The other princess : a novel of Queen Victoria's goddaughter

The other princess A novel of Queen Victoria's goddaughter

Denny S. Bryce

Book - 2023

"A stunning portrait of an African princess raised in Queen Victoria's court and adapting to life in Victorian England--based on the real-life story of a recently rediscovered historical figure, Sarah Forbes Bonetta. With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to Queen Victoria as a "gift." To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria's magnanimity. Sarah charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah n...avigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges. But embedded in Sarah's past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death. From West Africa to Windsor Castle to Sierra Leone, to St. James's Palace, and the Lagos Colony, Sarah juggles the power and pitfalls of a royal upbringing as she battles racism and systematic oppression on her way to living a life worthy of a Yoruba princess. Based on the real life of Queen Victoria's Black goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta's story is a sweeping saga of an African princess in Victorian England and West Africa, as she searches for a home, family, love, and identity"--

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Subjects
Bonetta, Sarah Forbes, > 1843?-1880 > Fiction.
Victoria, > Queen of Great Britain, > 1819-1901 > Fiction.
Biographical fiction.
Novels.
Genres
Biographical fiction
Novels
Published
New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers [2023]
Language
English
Main Author
Denny S. Bryce (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
434 pages ; 21 cm
ISBN
9780063144125
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Born with the umbilical cord around her neck, Princess Aina should expect a life of heartbreak, according to Egbado culture. Five years later, her whole family is slaughtered when a rival king attacks their town. Captured, Aina expects to be killed as a sacrifice or to be enslaved and sent to America. A twist of fate saves her, though, and she soon finds herself on a boat to England as the ward of Queen Victoria. Renamed Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Sarah enjoys the comforts of aristocratic life. But as Sarah grows up, she finds, even in her privileged position, that she is not protected from racism, sexism, and the capricious wishes of a queen. Inspired by the life of the real Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Bryce showcases the hardships of a Black woman in Victorian England. Full of rich historical details, the novel brings Africa and England vividly to life. Some stylistic choices by the author slow the pace, though readers will feel for Aina/Sarah. Overall, a worthy addition to larger historical-fiction collections.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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