I once boldly and loudly claimed that I’m not a fan of historical fiction, but how short-sighted was I? After I read the summary of Rebecca Perry’s debut novel May We Feed the King, I immediately requested it from NetGalley without any hesitation.
The unnamed protagonist, a stager of sorts, is commissioned to stage rooms in a palace to mark the 750th anniversary of its…goodness knows what. The reader isn’t always privy to much information in this dual timeline narrative, and the vagueness which is central to this story goes beyond reimagining of a King’s life…For which King are readers introduced to? We do not know. But it was a life lived oh, so long ago and what a life it is.
Written in short vignette-style chapters, Perry’s story of a stager who recreates how a King’s life was lived is engrossing! In spite of all of the unknowns, the story never feels incomplete. The King’s story—the historical timeline—comprises the bulk of this novel. Readers are treated to a story about a man who ascends the throne by virtue of his elder brothers’ deaths. We are introduced to a man who doesn’t wish to become king or take part in any of the shenanigans of royalty. Our King is not interested in politics or court life. He is interested in being left alone in his garden where he can live a quiet, peaceful, and private life.
And while Perry’s novel, May We Feed the King, appears to focus on uncertainties and ambiguity, the novel is also a fantastic reminder that there are people who, like the king, who are very certain that they do not want fame and/or fortune or the responsibilities that come with either. Both timelines are a quiet rebellion not to follow the status quo. And isn’t that’s what is truly important about our King and the stager who imagines his life? Not necessarily how he died but how, as the King in the palace, he lived? Like the protagonist, the King plays the game the way that he wanted to instead of how others want him to. The protagonist likewise stages the palace using the procedure and method and items that suit her reimagining and interpretation.
If you enjoy historical fiction, an interesting take on the imagined history of a famous historical figure, or stories that focus on characters and setting, or stories about characters who refuse to comply, then Rebecca Perry’s new novel May We Feed the King could be the perfect book for you!
Many thanks to Granta Publications and NetGalley for kindly providing me with an ARC of this gem in exchange for an honest review!
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