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Loading... The Redheaded Princess: A Novelby Ann Rinaldi
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Considering that this historical fiction book dealt with themes (royalty, power struggles, royal love scandals) that don't really interest me, I was surprised that I still enjoyed reading it. The book was remarkably well-written: good word choice, believable characters, and authentic voice. I learned something, too, about the Tudors and all those complicated relationships -- Ann Rinaldi made all the characters' connections and motivations seem obvious and straightforward. ( )Reviewed by The Compulsive Reader for TeensReadToo.com In Rinaldi's spectacular new book for young adults, she's moved beyond American history to British, and the tale of a young redheaded girl who yearned to be queen. Despised by her father and sister, shoved aside by the nation's leaders, and motherless, young Elizabeth I grows up at her country estate where she learns from a young age the dangers of crossing paths with monarchs. She realizes that even though her sister and her brother stand between her and the Crown, she will one day be queen. THE REDHEADED PRINCESS is her sharp, fast-paced, and beautifully wrought story of how that came to be. Wonderfully detailed and breathtakingly accurate, this is perhaps the most engaging book that tells of Elizabeth's plights and triumphs. Just another Elizabeth I story. Moves somewhat slow and it's hard to like this Elizabeth, because she is constantly talking about how she knows she will one day be Queen. Although Elizabeth's story is an interesting and passionate one, Rinaldi's writing fell flat for me. At many points I felt like I was reading a history book (and not in a good way). I also had trouble getting a sense of time in the book. Years would pass without any indication, leaving me confused about how old Elizabeth was at certain points. We all know how the story ends: Elizabeth becomes queen. While I truly felt Elizabeth's desire to become queen, all the rest of her emotions were told and not seen. The characters were just not captivating enough to bring the story to life as it could have been. An easy read of a period of Elizabeth I's life not often studied. The book begins when Elizabeth is a child and ends when she is made Queen. In between, we learn of how she was a Princess one day and a "mere lady" the next, only to have her title and her place in the line of succession to England's throne returned to her, all at the whim of her father, Henry VIII. We hear of how she was treated when her brother Edward was King, and when her sister Mary was Queen, and how she observed the reigns of her father and siblings closely and took lessons from them that would help her when it was her turn to be Queen. Although this book does little more than gloss over the turmoil of the time and the factions warring for the throne, this is a good book to read for anyone interested in a basic outline of what Elizabeth's life was like before she became Queen. no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0060733748, Hardcover)Growing up, Elizabeth fears she can never be Queen. Although she is the King's daughter, no woman can ever hope to rule over men in England, especially when her mother has been executed for treason. For all her royal blood, Elizabeth's life is fraught with danger and uncertainty. Sometimes she is welcome in the royal court; other times she is cast out into the countryside. With her position constantly changing, the Princess must navigate a sea of shifting loyalties and dangerous affections. At stake is her lifeāfor beheading is not uncommon among the factions that war for the Crown. With the vivid human touch that has made her one of the foremost writers of historical fiction, Ann Rinaldi brings to life the heart and soul of the young Elizabeth I. It's a portrait of a great leader as she may have been as she found her way to the glorious destiny that lay before her. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:15 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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