A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
by E.L. Konigsburg
Atheneum, 1973
201 pages
Children's historical fiction
Personal copy

Summary in a Sentence:

While waiting in heaven for divine judgment to be passed on her second husband, Eleanor of Aquitaine and three of the people who knew her well recall the events of her life.

My Thoughts:

Oh, E.L. Konigsburg, how could I ever expect anything less than delightful perfection from you? I don't know how I missed this one growing up, considering From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was a favorite in elementary school. The cover for Proud Taste has since been updated to appeal to today's audience, but I just love the original cover art, so I included it in this review.

I love historical fiction, but I sometimes struggle to find books in the genre that I know kids will truly enjoy. Proud Taste is one of those books. Konigsburg sets up a clever premise in which impatient Eleanor is waiting in heaven for her husband, Henry II, to move 'up'. While waiting, the readers are told the story of Eleanor's life by three people who knew Eleanor while she was queen: Henry's mother, Abbot Suger (my favorite), and William the Marshal. Each person takes turns relating the life of Eleanor in such a way that the reader doesn't get bogged down while learning about Middle Ages France and England, which is indeed exactly what is going on! Rather than focusing on dates and events, the story is told with a focus on Eleanor's personality, which is quite different than that of most other women of the 12th century. Included in the book are ink drawings separating each of the narratives, along with a map.

~ I read this book for The Tournament of Reading Challenge  and the Four Month Challenge ~

You might also like:

• Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
• Beethoven Lives Upstairs by Barbara Nichol
• Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

Jane-Emily
by Patricia Clapp
HarperCollins, 1969
139 pages
Children's/YA fantasy; ghost story
Personal Copy

Summary in a Sentence (or two): 

Eighteen-year-old Louisa Amory is off to spend the summer with her aunt and young niece, Jane, who has an invisible friend, Emily. Seems innocent enough, until Louisa learns that Emily was a real girl who died in the house years ago but maybe never quite left.

My Thoughts:

The first time I heard about this author or novel was when perusing Lizzie Skurnick's Shelf Discovery, which, if you haven't picked up yet, is a wonderful little gem of a book featuring teen classics from decades past. Many of you guys have joined the Shelf Discovery Challenge as well.

Anywho, I happened upon Jane-Emily and was at once drawn in with the synopsis of the story. I love ghost stories and anything with a Gothic feel. I couldn't find this one at any library nearby, so I ordered it and am so glad I did. This is a classic creepy, psychological ghost story with a side of romance for good measure. Something about children who are evil, possessed ghosts always seems extra malevolent, don't you think? Oh, and you will never look at those silver reflecting balls in peoples' front yards the same way again...

~For fans of Poe, Shirley Jackson, Du Maurier, all that good stuff. This book might also be a good way to get your kids to be fans of the aforementioned :)

Rating: 4/5

Also Recommended:

•  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Other Reviews: 

• Surrounded By Words
• A Life in Books
• Reading the Past