ABOUT THE BOOK
Based on the true story of the free-spirited daughter of Queen Victoria.
As a young woman, Princess Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is also strong-willed and resists following the queen’s rigid rules and strict protocols for a princess.
After her father’s untimely death, Louise’s life is upended by the inconsolable grief of her mother and the rippling effect that rocks the British Empire. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control, attend balls, or have any kind of relationship outside the royal family. She is relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother—the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.
Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters without Queen Victoria’s approval, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy and resources to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.
In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of an epic battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HEATHER B. MOORE is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as in Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.
Learn more about Heather and her books at www.hbmoore.com.
Other Books by Heather B. Moore:
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Life is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?
Heather B. Moore - Since my teenage years, I’ve loved reading about monarchies. Mostly about Queen
Elizabeth I. With multiple films and publications over the past decade on Queen Victoria, I
became interested in her too, especially when I learned about the contributions by her five
daughters to women’s causes throughout Europe, as they established schools for girls, founded
charities, and championed for women’s rights and women’s health advances.
It was very intriguing to learn that Queen Victoria’s daughters also became the voice of
the Crown, and how she relied on them to serve as her private secretaries after her husband,
Prince Albert’s death. Since Queen Victoria blamed Bertie, who was her son and heir, for her
husband’s death, she kept him at arm’s length for decades.
I could have written about any of the daughters of the queen, but Princess Louise
interested me the most since she deviated from the traditional path of royals during her era by
marrying a commoner and pursuing the masculine career of a sculptor.
Life Is What It's Called - What were the historical sources that you used to research this story?
Heather B. Moore - I was fortunate to have several excellent biographies to read and guide me along the path
of research. The list is included at the back of the book. Since I don’t claim to be a historian, I
very much appreciate the methodical works of scholars and historians who’ve compiled their
research findings.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to learn from this book?
Heather B. Moore - Readers will learn about a young girl who might be part of the British Royal Family, but
her childhood is marred by her mother’s deep grieving, and severe restrictions on any social
events during her young adult years. Even though Princess Louise is the most powerful monarch
in the world, Queen Victoria is adamantly opposed to women’s rights. Princess Louise has to
find ways to support women’s causes that won’t break any political tightropes. In addition, her
choice of a spouse threatens to divide countries, pit family members against each other, and
change long established rules of Parliament. Yet, through all of her upheavals in life, in addition
severe health challenges, Princess Louise manages to push forward her passions of sculpting, and
advocate for women’s rights and girls’ education.
Life Is What It's Called - How is this book similar and different to your other books?
Heather B. Moore - This book took me by far the longest to research out of other historical novels I’ve
written, mostly because there is so much information on Queen Victoria and her family. I felt
that I needed to have a very strong foundation in order to produce an accurate rendering of
Princess Louise’s life. That said, this story and plot are not suspenseful, or categorized as a
romance, but it’s simply a story of a family who is struggling through deep grief, while at the
same time, bow under the weight of public responsibility to their country.
Life Is What It's Called - What did you learn most from writing this story?
Heather B. Moore - I sat down to watch the PBS version of Queen Victoria’s story, eager to take notes. I soon
realized that most of it was so fictional, that notes wouldn’t help me at all. Taking a deep dive
into the traditions and expectations of the royal family really gave me an appreciation for how
much I enjoy my own unencumbered and straightforward life. The weight of living under public
and political scrutiny was crushing to the members of the royal family. Their coping mechanisms
were not healthy, and it took someone with Louise’s guileless and enthusiastic personality to
break through the heavy chains of convention.
Life Is What It's Called - How does this book stand apart from other books on the market?
Heather B. Moore - I’d categorize this book as a biographical novel that’s very meticulous on the history.
Other books on the market about Princess Louise are either nonfiction biographies, or historical
novels with a healthy dose of speculation. My book doesn’t follow the speculations about
Princess Louise’s escapades, since I just couldn’t find any concrete sources to support rumors.
The book isn’t necessarily a historical romance, although we do enjoy a sweet relationship
between Princess Louise and her intended. My research took me straight through a decade of her
life, starting at age 13, right before Prince Albert dies. As a member of a very powerful, and very
complicated family, Princess Louise’s story will inspire readers to push forward through their
own difficulties.
Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on next?
Heather B. Moore - I’m currently working on a novel set during the WWII era, Pacific Rim, specifically
Indonesia. I’ve been interviewing an 86-year-old woman, Marie Vischer Elliott, who lived in a
Japanese concentration camp on Indonesia. She and her family, along with thousands of Dutch
colonists, were sent to various camps throughout the islands, and Marie is finally sharing her
story.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to know about you as an author?
Heather B. Moore - I’ve been fascinated with history since I was a kid. At the age of 7, my dad moved our
family to the Middle East. Primarily Egypt and Israel. We lived there on and off over the years,
and I eventually attended high school in Jerusalem. On weekends or holidays, we’d tour ancient
sites, and I fell in love with archaeology. This likely spring-boarded me into enjoying all kinds of
history. I find the triumphs, struggles, and challenges of those who’ve lived before us,
fascinating. I love that there aren’t answers for everything and that things have been lost to us, so
it’s interesting to set out on a quest while researching for a novel, and try to find answers.
REVIEWIn The Shadow of a Queen shares a fictionalized backstory of Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria. The novel was well-researched and well-written. You can tell the author took great lengths to get historical information as accurate as possible while also making the people come alive through the story. I felt like I could understand more the limitations and expectations placed on British royalty. The author does a good job at explaining some of the reasoning and concerns during Queen Victoria's reign. It was an easy and entertaining read. It gives you taste of a different era and lifestyle. It was interesting to see how Princess Louise was very limited in controlling her own destiny and reaching her dreams. The portrayal of Queen Victoria was interesting, and you could see how the lifestyle of a Queen is very different and how her ideas and role pushed others away from her. I've only read a non-fiction book on Queen Victoria's younger years, and it was an interesting contrast to see how the Queen developed in later years. After reading this book, I wanted to learn more on my own, which I think is a good sign with a historical fiction. A good historical fiction books gives you just enough of a taste of the history that you want to devour more and explore the time period. Overall, I think this was really well-done and historical fiction fans will enjoy this book. I would like to see the author explore more books like this and I can't wait to read her next book. To learn more, click
here.
Please note that I received a free book to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog. This post was written in cooperation with the publisher.
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