The Queen's Daughter
Grade 9 Up This coming-of-age novel is set against the backdrop of 12th-century Europe. King Henry II of England is at war with France's King Louis VII, who happens to be supported by Henry's eldest sons. Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, gives lessons on politics and what it means to be a queen to their daughter Joan. Despite her notorious parents, this is Joan's story. Coventry does a thorough job of developing the princess's character as she grows from a naive child of seven at the start of the novel into a woman in her 30s who has full knowledge of the world around her. Readers are privy to Joan's thoughts about love for two parents who hate one another, her fear of becoming a child bride in an arranged marriage to the king of Sicily, and her uncertainty about how to please him. Throughout her many years of childless marriage to William, she holds feelings of adoration for the philandering Lord Raymond, Count of Toulouse. By the time they meet again, Joan is no shrinking violet, and she is finally able to fulfill all of her duties as a wife and strong female leader of her people. The battle scenes of the Crusades are necessary to the development of the plot and are thankfully short. Fans of historical fiction, and especially historical romance, will devour this volume.Wendy Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.