One for All: A Novel

Overview

“There are no limits to the will—and the strength—of this unique female hero.” —Tamora Pierce, writer of the Song of the Lioness and the Protector of the Small quartets

One for All is a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a sword fight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels that she has a purpose, that she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming—and might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

Lillie Lainoff's debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love. Includes an author's note about her personal experience with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374314613
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	358,913
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lillie Lainoff received her BA in English from Yale University, where she was a varsity fencer and one of the first physically disabled athletes to individually qualify for any NCAA championship event, and her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia. She has also won the 2019 Los Angeles Review Literary Award for Short Fiction, was a featured Rooted in Rights disability activist, and is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers on Facebook. She lives in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

01/31/2022

Sixteen-year-old Tania de Batz has always longed to emulate her dazzling Papa, an ex-musketeer who once served the king of France. Though he’s taught her to fence, chronic illness involving frequent bouts of dizziness leaves her feeling “broken.” After her Papa is murdered, his final wish sends her to L’Académie des Mariées, an exclusive finishing school that purports to help young women secure husbands. Tania’s sense of betrayal soon gives way to joy when she learns that the Académie is in fact a school for young women trained to seduce and sword fight for their country, creating a new, subtler kind of Musketeer. Her first assignment is charming and handsome, potentially bound up in smuggling—and, she learns, may know what truly befell her father. Though occasionally thin descriptions weaken the novel’s 17th-century France setting, Lainoff’s debut features an engagingly determined protagonist navigating competing loyalties. A hurried romance undercuts the presence of strong female connections, including a queer secondary relationship, among the largely white cast. An author’s note discusses the author’s experience with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Wills, Seymour Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

04/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—All French teenager Tania de Batz has ever wanted was to follow in her father's footsteps as a Musketeer. Tania's dizziness due to her disability and the fact that wo-men aren't allowed to join the Musketeers make her believe it's impossible. When her father is suddenly killed, his last wish is to send her to what appears to be a finishing school but is secretly a training facility for women to become Musketeers in their own right. Tania's sisters in arms are all dynamic characters, and readers will be on the edge of their seats over the race to save the King before a potential assassination attempt. As shared in an author's note, Lainoff draws from her own experience with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) to inform Tania's daring tale of adventure through the streets of Paris. This fun historical fiction novel with mystery, swordplay, and romance is engaging from the outset. The race of characters is not stated. VERDICT A thrilling retelling of The Three Musketeers that puts disabled and LGBTQIA+ women in the foreground as the heroes, this book has something for every reader to enjoy.—Carleigh Obrochta

School Library Journal

2021-12-15
In 17th-century France, a chronically ill girl vows to avenge her father’s murder.

Tania de Batz’s constant dizziness renders her an outcast in her small town. Prospective suitors dismiss her as weak, former friends bully her, and even her own mother seems ashamed. But her father, a retired Musketeer, has always supported her, teaching her to be a talented fencer against societal norms. So when he’s brutally murdered, Tania is stunned to learn his final wish: that she attend finishing school in Paris. At the Académie des Mariées, however, girls actually study to be undercover Musketeers, learning to wield swords as well as feminine charms on unsuspecting men as they uncover and thwart plots against the king. Despite her dizziness and initial distrust of the whole endeavor, Tania gradually finds her footing and bonds with her three fellow Musketeers, who each express distinct personalities. But when Tania falls for her target, a boy who might possess information about her father’s death, she jeopardizes the Académie’s reputation and future. Amid suspenseful spying and code-breaking, Lainoff deftly explores chronic illness and internalized ableism; others’ ignorant comments and Tania’s struggles with pervasive self-doubt are painfully realistic. The Musketeers’ unwavering support is heartwarming, smoothing a somewhat predictable ending. Two girls are queer; in the predominantly White cast, one girl is cued as a person of color. An author’s note explains that Tania, like the author, has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

An insightful, affirming tale of swordplay and sisterhood. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

Among the book’s many strengths is its character development, fleshing out each individual with their own charms, quirks, and flaws . . . Lainoff’s debut is a rare treat, telling an honest story about a disabled protagonist in a historical setting without infantilizing the character or glossing over her experience . . . An unforgettable mystery and dashing story woven from threads of chosen family and sisterhood along with bravery, loyalty, and heart.” —Booklist, starred review

“Amid suspenseful spying and code-breaking, Lainoff deftly explores chronic illness and internalized ableism; others’ ignorant comments and Tania’s struggles with pervasive self-doubt are painfully realistic. The Musketeers’ unwavering support is heartwarming . . . An insightful, affirming tale of swordplay and sisterhood.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A dashing tale full of heart, courage, and friendship, with an unforgettable disabled heroine. One for All is revolutionary in more ways than one.” —Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of This is Where it Ends

“There are no limits to the will—and the strength—of this unique female hero.” —Tamora Pierce, writer of the Song of the Lioness and the Protector of the Small quartets

“A thrilling mystery from start to finish. Lainoff masterfully created a feminist retelling of the Three Musketeers with a strong, determined heroine. Chronically ill readers will delight in seeing themselves starring in their own adventure. Lainoff is a fierce new talent to watch out for.” —Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Kingdom of the Wicked

“One For All is a reimagining that is both poignant and fiery—and like no other Musketeer story you have ever read. Just like the blade her teen protagonist Tania wields, Lainoff's prose is effortlessly precise, fluid, and sharp . . . a breathtaking adventure story set in the past that also speaks to our present and future—the best type of historical fiction. Tania's story is for anyone who has wondered how to carve a path through a world that does not accommodate your whole self.” —Tracy Deonn, New York Times–bestselling author of Legendborn

“A rousing tale of lady spies, swordplay, with a dash of romance. Tania is a formidable heroine, driven to carve out a place for herself among the musketeers. Lillie Lainoff has crafted a story as thrilling and compelling as any fencing match.” —Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses

“The fierce, disabled heroine of One for All discovers her strengths and defies expectations in this swashbuckling tale of girls who have each other’s backs. A delightful, empowering adventure!” —Joy McCullough, National Book Award-nominated author of Blood Water Paint

“A captivating, stereotype-shattering, OwnVoices fantasy about defying the odds and finding your place in the world. A heartfelt, gender-bending read featuring a disabled heroine whose differences give her the strength and courage to fight for her dreams.” — Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures

“A story brimming with strength. One for All will whirl you away to a 17th century France of pulse-pounding duels in beautiful ball gowns, following a sisterhood knitted together by duty and an indomitable heroine to cheer for.” —Chloe Gong, New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights

“Fierce, breathtaking, and absolutely unputdownable. One for All is an adventure-packed historical retelling that you won't want to miss!” —June Hur, author of The Forest of Stolen Girls

“A thrilling, big-hearted novel that is sure to become a classic in the canon of YA historical fiction, One for All is everything readers could want in a feminist adventure . . . A stunning debut that hits all the right notes.” —Carly Heath, author of The Reckless Kind

“Lainoff’s female Musketeers beguile and swashbuckle their way into the ornate citadel of power that was Louis XIV’s court with wit, tenacity, and stirring sisterhood. You will cheer for them to carry the day in this sweeping story about becoming your best self in the midst of a society trying to relegate you to a specific category.” —Jennieke Cohen, author of Dangerous Alliance and My Fine Fellow

From the Publisher