The Queen’s Faithful Companion by Eliza Knight (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of The Queen’s Faithful Companion by Eliza Knight.

What is your favorite book featuring dogs?  I have so many favorites.  One favorite is The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.

The Queen’s Faithful Companion by Eliza Knight is the story of the extraordinary relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and her faithful corgi, Susan.  Susan was a gift from her father, King George VI, on her 18^th birthday.  Susan is with her through her service in WWII, courtship and marriage to Philip, the birth of her first child Charles, and her accension to the throne.  She couldn’t care for her dogs and be Queen without her loyal helpers.  Hanna Penwyck helps to care for Susan when she isn’t with the Queen and has her own ups and downs in life. 

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I really enjoyed the three different viewpoints of this novel – Queen Elizbeth, Susan, and Hanna Penwyck.  It was interesting to contrast and compare Elizabeth and Hanna’s lives.  They were in the same girl guide troop at Windsor as children, but now lead different, but interconnected lives.

·       I thought this was an interesting and unique way to tell the story of Queen Elizabeth’s younger years and Great Britain during that time period.

·       I love dogs and this made me think about whether a corgi would be right for me in the future.  Daisy Beagle says no.  I enjoyed that Susan the corgi had her own viewpoint.  It was also interesting thinking through what life would be like for a royal dog.

·       I was very stressed out with work and getting ready for my oldest son’s graduation party when I was reading this book.  I found this book to be stress-relieving and a pleasant diversion.  It is a great cozy read.

·       I enjoyed the romance between Philip and Elizabeth.

·       I always enjoy a good author’s note.  In this novel, it discusses the writing process in creating this work of historical fiction as well the real person that Hanna was based upon. 

·       It’s interesting to think that Susan was the matriarch of such a long line of royal corgis – 14 generations.

·       Favorite Quote, “Dogs truly are our soulmates, our protectors in things that might harm us from the outside as much as things that harmed us from within.”

Overall, The Queen’s Faithful Companion by Elizia Knight is a wonderful cozy historical fiction read perfect for dog lovers.