narrative covers two parallel stories, the first being the life of Lady Arabella Stuart who was destined to succeed Elizabeth 1 to the English throne. For her 'protection' she is taken to rural Derbyshire at Hardwick. I loved this as we used to live near Hardwick Hall and visited on many occasions, so this brought the backdrop much more realistic for me. The second story looks at Ami who has been exiled from court and whose story becomes entwined with the first. How the two narratives come together in the second half of the book is done well.
This is a well written historical fiction, even for those readers new to the genre.
I felt the overall desolation of Arabella who was technically under ' house arrest' and how awful to have so many silently plotting against her.
Elizabeth Fremantle is a master other craft and this is no exception. Arabella perhaps one of the lesser known characters from the 16 th Century, however in some ways I can see why. She isn't the most endearing of women. As I couldn't warm to her,this reduced some of the enjoyment for me, hence the 4*

I was unable to get anywhere with this book even through perseverance. It just did not grip me in the slightest.

It's a little known fact that I have a deep love for historical fiction particularly about the Tudors.



The Girl in the Glass Tower is about a little known woman of history, often referred to as the 'lost queen'. Arbelle Stuart is heir to Elizabeth Tudor's throne. Living between Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall, her grandmother Bess of Hardwick prepares her to be a Queen.

But things don't always go to plan, religious conflict is rife and not everyone is happy when Elizabeth I changes her mind and names James Stuart of Scotland her heir.



The story juxtaposes between that of Arbelle in the past and that of of Aemilia Lanyer someone Arbelle once considered a friend.

Now fallen from grace Ami has been banished from James I court and is living with her illegitimate son Hal in an unsavoury part of town. As she reads Arbelle's discovered diary she begins to recall their friendship and the events which led to her friend's death.



The stories weave well together creating a build up of suspense and intrigue. Living in Derbyshire I've always been interested in Bess of Hardwick and this was a very different perspective of her. Although not that different considering she has always been known to be ambitious.

I found the story to be very engaging and interesting, I've definitely garnered an interest in Arbelle and I'll be looking up her biography to get more information about the 'lost queen'.

If you have a love of books by authors like Philippa Gregory or just a general interest in the lost names of history, then you should definitely read this!

As Historical novels go this was really enoyable. LikabLE characters

Excellent book. Brilliant characters and really brought that era to life. I would highly recommend this book.

A beautifully written well researched book. The story of Lady Arbella Stuart is well told. It is written in such a way that I could imagine myself there. I read a lot of historical fiction and I really enjoyed this book. This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Fremantle and I definitely want to read more.

Reminding me very much of Jean Plaidy but a bit less soppy, this book easily took me to a place in Elizabethan and Stuart reigns - the descriptions of the houses, costumes etc were, to me, (not an expert I may add...) spot on. The sense of danger is definitely around in the first of the novel but I found that it was dragged out quite a lot and the main character did get on my nerves a little. I expected a bit more of an exciting climax to the book but it kind of faded into nothingness.