The Lacemaker and the Princess

Title: The Lacemaker and the Princess

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Isabelle is a lacemaker in the town of Versailles. She, her arthritic mother, and her old grandmother are all lacemakers. When Isabelle goes to the castle to deliver lace, she is almost trampled but is rescued by the queen herself, Marie Antoinette. Because of this, Isabelle is introduced to her daughtert Therese. Therese soon counts Isabelle as a best friend and insists on calling her Clochette since it is a more fashionable name. When out riding horses one day, Isabelle is trapped on the horse and it falls on her causing her to be on bed rest in the castle for two weeks. When she returns home, she finds that her grandmother has suffered a stroke and isn't making lace anymore and her mother desperately needs her help. She doesn't return to the castle for a while because she has to keep up the family business or else go hungry and homeless. Soon though, she is summoned by Therese and her friend Ernestine to come back to the castle to be with them. She can only do this if they pay her for lace that she makes so her family can survive. Soon her grandmother dies and a revolution is started in Versailles against the royalty and their taxes and riches. This story goes through the friendship of Isabelle and Therese and sees if they can last through a revolution that rips a country apart.

While this book is fiction, it could have definitely happened. The author notes that Marie Antoinette was fond of children and could have taken special care of some. Some of the characters are ficitional, yet some are very real. I think this book would be a great lead-in for a lesson about classes and European history. This book would be best used with 5th graders who can understand the implications of revolution and class differences. This lesson can be done with references not only to European class ranks, but even those in America. It can lead to a lesson about poverty and riches and the differences people "see". It can be used to show that everyone can suffer no matter their class but everyone can be happy as well.