Discover new kitchen selections
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$3.00 with 77 percent savings
Print List Price: $13.29

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Judith Arnopp
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Winchester Goose: at the Court of Henry VIII Kindle Edition

by Judith Arnopp (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,149 ratings

'Written with passion and empathy, Arnopp’s insight and extensive, faultless research shines throughout A Song of Sixpence.'

Tudor London: 1540.

Each night, after dark, men flock to Bankside seeking girls of easy virtue; prostitutes known as The Winchester Geese.

Joanie Toogood has worked the streets of Southwark since childhood but her path is changed forever by an encounter with Francis Wareham, a spy for the King’s secretary, Thomas Cromwell.

Meanwhile, across the River, at the glittering court of Henry VIII, Wareham also sets his cap at Evelyn and Isabella Bourne, members of the Queen’s household and the girls, along with Joanie, are drawn into intrigue and the shadow of the executioner’s blade.

Set against the turmoil of Henry VIII’s middle years, The Winchester Goose provides a brand new perspective of the happenings at the royal court, offering a frank and often uncomfortable observation of life at both ends of the social spectrum.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    190 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 24, 2012
  4. File size
    771 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AD2DM4G
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 771 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 190 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,149 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Judith Arnopp

Judith Arnopp

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Judith Arnopp's novels are set during the War of the Roses and the Tudor era. They focus on women like Margaret Beaufort, Anne Neville, Elizabeth of York, Anne Boleyn, and Mary Tudor.

She has a Master's degree in medieval studies and a BA in English and creative writing from the University of Wales, making Historical Fiction the only obvious career choice.

She lives on the coast of West Wales with her husband, John, and now her family have flown the nest she writes full time from her home overlooking Cardigan Bay.

Her early books were set in the Anglo Saxon period but since switching to the Tudor era her career has flourished and she now has a substantial collection of titles in her catalogue. All books are available on Kindle and in paperback, some are on Audible.

Judith also writes non-fiction, her most recent published by Pen and Sword is a study of Tudor clothing and fashion, How to Dress Like a Tudor. Her work features in several anthologies and magazines.

You can find more information on judithmarnopp and follow her blog on juditharnoppnovelist blogspot and most social media

platforms.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,149 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this book engaging and well-written, with well-developed characters and a fast-paced narrative. Moreover, they appreciate its historical accuracy, with one customer noting its unique perspective on the period.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

55 customers mention "Story quality"46 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the story of this novel, finding it engaging and creative, with one customer noting how it brings historical events to life.

"...In general the characters were believable and likeable - but I did have an issue with Isabella and her feelings for her husband...." Read more

"All I know for sure is that you must not miss her! What s story weaver she is!..." Read more

"...The characters are well portrayed and the storyline a bit of a mystery. A easy, fast read great for an afternoon read." Read more

"...I enjoyed the beginning as well as the ending and look forward to more stories from this author." Read more

33 customers mention "Readability"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer noting it's great for an afternoon read.

"...Told in an uncompromising fashion, one that allows us to experience the lack of choice, the utter despair and injustice of women in certain..." Read more

"...Ms Arnopp does a very good job of depicting Tudor London - and in particular the infamous Southwark - painting a picture of a dirty, smelly city,..." Read more

"...The story is told by several narrators, and we first meet Joanie Toogood, the conventional 'good-hearted whore,' one of the so-called "geese"..." Read more

"...how they are both bought and sold at the folly of men, with such beauty of prose, such richness of rhetoric that you have to wonder if she writes..." Read more

19 customers mention "Character development"19 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book, with one customer noting the effective use of four different voices to tell a tale of love.

"...1540, the book uses first person and, to commence, four different voices to tell a tale of love, lust, hope, marriage, desperation, loss and tragedy...." Read more

"...In general the characters were believable and likeable - but I did have an issue with Isabella and her feelings for her husband...." Read more

"...The characters are well developed, and the relationships between them are interesting, if somewhat implausible at times...." Read more

"...The characters are well portrayed and the storyline a bit of a mystery. A easy, fast read great for an afternoon read." Read more

9 customers mention "Pacing"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, finding it fast-paced and easy to read, with one customer noting how quickly they turned the pages.

"...distinctive voice, Francis the debonair courtier is a delightful mixture of cad and earnest lover, and Isabelle provides a serious counterpoint to..." Read more

"...A easy, fast read great for an afternoon read." Read more

"...It was a fairly quick read. I finished it in a day." Read more

"I enjoyed this book immensely. Very well written and fast paced. Highly recommend to those that enjoy this time period." Read more

8 customers mention "Historical accuracy"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical accuracy of the book, with one noting its unique perspective on the period and another highlighting its educational value about the times.

