Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2018
384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
By turns thrilling, dramatic, and touching, this is the story of Queen Victoria's childhood as you've never heard it before.
Miss V. Conroy is good at keeping secrets. She likes to sit as quiet as a mouse, neat and discreet. But when her father sends her to Kensington Palace to become the companion to Princess Victoria, Miss V soon finds that she can no longer remain in the shadows. Her father is Sir John Conroy, confidant and financial advisor to Victoria's mother, and he has devised a strict set of rules for the young princess that he calls the Kensington System. It governs Princess Victoria's behavior and keeps her locked away from the world. Sir John says it's for the princess's safety, but Victoria herself is convinced that it's to keep her lonely and unhappy. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing friendship with the willful and passionate princess, Miss V has a decision to make: continue in silence or speak out.
In an engaging, immersive tale, Lucy Worsley spins one of England's best-known periods into a fresh and surprising story that will delight both young readers of historical fiction and fans of the television show featuring Victoria.
"Starred Review. A brilliant blend of historical fact and artistic license." - Kirkus
Worsley's expertise in the subject creates an intimate story accurate enough to feel plausible...A rich and moving historical fiction about one of England's best-known monarchs; recommended for fans of Carolyn Meyer and Michaela MacColl." - School Library Journal
"This suspenseful, entertaining tale presents a view of the young Queen Victoria as seen through the eyes of Victoria Conroy...Miss V's seven-year tenure with Victoria is marked by suspicions, tensions, revelations, and unexpected alliances; the girls' physical similarity to each other develops alongside their friendship, making for a deliciously surprising and satisfying ending. Grades 8 and up." - Publishers Weekly
This information about My Name Is Victoria was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lucy Worsley OBE is Chief Curator at the charity Historic Royal Palaces. She also presents history documentaries for the BBC. Her bestselling books include Queen Victoria; Jane Austen at Home; The Art of the English Murder; and If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home. In 2019, her BBC One program Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley won a BAFTA. She lives in England.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
