Louise Butler

They Called Her the Gloriana Louise Butler

Our young adults can never have too many books about strong, smart women. This is Elizabeth's story for a new generation of readers. I believe that the same young adults who inhale the sinister intrigue of The Hunger Games, the romance of the Twilight series and the magical world of Harry Potter will be equally enthused about the real-life drama of Elizabeth I. Here is a young woman who was rejected by her father, imprisoned by her sister, and made a queen by her people. She then defied every convention of her time by refusing to marry. She chose, instead, to rule as, "...both King and Queen of England." We know much about the political and religious conflicts that marked Elizabeth's reign. They Called Her the Gloriana looks at how these emotional flash points marked her life, altered her heart and shaped her thinking. Like all of us, Elizabeth was many people in one body. Like most people of historical substance, her strengths outweighed her weaknesses. She was aided by the intelligence of some people and the ignorance of others in achieving greatness. There is no question that the deaths of so many women close to her, all attributable to their surrender to influential men, both scarred and strengthened Elizabeth. Elizabeth I had many qualities we would like our daughters to have, but we would not want them acquired through so much pain. She believed in herself but lived alone. She loved life and accepted responsibility. Elizabeth earned her crown, throne and place in history, but was always thankful for her beloved English people, who she knew, gave her all three.