Copyright Date:
2015
Edition Date:
2014
Release Date:
01/30/15
Pages:
281 pages
ISBN:
0-692-33734-2
ISBN 13:
978-0-692-33734-9
Dewey:
Fic
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)
Gr 7-10 Set during Louis XIV's reign in France, this steampunk tale features headstrong 16-year-old Lady Marguerite. A daughter of nobility, she is paraded around to prospective noble husbands. However, Marguerite's heart belongs to Claude, a smithy on her father's land. Claude breaks Marguerite's heart when he reveals he is leaving for a new life in New France (Canada). Her future appears even bleaker when given the choice between a forced marriage or boarding school for difficult ladies. Marguerite decides to run away to New France, find Claude, and convince him to marry her. She books herself and her best friend passage on the dashing Captain Laviolette's ship carrying single women to Montreal in search of husbands. When the ship is invaded by pirates, the heroine follows her instincts to fight back and help Laviolette save lives, if not the ship. Arrival in New France involves more heartache and disappointment, leaving her to find her own path and open her heart to new love. Marguerite's unconventional interests and independent spirit balance her stereotypical pining and running after "true love." Older teens may feel unsatisfied with the surface-level relationships, but the action will keep younger and reluctant readers turning the pages. Marguerite's ability to overcome loss and surmount obstacles while staying true to her nature creates a heroine worth admiring. VERDICT Readers new to steampunk will enjoy Statham's gear and steam-infused adventure. Carrie Fox, South Park High School, PA
Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th-century French girls can only dream of: money, designer dresses, suitors, and a secure future. Except she can't quite commit to a life of dull luxury and she suspects she may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithy in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love--only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure, and restitution await her if she can survive the voyage. Based on the true story of The Daughters of the King, Louis the XIV's social program to settle the wilds of Canada with women of noble birth, Marguerite's steampunk adventure follows in the footsteps of nearly one thousand brave women and girls who were rewarded handsomely for trekking across the pirate infested Atlantic to a strange land.