Describes the life of Marie Antionette from her betrothal as a fourteen-year-old girl to the future King Louis XVI, through her life in the French court, to her courage in the face of revolutionaries who sent her to the guillotine. The acclaimed author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII describes her life, from her betrothal as an unsophisticated, poorly educated fourteen-year-old girl to the future King Louis XVI, through her difficult marriage in the French court, to her courage in the face of revolutionaries who sent her to the guillotine twenty-three years later. Readers Guide available. Reprint. 75,000 first printing. Frances beleaguered queen, Marie Antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous Let them eat cake, was the subject of ridicule and curiosity even before her death; she has since been the object of debate and speculation and the fascination so often accorded tragic figures in history. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted, privileged, but otherwise unremarkable child was thrust into an unparalleled time and place, and was commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in history. Antonia Frasers lavish and engaging portrait of Marie Antoinette, one of the most recognizable women in European history, excites compassion and regard for all aspects of her subject, immersing the reader not only in the coming-of-age of a graceful woman, but also in the unraveling of an era. NATIONAL BESTSELLER Fascinating . . . the court at Versailles comes alive. The Washington Post The introduction, discussion questions, and author biography that follow are intended to enhance your groups reading of Antonia Frasers acclaimed biography Marie Antoinette: The Journey .
