March 2010

Author/s: Marie-Louise Jensen
Publisher: Oxford University Press UK
Reviewed by: Ashley Rose-Innes, Age 14
ISBN 13: 9780192755315

This captivating story about a girl, mistress Eleanor, who is determined to free her mother, Lady Elizabeth, who is held captive in a tower. She was accused of witchcraft. Eleanor tries several times to free her mother as she believes that she is innocent, but fails.

She also wants to flee because she is betrothed to what she calls a monster. When she eventually does succeed in rescuing her mother and freeing herself from her father’s tight, unpredictable and abusive grasp, they ride to met her Aunt, Lady Jane, in Bath. Lord Walter, Eleanor’s father discovers that they are in Bath and comes to find them. For their safety, they decide to split up. Lady Elizabeth goes with a man she use to love but was betrothed to Walter, they go and live in his house and Eleanor goes and lives with her aunt in London. Eleanor’s betrothal, Lord Stanton, helps them in Bath by paying for their stay; however, Eleanor still wishes she wasn’t betrothed to him and ask to not marry him. He loves her but goes anyway. Then one day they met again in London while at the execution of her father, Lord Walter. Despite all that he has done to Eleanor she still finds it incredibly hard to accept that he is gone for good. Eleanor’s mother sends a letter to her stating that she shall be married in a month to Lord Thomas, the gentleman she met in Bath. Eleanor is told to leave her aunts house and to go and live with her mother. She goes to see Lord Stanton one last time and realizes that she really does love him. They decide to get married.

I thought that this book had an interesting plot that made you want to read on. I found it interesting how the author wove real historical events into her on story. I liked Eleanor’s strong will to save and protect her mother. I felt that the “old English” was sometimes hard to understand but I really enjoyed the book and would recommend this book to other teenagers.

Link to online catalogue
Lady in the Tower