by JanineS (Michigan): What a fascinating story of a strong, proud and amazing queen forgotten by history! Reading this book during Women’s History Month was a bonus too. As Queen of the Two Sicilies, daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa and sister to Marie Antoinette, Maria Carolina Charlotte is brought to life in this novel. The use of letters between Charlotte and Antoinette as well as Maria Theresa and brothers, Joseph and Leopold, adds delightfully to the story line. We are treated to the life an exceptional woman who took over and lead a kingdom in the absence of her husband (who was never prepared for kingship), all in the interest of caring for its people. In the Afterword, we learn of Charlotte’s fierce attempts to seek her sister’s escape from France. And as with many strong women in history in a time when women were not viewed as very capable, we learn that she was not given credit for many of the things that improved her country. This is a beautifully written and wonderfully told story that brings back to life a forgotten queen worthy of remembering.
