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Original Essays | October 14, 2009

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To Dance with Kings

by Rosalind Laker

To Dance with Kings Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

On a May morning in 1664, in the small village of Versailles, as hundreds of young aristocrats are coming to pay court to King Louis XIV, a peasant fan-maker gives birth to her first and only child, Marguerite. Determined to give her daughter a better life than the one she herself has lived, the young mother vows to break the newborn’s bonds of poverty and ensure that she fulfills her destiny—to dance with kings. Purely by chance, a drunken nobleman witnesses the birth and makes a reckless promise to return for Marguerite in seventeen years. With those fateful words, events are set into motion that will span three monarchies, affecting the lives of four generations of women.

Marguerite becomes part of the royal court of the Sun King, but her fairy-tale existence is torn out from under her by a change of political winds. Jasmin, Marguerite’s daughter, is born to the life of privilege her grandmother dreamed of, but tempts fate by daring to catch the eye of the king. Violette, Marguerite’s granddaughter, is drawn to the nefarious side of life among the nobles at Versailles. And Rose, Violette’s daughter, becomes a lady-in-waiting and confidante to Marie Antoinette. Through Rose, a love lost generations before will come full circle, even as the ground beneath Versailles begins to rumble with the chaos of the coming revolution.

An epic generational tale of loves lost, promises kept, dreams broken, and monarchies shattered, To Dance with Kings is a story of passion and privilege, humble beginnings and limitless ambition.

Review:

“Brings Versailles to life . . . a great achievement.”

–Victoria Holt, New York Times bestselling author

Synopsis:

The French village of Versailles is forever altered by the construction of Louis XIVUs dazzling palace. Here, a loving and ambitious woman grasps a reckless promise and vows her peasant daughter will grow up to dance with kings, thus beginning a lavish, exotic saga of France's gilded age.
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About the Author

Rosalind Laker is the author of many novels, including The Venetian Mask and The Golden Tulip. She lives in England.
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queenmirella, August 11, 2008 (view all comments by queenmirella)
Jeanne Dremont lives in the shadow of the palace of Versailles. As she lays giving birth to her daughter, a group of drunken young noblemen make their way into her home and witness the birth of her daughter, Marguerite. One picks up the baby and promises to return to her one day. Jeanne believes this is pure destiny. She is certain that Marguerite will one day belong to him. When Marguerite comes of age, the young nobleman returns and Jeanne arranges for her to become his mistress. But the country is plagued by religious turmoil and he is forced to flee the country without Marguerite. Marguerite soon meets and marries Laurent, an architect to the King. She bears him a daughter named Jasmin.

Laurent loves Jasmin, his only child, and there is nothing that he can deny her. Raised in the proximity to the palace, Jasmin ultimately meets the new young King of France. A mutual friendship develops between them. Their closeness comes to the attention of the Deputy Ruler. He forces her to marry a dishonored courtier named Sabatin. e two are banished from court and from Versaille to a secluded country home.

Sabatin is a dark, morose, angry man who blames Jasmin. He is a cruel man who treats her badly and rapes her regularly. Even worse, he keeps her in seclusion, forbiddng any contact between Jasmin and her parents. Years pass and in desperation, Marguerite and Laurent send a painter to her home in the country. Love soon blossoms. The painter cannot stay forever, and he soon must part. Unbeknownst to him, Jasmin is pregnant. Fearful for the life of the baby she carries, she keeps the pregnancy secret from Sabatin. When Jasmin gives birth to a daughter, she sends the child to a a family who lives in the country a comfortable distance away.

Violette grows into a beautiful young woman, angry at Jasmin for depriving her of a more prominent life. Sabatin dies and Jasmin rushes to reclaim her daughter, but Violette has run away from home. Jasmin seeks her daughter, but never finds her. Years thereafter, Jasmin’s banishment is lifted and she is permitted to return to Versaille once more where she finally reunites with her lost daughter, now a woman grown.

Violette has not led an easy life. After a trail of abuse, she became mistress to the king and bore him a child. The King arranged for her to marry an Austrian nobleman, but her new husband refused to accept her baby who she has named Rose. As a last resort, Violette seeks out her mother to hand the child over to her to raise.

Under the loving care of her grandmother, Rose lives a contented life. At the tender age of sixteen, she is commanded to become lady-in-waiting to the new queen, Marie Antoinette. She learns that it was her late father who arranged this for her. When she learns the secret of her true parentage, she blames her grandmother.

Four generations of women live and dance in the shadow of the palace of Versailles. It is an intricately told tale starting with the creation and splendors of the French court and culminating with the turbulence of the French Revolution. The novel is a testament to historical detail and a tribute to the brilliance of author, Rosalind Laker.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780307352552
Author:
Laker, Rosalind
Publisher:
Three Rivers Press (CA)
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
History
Subject:
France
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
France History 17th century.
Publication Date:
May 2007
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
616
Dimensions:
800x526x139 100
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