The Tower

Many authors have produced fictional portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots, but none has been quite like that provided by Flora Carr in her debut novel … Carr has taken an often overly romanticised historical figure and given her new life and originality. * The Times *Bold and intimate … it maintains a sharp immediacy in keeping with the bristling antagonisms and power plays that take place within the castle walls. – Christopher Shrimpton * The Times Literary Supplement *Richly detailed … Through her tale, Carr depicts the ways in which women can care for and exert power over one another. * The New Yorker *

Carr succeeds admirably in depicting the joylessness of Mary’s incarceration and the variousindignities to which she is subjected … Carr draws us tightly into the skulduggery of the tower, building a gripping and claustrophobic read.

– John Boyne * Irish Times *The Tower is such a vivid, visceral read, you feel you’re locked in the tower alongside the characters, acting out a royal family drama. I am moved and impressed – Tracy ChevalierAn absorbing read and an utterly believable female perspective on history. Its cocktail of tension and tenderness perfectly captures the claustrophobic world of the four women in the tower; a historical narrative with contemporary relevance – Sally HinchcliffeAn imaginative, dark gem of a novel, about women, power and fear, still, intelligent and beautifully written, yet as tense as a thriller – Neil BlackmoreThe Tower is an intimate, exquisitely told story of Mary Queen of Scots and her maids during their year of imprisonment, portraying their hopes and fears, their affections and irritations with such skill that you feel you are in the room with them. A beautiful, poignant book that draws you into the world of these women so fully that it is a wrench to leave it – Elizabeth LeeIt’s like being there! An immediate, immersive experience of sharing the year the fallen Mary Queen of Scots was held in a Scottish island castle prison with a few attendants and only her courage and charm to rescue her. Lyrical, riveting, and unforgettable – Margaret GeorgeAn unforgettable, spellbinding debut–Flora Carr’s THE TOWER offers an immersive and intimate portrait of Mary Queen of Scots and the women in her orbit, revealing their humanity beyond the stories and myths – Lindsay Lynch, bestselling author of Do Tell