{Book Tour} Review and Giveaway: Tales of Splendor, Tales of Sorrow by Juliet Grey

Winner:  Anita Yancey

My thoughts:
Marie Antoinette's story is so well known to many of us so I would imagine writing about her life in new and fresh ways is a difficult task.  Fortunately, Juliet Grey does not have this problem.  I have always been interested in Antoinette's story.  As a child, I devoured every book I could find about her.  I truly believe that Ms. Grey has captured the essence of who Antoinette was.  A figure that has been much maligned in history who was actually a caring soul and someone who was loyal to her husband and to the country to which she became a transplant.  While reading, I was transported to that time and place.  The book really makes the reader feel as if she is part of the book.  The characters are so engaging and the dialogue is natural.  This is actually the middle book of a planned trilogy, with Becoming Marie Antoinette being the first.  I now must go back and read the first and then look forward longingly to the final book.  Well done, Juliet Grey!

About the book:
A captivating novel of rich spectacle and royal scandal, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow spans fifteen years in the fateful reign of Marie Antoinette, France’s most legendary and notorious queen.

Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.

From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.

About the author:
Juliet Grey is the author of Becoming Marie Antoinette. She has extensively researched European royalty and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette, as well as a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and southern Vermont.

Tour Schedule
Twitter Event Hashtag: #DaysOfSplendorVirtualTour

Publication Date: May 15, 2012 | Ballantine Books | 448p

GIVEAWAY

One copy of the book.  Open to US/Canada.  To enter, please leave a comment telling me your opinion of Marie Antoinette, good or bad, and leave your email address.  Giveaway will end on Friday, November 23 at 11:59pm CST.  Good luck!