The fourth queen

by Debbie Taylor

When Helen Gloag runs away from her Scottish village in 1769 to seek a new life overseas, she never imagines what fate has in store for her. Yet before the year is out she will have become Queen of Morocco, one of four wives to the cruel and charismatic Emperor Sidi Mohammed. Helen is transformed from a peasant girl into a pampered but captive mistress. Her home is the glittering harem in Marrakech, crammed with a thousand concubines and overflowing with jewels, silks and spices. But she soon realized that, for all its luxury, there is a deadly danger lurking at the heart of this mysterious court . . . Based on a true story, The Fourth Queen is a compulsive account of an extraordinary time and place, and of one young woman's journey towards maturity and love.

Readers also enjoyed

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?