Mary of Orange: At the Mercy of Kings

Mary of Orange: At the Mercy of Kings

In the Trailblazers Series!

If you saw a girl in tears on her wedding day and then heard that the same girl was the reluctant “second in line to the throne”, you might think she was not a strong enough individual to rule. But you’d be wrong.

Mary was a young girl born to privilege, from the Royal line, heir to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland – and destined to reign herself and change her country. She was brought up to believe in the God of the Bible rather than the fabricated teachings of priests. It was this personal faith that would be her strength as she left her homeland to marry and eventually to rule.

After a storm of tears and a rough sea crossing Mary’s marriage to her first cousin became a love match. Both husband and wife trusted God and as the wind of history blew their circumstances and their future was changed dramatically. William and Mary of Orange influenced the religious and political environment of Great Britain and subsequently other democracies in ways that can still be seen today.

Their “Glorious Revolution” resulted in one of the most important constitutional documents in English history – the Bill of Rights – where the powers of the sovereign were limited and the rights of Parliament and the rules for freedom of speech were set out; liberties that have existed for centuries but still have to be defended.

Reviews:

“Everyone loves a good story and Linda Finlayson is a very, very good story-teller. At the Mercy of Kings is about a young woman, Mary of Orange, a princess who put her faith in God and found that he kept all his promises even when her world turned upside down.” — Irene Howat, award-winning author of many of Trailblazer books for children

“Linda Finlayson has written, with her usual flair, another fascinating and gripping biography. Mary Stuart, the female half of William and Mary, was a shadowy figure of some significance in English history Her story provides helpful insights into the position of women of class in the Seventeenth Century and how Britain’s Protestant identity was maintained. Mary’s was a life early marked by tragedy and death, faced with unusual courage. This biography tells her story in a convincing and gripping style.”

— A. Donald MacLeod, Research Professor of Church History, Tyndale Theological Seminary, Toronto, Ontario

Recommended Reading Level:

Read to me: age 7-8
Read myself: age 9-14

About the Author

Linda Finlayson is a Canadian living in the Philadelphia area of the USA. She has enjoyed working with children in schools, churches and children’s clubs. Bringing together her love of books, children and history has given her the opportunity to write the adventure stories of real people. Linda is married and has one son.  She is also author of Wielding the Sword; Strength and Devotion; and Adventure and Faith.

Table of Contents

1. Taken Away
2. Dr. Lake Explains
3. A New Mother
4. The Wrong Baptism
5. Professing Faith
6. The Terrible Announcement
7. Looking for Love
8. Empty Arms
9. Finding a New Purpose
10. Political Interruptions
11. Defending the Faith
12. Warming Pans and Revolution
13. The Reluctant Queen
14. Sisters
15. Finding Peace
16. Epilogue
17. With Gratitude
18. Marriage 17th Century Style
19. Stuart Family Tree
20. Who’s Who: Sorting Out the Family Tree