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Coronation of Glory, Deborah Meroff
Rating = A

This is the story of Lady Jane Grey, fifth in the line of succession after King Henry VIII’s death At age sixteen her cruel mother determined to make her queen by marrying King Edward III. It is the story of a young girl’s struggle to find and do the will of God, even in the face of those who would manipulate her for their own ends. This is storytelling at its best.

Most often the heroes of our day are sports stars or political figures or leaders of major movements whose external lives appear to be in order but whose internal lives are in complete disarray. Some are struggling with drug addictions, others are dealing with marital problems, while still others attempt to overcome money-management problems. Lady Jane Grey was a young adult whose internal life was grounded in the solid, unshakable rock of Jesus Christ while her external life appeared to be in shambles as she was tossed to and fro in the political turmoils of her day. She was an uncommon and unrecognized hero, but a hero nonetheless.
Lady Jane exhibited much maturity at a young age. She was a diligent student and loved to read and learn. Her tutors enjoyed teaching her and challenging her bright mind. Lady Jane used her talents and energies wisely as she studied during her youth.
Being obedient to her parents was an important priority for Lady Jane as it should be for any child. She did not obey her parents just during the times that she felt like it, but she faithfully exhibited a daily obedience toward them. Many times Lady Jane was put into situations where she was told to do things by her parents that she did not want to do. She could have easily rebelled in these instances or had a rebellious spirit, but Jane did not. She set out to obey her parents as completely as possible and with a cheerful attitude even though many of Jane’s parents’ motives were self-centered and hurtful to Jane.
During a time when there was much religious and political strife, Lady Jane recognized that true peace comes from none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Lady Jane lived to please her Lord and Savior and longed for others to come to a saving knowledge of Christ as well. Even during the last moments of her life on this earth, she sought to show the Catholic priest, sent to try and obtain a recantation from her which would have secured her release, the errors of his ways.
Written in an easy-to-read flow, this book is packed with biographical information about Lady Jane and does a good job depicting what daily life may have been like for her. Life for 16th century English royalty was uncertain. Much depended on what marital connections one made, amount of money one could amass, and size of armies one could raise. Throughout all of this, Lady Jane trusted in a sovereign God whom she knew controls all things.
A breath of fresh air in a day when autonomous thought is predominant and man is taught to do what is right in his own eyes, Coronation of Glory brings to the forefront the Biblical importance of obedience to parents and authority. Parents and children alike will find this book enjoyable to read. While learning about the life of Lady Jane Grey, readers will be challenged to live faithfully in service to the Lord Jesus on a daily basis.

Living with trials that seem monstrous and unbearable is the lot that many young people see for themselves. Many feel oppressed and wonder, at one time or another, if God cares or if He even knows about their distress.
The story of Lady Jane Grey, Coronation of Glory, relates the powerful and historical account of a princess who, as a girl, faced huge trials on a daily basis, and this for her faith in Christ. Threats and cruelty were hers not because of her own waywardness or rebellion, but because even in her youth she studied and lived her Christian faith.
Having been drawn away from the stifling, hierarchical, Romanist church and its cold form and superstition, she was eagerly learning true Reformed doctrine. At the age of sixteen, in spite of her promising heritage, she was caught up in the greed and violence of the court of Henry VIII and his conniving Tudor successors. In her seventeenth year she was forced to bare her neck to the executioner.
The queen mother was Jane’s most selfish and hateful enemy. Despising the Protestant cause and fearing God’s truth, increasingly being proclaimed by the reformers, she saw to the martyrdom of this lively and intelligent young woman.
Coronation of Glory is a story, exciting as it is true, that gives us godly perspective amid real or perceived injustice, and teaches us about important history within a compelling setting. It is an excellent book for young people and adults.

Source: Covenant Home Curriculum, Sussex, Wisconsin

Written in first person singular, Coronation of Glory is the fictionalized account of Lady Jane Grey, first cousin to King Edward VI of England, who was unwillingly thrust into a position of prominence. Her short-lived reign of nine days, wedged between the Protestant Edward and the Catholic “bloody” Mary, was a tragic one. Manipulated by greesy politicians who advanced their own ends, the child-queen was an unhappy pawn - a pawn who would have despaired had she not had faith in God.
Deborah Meroff has the ability to weave together fact and fiction and spin a good yarn. The book somewhat diminishes in literary merit, however, for two reasons. Firstly, because of an unnecessary and somewhat graphic emphasis on pre-nuptial and nuptial matters; secondly, although Jane’s approach to death and the death itself is described in a most moving manner, her growth and understanding of the Protestant faith could have been dealt with more consistently throughout the book.
Adult reading.

Source: Christian Renewal, April 26, 1999

The story of Lady Jane Grey, who lived in England from 1537 to 1554, is generally not well known. She was a play mate of King Henry VIII’s children, and she herself was fifth in the line of royal succession after Henry’s death. Unloved by her harsh mother, Jane had little contact with her family and was constantly being used to advance the family fortune. She was raised a Calvinist and was committed to the Reformation. Deborah Meroff’s novel Coronation of Glory focusses on the years 1547-1554 and provides a compassionate account of how young Jane came to be Queen of England for nine days.
To be queen for nine days would seem to be a wonderful experience: not long enough to be burdened with all the nasty politics, but just long enough to enjoy the glamour, riches, and prestige. How wrong, Jane’s coronation was the result of scheming and political intrigue by her closest family, and the end of her reign after just nine days was the result of more scheming by those very same people who would make her queen against her own wishes. For all this, Jane was made to suffer imprisonment and was eventually beheaded.
In the novel, Jane must deal with some difficult issues. When Henry VIII’s widow remarries and dies shortly after giving birth to a child, Jane struggles with God’s purpose for this death. Why did this young woman, who had such a difficult life with Henry have to die? She also struggles with discerning God’s will. How do we really know what God wants us to do in a specific circumstance? Sometimes we think that we have done God’s will, and then later we look back and discover that we were all wrong. Jane is convinced that it is God’s will that she accept the throne and only later does she realize that she should not have accepted the throne. Most readers will be able to relate to these strug gles, each with their own specific circumstances.
Deborah Meroff has written the book as a journal with first person narration. Initially, this reviewer found this somewhat of a drawback, finding it hard to relate to the main character. However, as the story progresses and Jane comes alive as the sensitive, caring girl she was, the reader is drawn into the story.
Meroff also aids the reader with a convenient list of principal characters. Those interested in understanding the Tudor dynasty will enjoy the chart at the back of the book. The book does not contain such a large number of characters, but since many characters already have or acquire titles of nobility as the novel progresses, the list of principal characters is helpful.
The novel is written as historical fiction. As such, readers should of course remember that it is fiction. But the author has certainly researched her story and has even used some source material to provide quotations and short speeches. Included in the book is a list of sources which readers could consult if they would be interested in reading biographies about Lady Jane. The quotations are in modern English and although the story is set some four hundred years ago, the characters seem real enough. This book is not a reprint of an older book.
Jane is portrayed as an earnest girl who took her studies and her faith seriously. Consequently there are several scenes which seem somewhat out of place in the novel. They describe events in the life of Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth I, and the almost adulterous actions of another character. These actions reflect another aspect of royal society, but they have a somewhat jarring effect.
Overall, Coronation of Glory is a novel of compassion and one in which faith ultimately triumphs over earthly sorrows and aspirations. Those enjoying this novel may wish to read several others novels written by Deborah Meroff.

Source: Clarion, January 21, 2000