This is a wonderfully evocative novel, exploring the life of the famed Mary Queen of Scots...Nathan, a pedlar and seller of embroidery threads, first sets his eyes on the queen as an infant being crowned at Stirling Castle. He follows her life, being one of the many who are drawn to her, and becomes more closely involved in her life than a mere pedlar could possibly imagine...Elisabeth McNeill has woven together an intricate tale, revealing the queen to be a complex character and not just the tragic martyr portrayed in the history books.