The hottest TV show of the summer is based on a book: “My Lady Jane”

I’m lucky enough to work with some of the smartest and most informed people, and so I’m constantly filling my Zara cart, my Trader Joe’s list, and my Netflix queue with their recommendations. One recent pick that caught my eye was a review by My Lady Jane– an exciting new Amazon Prime series – from Rachel Bowie, Senior Director of Special Projects and Royals. The series follows the tragic life of Lady Jane Grey, best known as England’s nine-day queen. And here’s the best part: It is based on the 2016 bestseller of the same name by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows.

Background: Lady Jane Grey was born in 1536 or 1537. In 1553, Jane’s cousin, the King of England and Ireland, Edward VI, named Jane and her male heirs as heirs to the throne in his will, thereby excluding his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth from the line of succession. After Edward’s death, Jane was proclaimed queen on July 10, 1553. But support for Mary grew quickly and most of Jane’s supporters turned away from her. Just nine days later, Jane was deposed as queen, imprisoned for treason, and finally executed in February 1554 at the age of 16 or 17.

In contrast to the tragic true story, My Lady Jane is described as “comic, fantastic, romantic, New York Times Bestseller, (Not) Quite True Story of Lady Jane Grey,” and readers are obsessed. On Amazon, where the book has achieved an impressive 4.3 star rating based on 1,800 reviews, a brief synopsis reads: “At 16, Lady Jane Grey is to be married to a stranger and becomes embroiled in a plot to deprive her cousin, King Edward, of the throne. But these minor problems are no cause for concern for Jane. Julie becomes Queen of England.”

Readers can’t get enough of the silly plot (this version of England features Ethians, people who can take on animal form), the charming love story and, according to Bowie’s review, a “feminist portrayal of a woman determined to rebel against royal tradition and go her own way.”