History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so maligned--and so misunderstood--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 everyone--courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French people--but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman can't help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and unimaginable luxuries. But as Marie-Antoinette's lifestyle gets ever more recklessly extravagant, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty--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.

I first heard of The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette by Carolyn Meyer on The Shady Glade's blog when Alyssa posted an interview with the author. I was immediately hooked. I think Marie-Antoinette is forever immortalized by her statement, "Let them eat cake!" although according to a World History course I've taken, she probably never actually said those exact words.

I'm always interested in history, and seeing an author's imagination of what this person could have been like sounds like a lot of fun! It comes out on April 12, 2010, and it's being published by Harcourt. It's a bit of a long wait, but from what I've heard about this author's works, it should be worth it!
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Further Reading:
Meme host: Jill from Breaking the Spine
Amazon Page: The Bad Queen*
The Shady Glade: Interview with Carolyn Meyer

*Amazon affiliate link

Posted by Melanie at 8:00 AM    

Labels: waiting on wednesday