Saturday, October 30, 2010

Share-A-Book Saturday (25)

This is something I found over on Just Another Book Addict =), and I thought I'd do my own. There are so many great books out there that get overlooked (especially if they've been out for a while)!

Every Saturday, you share (recommend) a book, preferably one that you haven't reviewed yet. It's just a way to get other books out into the blogging world. This is NOT a review.

Today I'm going to recommend The Princess in the Tower by Sharon Stewart.

Previously published as The Dark Tower, this riveting novel is written as the diary of Princess Marie Thérèse Charlotte of France, daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who was imprisoned during the French Revolution.  One by one her parents and her brother were taken from her - Louis and Marie Antoinette beheaded, her brother dead of neglect.  Though she lost everything, Mousseline, as she was called, was determined to be as brave and honourable as she could be during a time of tragedy and upheaval.  A gripping story about a real princess that history nearly forgot!

I read this book years ago, when it was published as The Dark Tower (which has a weird cover that makes you think the story is about ancient Greek or Roman royalty... not 18th-century French royalty!).  I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I do enjoy it if it's good.  And this one was good.  It made an impression on me, because I remember it all these years later.  It was so interesting to see these well-known historical figures from the point of view of someone who knew and loved them.  And, even though we all know how this story must end, it's still heartbreaking when the inevitable events happen.  All of this took place before Marie-Thérèse's seventeenth birthday... and it's hard to imagine a teenager having to cope with so much.  The diary-style narrative sucks you in, making you feel like you're right there with the princess as she lives through some of the darkest days in French history.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is definitely a book you should check out!

1 comment:

  1. Your picks sound very interesting, thanks for sharing :}. My recommend is actually a memoir called, Voices of the Heart by Linda Lambert Pestana, which I found to be very inspiring. The author's journey is one of courage and hope. Linda is a wonderful writer and I felt very connected to her story.

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