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Original Essays | December 12, 2009

Alexander McCall Smith: IMG The Courage of Others

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Mistress of the Sun

by Sandra Gulland

Mistress of the Sun Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The author of the internationally acclaimed Josephine Bonaparte trilogy returns with another irresistible historical novel, this one based on the life of Louise de la Vallière, who, against all odds, became one of the most mysterious consorts of France's Louis XIV, the charismatic Sun King.

Set against the magnificent decadence of the seventeenth-century French court, Mistress of the Sun begins when an eccentric young Louise falls in love with a wild white stallion and uses ancient magic to tame him. This one desperate action of her youth shadows her throughout her life, changing it in ways she could never imagine.

Unmarriageable, and too poor to join a convent, Louise enters the court of the Sun King, where the king is captivated by her. As their love unfolds, Louise bears Louis four children, is made a duchess, and reigns unrivaled as his official mistress until dangerous intrigue threatens her position at court and in Louis's heart.

A riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its heart, Mistress of the Sun illuminates both the power of true and perfect love and the rash actions we take to capture and tame it.

Review:

"...this is a fine telling, bolstered by the strength and sensitivity of Gulland's characterizations." — Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"An excellent book, glittering and tender and soulful and wise." — Merilyn Simonds, author of The Holding

Review:

"An irresistible story" — Ottawa Citizen

Review:

"Suspenseful, evocative, atmospheric, and deliciously satisfying reading, with an immensely appealing heroine." — Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy

Review:

"I fell in love with Petite from the moment she tamed her wild, white horse, and I galloped along with her through her undying devotion to one of France's most colorful kings." — Anne Easter Smith, author of The King's Grace and A Rose for the Crown
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About the Author

Sandra Gulland is the author of  Mistress of the Sun; The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.; Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe; and The Last Great Dance on Earth. She lives in Killaloe, Ontario, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
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Table of Contents

Contents

Map: France at the Time of the Sun King
The Royal Families (abbreviated genealogy)

Part I: Bone Magic

Part II: Confession

Part III: The Enchanter

Part IV: Mislove

Part V: Beloved

Epilogue: Marie-Anne, June 6, 1710

Author's Note

Glossary

Acknowledgments

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
FleurDeMar, August 30, 2009 (view all comments by FleurDeMar)
In Mistress of the Sun, we are introduced first to a young Louise de la Vallière. Petite is a charming, smart child who is completely in love with horses. It becomes apparent to those around her, that at a young age, she has a way with the animals. When her father purchases a seemingly untameable White from a Romany circus, Petite uses bone magic to tame him and what follows changes her life forever.

From a convent to the home of high born aristocrisy where she becomes a maid in waiting to a set of princesses, fate leads her to her first meeting with The Sun King. And she appears to fall in love with him instantly - despite the fact that she has no idea he IS the king. She becomes his mistress, has many children by him (though not all survive) and has struggles with her religious views and the fact she believes there is sin in her.

Gulland paints a story rich in detail and the amount of research she puts into her projects is second to none. She has this way of making you feel that you've been to the places you read about in her books, seen the things the characters have seen, felt what they felt. I'm such a 'history nerd' and being able to learn something from a book makes it even better to me. She gives her characters multiple dimentions and makes us love them or hate them or feel as if we know them by the time the story ends. Nothing in the book is 'filler material' which I appreciate in a read. If you adore history and captivating characters, love stories and personal journeys, and if you appreciate a writer who takes the time to develope a story worth reading, you need to pick up this book, tout suite!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780743298926
Author:
Gulland, Sandra
Publisher:
Touchstone Books
Subject:
History
Subject:
Mistresses
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Romance - Historical
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
Biographical fiction
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
April 2009
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
382
Dimensions:
8 x 5.25 in
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