The Queen's faithful companion: a novel of Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved corgi, Susan
Description
From USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight comes an endearing and vivid novel told from the unique multi-narrative viewpoints of a young Queen Elizabeth; Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs; and Susan, the Queen’s Corgi, whose love and loyalty were boundless.
A reigning queen…
Elizabeth wasn’t born to be queen. But when her uncle abdicates and her father steps in as king, everything in her life changes. There is one thing that never wavers, however: her endearing love of her Corgis—especially the new puppy Susan, a gift for her eighteenth birthday. Susan is by her side during Elizabeth’s WWII service, falling in love with Philip and getting married, the death of her father King George VI, her accession to the throne, the birth of her first child, and the early struggles with running a country—an ever-present reminder to find the balance between self and crown.
A loyal servant…
Hanna Penwyck has grown up with her family in service to the crown. Awkward and shy, she has a connection with nature, animals—and the young princesses at Windsor. When she becomes the Keeper of the Queen’s Corgis, her job is to maintain the health and wellness of those most prized companions. With their shared love of the dogs, the Queen can open up to Hanna and feel free to be herself, so that is a service she happily provides as well.
A faithful companion…
From the moment Susan became a royal dog, her duty was clear: To remind Elizabeth that she is more than just a queen, she is a human, and what matters is not just duty and honor, but connection, family, and unconditional and enduring love. Susan is the keeper of memories, of secrets. Through Susan we gain a dog’s eye view of royal life, human relationships, and the heartwarming bond between a queen and her beloved companion.
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Booklist Reviews
Knight (Can't We Be Friends, 2024, with Denny S. Bryce), a stalwart of the historical dramatization, turns her pen to the life and times of Susan the corgi, the titular faithful companion of Queen Elizabeth II and mother of all the Windsor-family corgis that came after. Basing her story on actual events and adding in a few invented characters, Knight offers glimpses of Elizabeth's life as a girl, woman, wife, mother, and queen through her own perspective, that of the character of Hanna Penwyck, the royal corgi keeper, and that of Susan herself. The story captures the most well-known moments in Elizabeth's life as they intersect with Susan, from courtship with Philip to smuggling the pup on her honeymoon to Susan's infamous footman-biting phase. In the age of Netflix's The Crown, readers may be familiar with many of the scenes here; however, Knight brings a fun, refreshing spin that is often full of adorable descriptions of puppies. This novel is a dog- and royal-lover's dream come true. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.