Ward of the Sun King

Adrienne is delighted to become a ward of King Louis XIV of France and attend the school for girls established by his wife, Madame de Maintenon. But then the school’s rules change, and after an unjustly harsh punishment she flees. With the help of her cousin Pierre, to whom she is secretly betrothed, she hides in the palace of Versailles disguised as a page boy. Seeing that the lives of the nobility at court are not as glamorous as she has always imagined, she has no regrets when the danger of discovery forces her to escape with Pierre--until, during an attempt to reach her aunt in England, the two are accidentally separated. Not knowing whether he is alive, Adrienne finds herself the center of attention on an English estate where she is pushed toward a marriage that would take her back to France as a lady of high position. Is there any alternative to spending the rest of her life in a society she has come to see as shallow and corrupt?

Illustrated with 17th-century portraits.

FROM THE REVIEWS:

“A romantic daydream for girls who would enjoy visiting glamorous, exciting court life.... The story, accurate in historical detail ... may encourage readers to plunge further into the era. —Library Journal

“Adrienne soon has more adventure than she wanted. This historical novel will appeal to girls, aged 12 up.” —Best Sellers