"I enjoyed this story so much, as it gives a totally different perspective of everyday life during the Tudor era...." Read more

"...This entertaining, sometimes gross, account of the oldest profession and the underbelly of London during that time...." Read more

"...However, this book was such a delight and offered a unique perspective on the period. The plot was interesting and the characters warm and likeable...." Read more

"Dark, but hard to put down. New insights into the lives of folks in the Tudor age...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Karen B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, heart-wrenching historical fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book took me completely by surprise. I’m still not sure what I expected when I first started reading, but it certainly wasn’t a tale that gripped me by the scruff of the neck with one hand, and clenched my heart with the other and refused to let go.
    “Winchester Geese” was the collective name given to the prostitutes who worked in Southwark and Bankside in Medieval times, in an area or the liberty owned by the Bishop of Winchester. From these women and the places in which they lived, the bishop collected rents and hence a tidy earning. That a man of God made a living – or part of it – off women’s backs, turning a blind eye to their shocking conditions, illness, poverty, cruelty, and the enforced sexual slavery that some endured, and the brutality of their often brief lives and the lack of choice that led them to such a profession, while preaching against sin etc. was not lost on contemporaries or history. So, immediately, the title of this book intrigued me.
    Set in Tudor times, during the latter years of the reign of Henry VIII, 1540, the book uses first person and, to commence, four different voices to tell a tale of love, lust, hope, marriage, desperation, loss and tragedy. The main protagonist is Winchester Goose, Joanie Toogood (great name) who, due to the death of her parents when young, gained responsibility for her two younger siblings turning to the oldest and only profession available to her as a single woman of a certain class. Big of heart, popular among locals and with oodles of common sense, Joanie is a delight. When she falls for the rather shady but young and dashing Francis Wareham, a gentleman who seems to stumble from bad choice to poorer ones, her life changes. But so does that of two other women from a completely different class who also encounter the dashing courtier: Evelyn Bourne and her sister Isabella.
    Lovely young gentlewomen, they are brought to the Tudor court to join the maids serving Henry VIII’s new queen, Anna of Cleaves. Hoping their prospects for marriage will improve through exposure to the royal court and eligible bachelors and widowers, the young sisters could never have foreseen the way their lives were to be changed.
    All four of the main characters, Joanie, Francis, Evelyn and Isabella are given voice in this novel and such different and compelling voices they have. The common denominator in their stories is Francis. As a reader, you think you see where these women’s relationships with handsome, swaggering Francis will lead, but nothing prepares us for the brutal and heart-wrenching reality.
    Told in an uncompromising fashion, one that allows us to experience the lack of choice, the utter despair and injustice of women in certain positions during this time, the novel can make for bleak reading – only, despite the shocking events that unfold, it never falls into that dark trap, but allows hope and possibility to hover at the edges. Without sentimentality, it explores the heights and depths to which choices – good and bad – can lead, and how all it takes is one chance, one generous act of faith in fellow humans to bring about transformation.
    Evocative and moving, the period is also brutally and wonderfully drawn. I really enjoyed the fact that the court and the large figures that people in it such as King Henry, Anna, Katherine and the courtiers, were mere backdrops to a passionate and searing tale of ordinary folk.
    Readers of historical fiction, romance and just a damn fine book will love this. Looking forward to reading more of Judith Arnopp.
    15 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Anna B
    4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable excursion into the seedier sides of Tudor life
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The Winchester Goose has a number of protagonists, the most memorable being Joanie, lowborn and downtrodden as she is. Ms Arnopp does a very good job of depicting Tudor London - and in particular the infamous Southwark - painting a picture of a dirty, smelly city, complete with rats and lice, ruffians and the odd courtier.
    The central plot revolves round a dashing young man, a beautiful young girl and the young girl's less than beautiful sister. The novel also recounts the sad story of little Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's unfortunate girl queen. Flighty, somewhat silly and with no sense of propriety whatsoever, Katherine was a tragedy waiting to happen. Katherine's story is told through the eyes of Isabella, one of her waiting women (the less than beautiful sister). What I liked is how Isabella went from being rather irritated by Katherine - disliking her, even - to feeling sorry and protective towards this very young girl, shoved into prominence by her grasping uncle.
    In general the characters were believable and likeable - but I did have an issue with Isabella and her feelings for her husband. From being a loveless relationship in which Isabella does her duty, no more, it suddenly evolves into a loving union, this after more than seven months apart. Hmm.
    Despite this little irritant, the novel as a whole is a very good read. Joanie the whore has a strong, distinctive voice, Francis the debonair courtier is a delightful mixture of cad and earnest lover, and Isabelle provides a serious counterpoint to the flightiness of the other female characters which works very well.
    For anyone interested in knowing more about Tudor London this is definitely an entertaining and educational read!
    Helpful
     Report
  • Cynthia Zargarbashi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this story so much, as it gives a totally different perspective of everyday life during the Tudor era. The characters are well developed, and the relationships between them are interesting, if somewhat implausible at times. And besides, who doesn't love a happy ending?
    Helpful
     Report
  • Cariola
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fluff When I Needed Fluff
    Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I needed something a bit fluffy to read while recuperating, and this fit the bill quite well. It's a fairly impossible story, so be prepared to suspend your disbelief. The story is told by several narrators, and we first meet Joanie Toogood, the conventional 'good-hearted whore,' one of the so-called "geese" under the protection of the Bishop of Winchester. Joanie was put to the trade at the age of 12 and has raised two younger sisters since their mother died. She develops a special affinity for one of her clients, Frances Wareham, a runaway heir whose brains are obviously not in his head. For awhile, he, too, is one of the story's narrators and eventually gets recruited as a spy at the court of Henry VIII. Two other main narrators are the Bourne sisters, Eve and Isabella, daughters of a slightly down-and-out gentleman who are delighted to be called to court to serve the new queen, Anne of Cleves (and later Katherine Howard). The headstrong Eve falls for Wareham, refusing to marry the man her father has chosen--and gets the man she wants instead. She might have made a better choice, for a few days after the wedding, she finds him in her maid's lap. Her anger drives Frances away, but soon Eve ventures into London on her own to find him. Paths cross, and this is where the more unbelievable (yet still enjoyable) elements of the story start to spin out.

