A fairly engrossing story set in Elizabethan England, one of those stories with gritty details about everyday life as well as plenty of descriptions of fashion and embroidery. There's a bit of a mystery to the story, as Kat attempts to find her true parents and, she imagines, her real place in the world. The truth is revealed gradually, both through what Kat uncovers as well as through excerpts from her adopted mother's journal, which makes the story something of a page turner but also means you know the truth long before Kat, having had access to that extra information.

The setting is fairly limited - a bit of time spent in the village where Kat grew up, followed by time at Elizabeth's court. Once she gets to court, and is given a place due to her skill at embroidery, Kat rarely leaves the fairly small realm of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting. There's the occasional trip to wear the wardrobe is stored - and the descriptions of the dresses are vivid enough to delight anyone with an interest in period clothing - but having so many scenes set in and around Elizabeth's private rooms gives the whole story an interesting sense of claustrophobia. It's not a big, sweeping novel that gives you a sense of the Elizabethan world - instead it focuses more on a few characters and their lives, with history as a backdrop.