My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley, narrated by Henrietta Meira
Candlewick on Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: May 8, 2018
ISBN:978-1543687385
“My Name is Victoria” follows the life of Miss V. Conroy who befriends the young princess Victoria under the stringent and ever watchful Kensington system. Through the novel, Miss V. and Princess Victoria’s relationship evolves from a early childhood to young adulthood exploring friendship, trust, betrayal, love, politics, and family ties.
The novel is a wonderfully written and well-researched historical fiction. The characters are compelling and drive the story due to their depth and multifaceted nature. Meira’s narration of this historical fiction elevates and enhances the original story through tone, accents, gender, age, and more. The real gem of Meria’s skill is the gradual and subtle evolution of the Princess Victoria from childhood to adulthood. The princess beings with a strong German accent which slowly blends and becomes an English accent through the novel. However, when Victoria becomes angry or emotional, the German accent subtlety slips out in her dialogue. Overall, Meira acting and narration are exemplary.
Readers who have enjoyed Jane Austen’s Alison Weir’s, Margaret George’s, and Worsley’s works would enjoy this book as well. For non-readers, fans of “Downton Abbey,” “The Crown,” “Young Victoria,” and “Upstairs, Downstairs” would thoroughly enjoy the characters, politics, secrecy, and romance in this book. In terms of video games, fans of the MMO “Ever, Jane” would love the opportunity to read a novel on the childhood of the future Queen Victoria.
–Brittany Garcia