London, 1657.
The youngest daughter of Oliver Cromwell, 18-year-old Frances, is finding her place at England’s new centre of power.
Following the turmoil of Civil War, a fragile sense of stability has returned to the country.
Her father has risen to the unprecedented position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, and Frances has found herself transported from her humble childhood home to the sumptuous palaces of Hampton Court and Whitehall, where she dreams of a love match that must surely be found at court.
But after an assassination attempt on the Cromwell family, Frances realises the precarious danger of her position – and when her father is officially offered the crown, Frances’s fate suddenly assumes diplomatic and dynastic importance.
Will she become a political pawn, or can Frances use her new status to seize control and further her own ambitions?
The Puritan Princess by Miranda Malins is published on 2 April, 2020.
Miranda writes about Frances Cromwell for Historia, and about turning academic research into historical fiction; an experience she found both challenging and inspiring.
