How delightful! Not exactly a history, but historical in nature. Rhys Bowen is the author of the "Royal Spyness" series, and I already knew that I like her writing and voice, and this book is just another example. This is a tale of a woman determined to make her own life her own way! Bowen creates a complex and relatable story with complete and well filled out characters. I kind of wish that it were part of a series, because I'm quite attached to both :-)