Review of Tapestry of Queens, by Carol Milkuhn

A Tapestry of Queens: A Story of Scotland's Struggle for Independence by Carol Milkuhn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A Tapestry of Queens by Carol Milkuhn (Bagwyn Books, 2014) follows the story of a dressmaker to queens in the English court, as she makes her way to Scotland in service of Marie de Guise, and back to England to the house of Catherine Parr. The novel is enriched with descriptions of jeweled and embroidered gowns, cuffs, and headdresses. There are rivalries with other court dressmakers and tailors, as well as encounters with various nefarious characters such as a priest, a spy, and a corrupt Scottish lord. The main character, the mercer Cordelia, often turns up in the right place at the right time--or in the wrong place at the wrong time--overhearing key conversations and witnessing pivotal moments in British history. She plays both the role of an unseen servant and of someone whom the powerful use for their own schemes. Emblematic of the court of this unpredictable monarch, she is trailed by an entourage of characters intent on either ruining her reputation or taking her life. While I enjoyed the setting and the portraits through Cordelia’s eyes of some of the celebrated men and women of Henry VIII’s time, I found the storyline somewhat incohesive, with the sense that Cordelia was being moved like a chess piece across the playing-board of Tudor England.



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