    The novel is fairly well written, but the characters, while generally interesting, are (as another reviewer said) rather one-dimensional. As I said, good for a lark, but it won't be at the top of my list.
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Terry Tyler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly readable Tudor romp!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's set in the era during which Henry VIII was married to Anne of Cleves, then to Katherine Howard, finishing at the time of his marriage to Catherine Parr, though royal events are but a backdrop for Judith Arnopp's main story, which is told mainly in the first person points of view of two women leading very different lives.

    Isabella Bourne was born into nobility, and, when young and unmarried, takes up a place at court, along with her sister, the vivacious Eve. She attends both queens. The other main character is Joanie Toogood, the 'Winchester Goose' of the title. This was how the prostitutes living in Southwark were known; her mother was a prostitute too, and led Joanie into the life when she was too young to protest. What the two women have in common is their association with young rogue Francis Wareham; through certain events, their lives become inextricably linked.

    I liked how Ms Arnopp placed Isabella as one of the women attending Katherine during her imprisonment, a clever idea and completely feasible; I assume those women were not named, in accounts of the time. This enabled us to see how Anne and Katherine were perceived by those around them. The descriptions of Joanie's meagre life on the other side of the river (literally and metaphorically) sat in stark comparison, though Joanie did not seem any less happy than Isabella; they're both gutsy, likable characters, and their situations give a clear illustration of the lot of women in those days.

    The story itself is inventive and unusual, and did not progress as I expected it to, at all - always a plus. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a cracking good tale set Tudor times.
    Report
  • Enid Jewell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Winchester goose
    Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This was a good book and the characters were easy to see in your imagination, well done I will have to look for more books by Judith
    Report
  • Macavity
    4.0 out of 5 stars It is an enjoyable romp which has some good characters and an engaging story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    There is much to commend in this book. It is an enjoyable romp which has some good characters and an engaging story. There are a few niggles though. We are looking at the lives of a family of prostitutes and yet none of them ever mention having been pregnant, giving birth or aborting an unwanted child. Clearly the mother of the three women, herself a career prostitute, had given birth on a number of occasions. Granted that the women in the book are malnourished and in poor health which may have affected them but methods of prevention at this time were likely to be rudimentary and inefficient. The Great Pox is also barely touched upon. Fear of contraction is mentioned once and then immediately forgotten. Given that the incidence of Syphilis in the 16th Century was very high and that lock hospitals came rather later, then we would surely have expected more mention and perhaps also seeing sufferers in the street even.There is some violence towards the women tackled but what about bawds and pimps? Even if the women were free agents, given that they are in Southwark then surely these would also have figured in their lives even if only as a nuisance? All in all niggles apart I did enjoy this book and would recommend it.
    Report
  • elaine gray
    3.0 out of 5 stars As a novel it was an interesting read,
    Reviewed in Canada on May 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    As a novel it was an interesting read, and definitely casts some light on how "ordinary people" were living at the time
    Report
  • Ickle Owl
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Winchester Goose
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The Tudors have fascinated me since I was 10 years old, on a visit to The Tower of London with my parents ( I'm now 60). Since then, I have read every book, both Fact & Fiction, I could lay my hands on, watched documentaries and films, and visited places like Hever Castle & Hampton Court in my quest to find out as much as possible about the period. When I read the synopsis for The Winchester Goose, I was fascinated by the way the author approached the subject, and by the reviews the book had received. I started reading as soon as the book downloaded, and only put my Kindle down when I absolutely had to until I had finished it. During that time, thanks to Judith's style of writing, I have walked the streets of London with Joanie & her sisters, worried Eve when she went missing, and attended Court with Isabella. I feel I have a far better understanding of the period after seeing it from outside the Court as well as within. This may be fiction, but it is incredibly well written. I really appreciate the amount of research this book must have needed, and am now very much looking forward to the next one
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report