SYNOPSIS:
When Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France learns of the powerful rebellion sweeping her country, the sheltered princess is determined to see the revolution for herself. Switching places with a chambermaid, the princess sneaks out of the safety of the royal palace and into the heart of a city in strife.
Soon the princess is brushing shoulders with revolutionaries and activists. One boy in particular, Henri, befriends her and has her questioning the only life she’s known. When the princess returns to the palace one night to find an angry mob storming its walls, she’s forced into hiding in Paris.
Henri brings her to the workshop of one Mademoiselle Grosholtz, whose wax figures seem to bring the famous back from the dead, and who looks at Marie-Thérèse as if she can see all of her secrets. There, the princess quickly discovers there’s much more to the outside world – and to the mysterious woman’s wax figures – than meets the eye.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
If you don’t have a weakness for Revolutionary Era France, we hope that this novel convinces you! We love the tropes this one is throwing around, with Marie-Thérèse switching places with one of her servants, the activist love interest, and one of the most famous and creepy workshops in all of Paris.
Right off the bat, looking at the cover, we know what we’re getting into. There’s Marie-Thérèse and the unnamed maid, the empty fog-covered Parisian streets, and an ominous air lingering about the gas-lit brick apartments. With royalty, a mystery, and impending doom on the horizon, lovers of historical tales are sure to be drawn in.
Suzanne Weyn, author and Long Island native, has written many books for young adults including the historical fantasy DISTANT WAVES, the dystopian EMPTY, and the science fiction BAR CODE series.
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Historical
Hardcover & ebook,208 pages
Published on August 26th 2014 by Scholastic Press (ISBN 054542531X)