Reviews

Gracie and the Emperor by Errol Broome

rebecita's review

3.0

Short and sweet, with a cool historical concept and a thoughtful narrator. It would be a good read for an elementary class. But I wanted a bit more depth from the plot, and it's one of those books where everyone rewards the main character for being so "special" despite the lack of supporting evidence. At least, surprisingly, it's not just one of those fantasies about a great historical figure deigning to reach down his hand to touch the life of a commoner. It's tragic rather than absurd to see Napoleon reduced to orchestrating the life of an 11 year old girl, especially when we learn he has been separated from his son. A separation, of course, symbolized by the island and contrasted with Grace's family and friends. And so it becomes more a story of the choices faced by parents and children, caught in the tides of history. Hmm, now that I've been all analytical about it I think I liked this book more than I thought.