What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
A Murder for Her Majesty
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. YA Medieval, coming of age. Girl hidden in Monastery for her safety/survival, disguised as choir boy, she sings well. Rival singer's voice cracks, leading to acceptance. Read around 2000-2005. [s]
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I added some details to the header/topic title at the top of the page, so your book might be recognized from that description alone. Many members only read the headers.
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From what I remember it's closer to a coming of age. It's possible that what I read was just the start of the book, but there was more emphasis on the girl making friends and finding a new life. I actually don't remember her caring about why she's in the monastery. She had a rough morning and a "this is my life now" montage, where she learned to eat cold porridge without complaining and met a friend (I think it's "the fat one", but I honestly don't remember the specifics, I just know she didn't feel alone). With respect to the whole inciting incident: I believe there is a monk who knows the situation and is watching out for her, and I want to say there's a noble or something working outside the monastery on her family's behalf. But the focus feels on the coming of age and the setting than any mystery or revenge plot.
Thinking about it: I want to say a big climatic moment occurs when she tells her friend who she is, and then the "big bad guy" shows up, and the other chior boys flock around her, hiding her. This might be made up, but it feels right.
I think we have a winner! Thank you Angela so much for helping me find this book.
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What I remember from this story: set in Medieval times, girl (well off merchant's daughter?) is involved in some kind of mystery and is whisked away in the dead of night to some kind of monastery where her survival depends on disappearing. She is told that she will join the chior as one of the chior boys. She's half decent at it, and it causes some trouble with one of the head boys. Things escalate as she is chosen for a solo or quartet with this guy who has a really deep voice (and is kind or something? He's a very minor character, but I remember his voice scaring the children, but him proving to be very kind and sheepish when not performing). In the run offs for opportunity, the rival's voice cracks, and he freaks out thinking his career was over. The rival disappears, the performance happens I guess? A month later the rival comes back and is no longer a soprano, but a tenor. Everyone thought he had died or turned into a farmer and there is no more rivalry.
That's all I got. Please let me know if this jogs anyone else's mind and thank you.