Publisher Description
Marie Antoinette was a child of fourteen when her mother, the Empress of Austria, arranged for her to leave her family and her country to become the wife of the fifteen-year-old Dauphin, the future King of France. Coming of age in the most public of arenas, she warmly embraces her adopted nation and its citizens. She shows her new husband nothing but love and encouragement, though he repeatedly fails to consummate their marriage and in so doing is unable to give her a child and an heir to the throne. Deeply disappointed and isolated in her own intimate circle, and apart from the social life of the court, she allows herself to remain ignorant of the country’s growing economic and political crises, even as poor harvests, bitter winters, war debts, and poverty precipitate rebellion and revenge. The young queen, once beloved by the common folk, becomes a target of scorn, cruelty, and hatred as she, the court’s nobles, and the rest of the royal family are caught up in the nightmarish violence of a murderous time called “the Terror.”
Sena Jeter Naslund offers a dramatic reimagining of this truly compelling woman that goes far beyond the popular myth.
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“Told in memoir form, Marie Antoinette describes her life in the Court of Versailles. Beginning in May 1770 Austrian Archduchess Maria Antonia enters the French Court as the wife of the Dauphin, the future King Louis XVI. Having toured Versailles it was easy for me to be transported back in time thanks to the author’s meticulous research and vivid depictions of court protocols. I was surprised to have empathy for the Queen who was blissfully unaware that a revolution was happening until it was too late. Great read for historical fiction fans.”
—
Melinda (4 out of 5 stars)
