Famous for her personal indulgences, as well as her vanity, France’s controversial queen gets a break in Fraser’s best-selling biography. Clearing up some misconceptions about a woman who was, in reality, surprisingly compassionate, Fraser paints a compelling portrait of an unwilling monarch trapped in a loveless marriage and ill-prepared to handle matters of state. Married at the age of 14 to Louis XVI an act of diplomacy between Austria and France rather than a matter of the heart Marie Antoinette entered into a life at court marked by scandal, tragedy and violence, as political upheaval swept through France. With unforgettable incidents, some of which have become the stuff of myth, this is the surprising story of a queen capable of pity and remorse, whose heart went out to her suffering subjects. A reading group guide is available in print and online at www.anchorbooks.com.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
