The Queen's Faithful Companion: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II and Her Beloved Corgi, Susan by Eliza Knight
Published June 11, 2024 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Fiction
Taken from Goodreads: From USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight comes an endearing and vivid novel told from the unique multi-narrative viewpoints of a young Queen Elizabeth; Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs; and Susan, the Queen’s Corgi, whose love and loyalty were boundless.
A reigning queen…
Elizabeth wasn’t born to be queen. But when her uncle abdicates and her father steps in as king, everything in her life changes. There is one thing that never wavers, however: her endearing love of her Corgis—especially the new puppy Susan, a gift for her eighteenth birthday. Susan is by her side during Elizabeth’s WWII service, falling in love with Philip and getting married, the death of her father King George VI, her accession to the throne, the birth of her first child, and the early struggles with running a country—an ever-present reminder to find the balance between self and crown.
A loyal servant…
Hanna Penwyck has grown up with her family in service to the crown. Awkward and shy, she has a connection with nature, animals—and the young princesses at Windsor. When she becomes the Keeper of the Queen’s Corgis, her job is to maintain the health and wellness of those most prized companions. With their shared love of the dogs, the Queen can open up to Hanna and feel free to be herself, so that is a service she happily provides as well.
A faithful companion…
From the moment Susan became a royal dog, her duty was clear: To remind Elizabeth that she is more than just a queen, she is a human, and what matters is not just duty and honor, but connection, family, and unconditional and enduring love. Susan is the keeper of memories, of secrets. Through Susan we gain a dog’s eye view of royal life, human relationships, and the heartwarming bond between a queen and her beloved companion.
My Thoughts: I learned so much about dogs and their relationships with their owners from this book. Elizabeth has such a tight relationship with Susan, her corgi. That relationship starts from their first meeting and just gets stronger as they both get older.
I love Susan’s chapters. She talks about what she hears, what she sees, and what she feels giving the reader a dog’s perspective on life with Queen Elizabeth. She also tells the reader why she acts how she does, which gives a unique look at why dogs may bite.
Eliza Knight told the story of one of the most well known queens and brought her to the common people with the tale of her dog and how she made her life pet friendly. I love that she realizes that having a pet is a responsibility and she makes her schedule work for her to spend time with Susan. It was never a secret how important her corgi’s are to her. She always had a corgi at her side.
Thank you William Morrows Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
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Meet Eliza Knight (taken from her website): Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author.
Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles and ran through the fields in Southern France. She can still remember standing before the great golden palace, and imagining what life must have been like. Join Eliza (sometimes as E.) on riveting historical journeys that cross landscapes around the world.
While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends.
She is the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed and a co-host on the History, Books and Wine podcast.
She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses, two very naughty Newfies, and a turtle named Fish.
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