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A review by qtpieash3
Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
3.0
A FirstReads win that I rather enjoyed - 3.5 stars.
I didn't realize this was the first in a trilogy which made the ending (a bit of a cliffhanger when it came to the dauphin and dauphine's potential for an heir) a bit more palatable. This first book, Becoming Marie Antoinette, does just what the title suggests - it follows a young 'Toinette (as her family often calls her) and her betrothal to the French dauphin, Louis XVI. Initially considered somewhat lacking by the French court, Marie Antoinette is forced to endure teeth straightening via rudimentary braces, intensive schooling (which never really took - her tutors would often finish her work to avoid being fired), and a makeover that led to her infamous updo.
Marie Antoinette and Louis were teenagers when they were wed; Louis was a bit awkward and as of the end of the book, had not consummated their marriage. Being that one of their chief duties is to produce a male heir, this is a pretty big deal. I know what happens to Marie Antoinette in the end, but as of the end of this book, the country adored her so I'm curious to see how thing will devolve.
I'll definitely be reading the rest of this series - I think the next installment comes out in 2012 which seems forever away. Grey is a talented writer who has obviously done her homework while still creating an intriguing story around one of history's most famous figures.
I didn't realize this was the first in a trilogy which made the ending (a bit of a cliffhanger when it came to the dauphin and dauphine's potential for an heir) a bit more palatable. This first book, Becoming Marie Antoinette, does just what the title suggests - it follows a young 'Toinette (as her family often calls her) and her betrothal to the French dauphin, Louis XVI. Initially considered somewhat lacking by the French court, Marie Antoinette is forced to endure teeth straightening via rudimentary braces, intensive schooling (which never really took - her tutors would often finish her work to avoid being fired), and a makeover that led to her infamous updo.
Marie Antoinette and Louis were teenagers when they were wed; Louis was a bit awkward and as of the end of the book, had not consummated their marriage. Being that one of their chief duties is to produce a male heir, this is a pretty big deal. I know what happens to Marie Antoinette in the end, but as of the end of this book, the country adored her so I'm curious to see how thing will devolve.
I'll definitely be reading the rest of this series - I think the next installment comes out in 2012 which seems forever away. Grey is a talented writer who has obviously done her homework while still creating an intriguing story around one of history's most famous figures.