false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170984524m/80617.jpg 80617 5 "Where history ends, storytelling begins," writes Jane Yolen in her author's note to this exciting novel based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Only a few facts are known about Mary's young female jester, le Jardiniere, but Yolen and her collaborator, Scottish writer Robert Harris, have created a fascinating girl narrator based on this historical oddity. Le Jardiniere relates the true and tragic tale of the ill-fated 16th-century queen of Scotland.<p> In 1559, when a ragtag troupe of traveling entertainers is snatched from the sodden streets of Rheims to amuse the bored visiting French court, 13-year-old Nicola Ambruzzi impresses the queen with her wit and honesty. The beautiful young Mary takes the girl under her protection as "the queen's own fool," commissioned to speak the truth boldly amid the fawning lies and schemes of the courtiers. Around them swarm secret plots, duplicity, and betrayal; death is a constant threat. <p> After her weak boy-husband King Francis dies, the kindhearted Mary is unwilling to hear Nicola speak the truth about her suitors. She experiences two disastrous marriages, first with the handsome wastrel Darnley and then--for political expediency--with his murderer, the treacherous Bothwell. When he plots against her, she must flee back to Scotland to try to resume her throne in the midst of swirling conflict between the Protestant lords and their Catholic rulers. Nicola's wit and daring get them through some dangerous situations, but Mary is eventually imprisoned in the stark castle of Lochleven, where their hairsbreadth attempts at escape wind up a story from history as exciting and deeply affecting as any of Yolen's fantasy novels. (Ages 12 and older) <I>--Patty Campbell</I> 708380 2000 Queen's Own Fool total:353|5:89|4:131|3:114|2:15|1:4| 353 1345 523 39 5 0 false false Fri Jul 31 22:51:32 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 02 20:18:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 20 18:09:51 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 20 18:14:21 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false true Fri Jul 31 05:57:19 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 31 05:58:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 21 09:48:59 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 11:33:20 -0700 2009 Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles. That one is such a brick, I thought it would be good to have an outline. This one was just that- an outline. I'm sure dates and names were fairly accurate, there...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Feb 11 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 17:09:17 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 11 05:29:33 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu May 17 14:37:04 -0700 2007 Thu May 17 14:37:21 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 13 07:36:31 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 23 17:43:32 -0700 2007 The Other Boleyn Girl,...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Jan 31 08:18:28 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 09:13:17 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Nov 09 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 05 22:09:43 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 12:40:42 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Mon Jul 13 10:08:54 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 10:17:25 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Apr 11 17:57:27 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 17:58:58 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 16:18:23 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 16:20:08 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 20:00:42 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 30 08:56:06 -0700 2009
Good for those who like Ann Rinaldi or Carolyn Meyer; strong historical women rock!]]> 5 0 false false Sat Oct 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 06:12:09 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 06:13:49 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun May 17 18:17:12 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 18:18:09 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Mar 23 08:32:12 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 08:32:43 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 17 18:15:03 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 18:15:25 -0800 2009 1 0 false false Sun May 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun May 04 20:36:31 -0700 2008 Sun Nov 16 14:03:33 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 12 17:26:39 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 03 12:35:24 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 17:26:39 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jan 31 11:35:43 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 12:47:28 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 11:35:43 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=80617