Synopses & Reviews
History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so malignedandmdash;and so misunderstoodandmdash;as Marie-Antoinette.
From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. She tried to please everyoneandmdash;courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French peopleandmdash;but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman canandrsquo;t help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and unimaginable luxuries. But as Marie-Antoinetteandrsquo;s lifestyle gets ever-more recklessly extravagant, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing povertyandmdash;and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay.
In this latest installment of her acclaimed Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyer reveals the dizzying rise and horrific downfall of the last queen of France. Includes historical notes, an authorandrsquo;s note, and a bibliography.
Review
"Entertaining. . . . a Philippa Gregory spin-off for teens."--
VOYA "[Sullivan] paints a colorful and largely accurate portrait of Restoration London. The unusual ending, especially, anchors the book more to history than to romance."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"With nods to Shakespeares Twelfth Night and Isaac Bashevis Singers "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," Bets descriptive, intimate, first-person narrative incorporates historical details and diverse characters, including adult female allies at school...historical-fiction fans will likely find Bet an appealingly lively heroine as she pursues her dreams and makes unexpected discoveries in learning, life, and love."--
BooklistSynopsis
Enter the scandalous world of King Charles II's court, where three young ladies in waiting discover a palace teeming with love, intrigue—and treachery.
Synopsis
Eliza dreams of being a playwright for the kings theater, where she will be admired for her witty turns of phrase rather than her fathers wealth.
Beth is beautiful as the day but poor as a church mouse, so she must marry well, despite her love for her childhood sweetheart.
Zabby comes to England to further her scientific studies—and ends up saving the life of King Charles II. Soon her friendship with him becomes a dangerous, impossible obsession. Though she knows she should stay away from the young, handsome king, Charles has a new bride, Queen Catherine, and a queen needs ladies in waiting.
And so Zabby, Beth, and Eliza, three Elizabeths from very different walks of life, find themselves at the center of the most scandal-filled court that England has ever seen.
Synopsis
When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, theyve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because shes a girl, Bets world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Wills world is much larger. He is allowedforced, in his caseto go to school. Neither is happy. So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: Theyll switch places. Shell go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.
About the Author
History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so malignedand#151;and so misunderstoodand#151;as Marie-Antoinette.and#160;From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. She tried to please everyoneand#151;courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French peopleand#151;but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman canand#8217;t help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and unimaginable luxuries. But as Marie-Antoinetteand#8217;s lifestyle gets ever-more recklessly extravagant, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing povertyand#151;and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay.and#160;In this latest installment of her acclaimed Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyer reveals the dizzying rise and horrific downfall of the last queen of France.
Includes historical notes, an authorand#8217;s note, and a bibliography.CAROLYN MEYERis the acclaimed author of more thanand#160;fifty books for young people. Her many award-winning novels include
Mary, Bloody Mary,an ABA Pick of the Lists, an NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults;
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, a New York Times bestseller;
White Lilacs, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an NYPL Best Book for the Teen Age, and an IRA Young Adults' Choice;
Marie, Dancing,a BookSense Pick; and her most recent historical novel,and#160;
The True Adventures of Charley Darwin.and#160;Ms. Meyer lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
www.readcarolyn.com