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Joan’s mother is Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the most beautiful woman in the world. Her father is Henry II, the king of England and a renowned military leader. She loves them both—so what is she to do when she’s forced to choose between them? As her parents’ arguments grow ever more vicious, Joan begins to feel like a political pawn.
When her parents marry her off to the king of Sicily, Joan finds herself stuck with a man ten years her senior. She doesn’t love her husband, and she can’t quite forget her childhood crush, the handsome Lord Raymond.
As Joan grows up, she begins to understand that her parents’ worldview is warped by their political ambitions, and hers, in turn, has been warped by theirs. Is it too late to figure out whom to trust? And, more importantly, whom to love?
The Queen's Daughter is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
I was hoping for something ZOMG amazing, and it wasn't ZOMG amazing. But it WAS a pretty darn awesome historical novel.
I like watching characters develop and grow up, and Susan definitely delivered on that part. Joan grew smarter and wiser and, though not as manipulative as my favorite historical characters, was able to make her own way among the men.
One of my favorite parts of historical novels is watching the court dynamics play out. We didn't get as intimately into that as we would had if the book was about, say, Queen Elizabeth, but watching Joan being circled by sharks was a lot of fun to read about.
As for Joan as a character - I never really connected to her with the exception of a few moments, not like I have in other novels. (I constantly compare with historical fiction.) But an entire life happened in the span of the book, so the slightly fast pace was understandable. It managed to take too long and not enough time all at the same time...
Icecream18JA
Posted January 21, 2012
Looking for a good historical fiction novel? Joan wasn't born to make her own decisions, much of her life had already been mapped out. When she has to marry a much older man, Joan remains resilient. Her childhood may be behind her, but she is loathe to forget about her first infatuation. The reader will enjoy following Joan from when she is very young all the way through to her thirties. The reader will find that Joan is an easy character to connect to and sympathize with. Joan has her flaws, but she is also brave, compassionate, and strong.
When Joan married her husband, she technically left her family behind. She has a hard time choosing between her husband's and family's little arguments, there really isn't any correct choice. Joan is one of those rare strong female characters. She does try to stand up for what she believes is right, even in a time where it was difficult for females to do so. Her husband is rigid and unyielding in many situations, but the reader will hope he appreciates his unique wife at least a little. Joan's family restrains her and prefers her to act like a lady and let them make all of the decisions. The reader will enjoy getting to know all of the characters, however, and placing them within the historical timeline he/she knows.
The author remains as true to history as possible. The reader should appreciate the realistic way the events, thoughts, and actions of the people of that time were portrayed. The events were mostly cohesive, the reader should not have a hard time following the plot and knowing who is who. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.
I've had a thing for historical fiction lately and this one seemed right up my alley. Especially since I know next to nothing about the children of Queen Eleanor and King Henry II. I enjoyed it a lot.
I find Joan particularly fascinating. What a world to grow up in and surrounded by some of the most talked about rulers in history. I think she was a little naive in her relationship with her parents, but what child would honestly think they would use her in such away against one another. I especially enjoyed her world travels. In a time were I don't think many people got to see much more than the area surrounding them, Joan got to see a lot. She live in France, England, and Sicily. Plus she travelled with her brother King Richard during the crusades. She saw much more the women of her time period would ever dream about seeing. I also enjoyed her whit. She spoke openly and sometimes without thought. While, it got her into trouble, I also think it showed her true spirit.
I was expecting some sort of romance, but was not prepared for it to happen towards the end of the book. I was beginning to think she was going to be miserable in Sicily forever. I'm use to reading about women being married off in their teens and being expected to perform their "wifely" duties. But, sometimes it still comes as quite a shock to read about it. It's always interesting to read about the way women were used in political schemes.
The book is marketed to young adults, which I'm afraid might be the wrong genre. It doesn't have a lot of romance and action that I think a lot of teens are looking for. I think teens who already enjoy historical fiction might enjoy this though. I also think a lot of adults would like this.
Anonymous
Posted October 11, 2010
This was a 2 1/2 star for me. I was surprised when I bought this book that it was under "Young Adult." Maybe I'm old fashioned but a teenager being forced into a marriage and being forced to do her duty, seems not very young adult. Guess times have changed. This book had some good moments, but overall it was slow for me. Since the author mentioned it was mostly fiction, there could have been a more interesting storyline. If you're interested in this time period, it was interesting, just not a page turner.
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Posted May 6, 2010
Ms. Coventry tells an amazing story and I was lucky enough to read a seak peek. Can't wait to read the whole book and share with my friends! Drama and historical settings make this tale a must for anyone who wants to escape into another time. Buy it, be the first to read it!
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Posted April 30, 2011
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Posted January 29, 2011
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Posted May 29, 2012
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Posted August 28, 2010
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Posted April 26, 2012
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Posted December 16, 2011
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Posted April 6, 2011
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Posted October 9, 2011
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Overview
Joan’s mother is Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the most beautiful woman in the world. Her father is Henry II, the king of England and a renowned military leader. She loves them both—so what is she to do when she’s forced to choose between them? As her parents’ arguments grow ever more vicious, Joan begins to feel like a political pawn.
When her parents marry her off to the king of Sicily, Joan finds herself stuck with a man ten years her senior. She doesn’t love her husband,...