Enchantée

Title:

Enchantée

Author:

Summary:

When smallpox kills her parents,Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her brother and sister. Relying on magic, she transforms into 'the Baroness de la Fontaine' and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles. Camille is astonished to find that her would-be suitor Lazare, a handsome young inventor whom she thought shared her dreams of liberty, is also living a double life. But 'la magie' has its costs. When a scheming courtier blackmails her, Camille loses control of her secrets. Then revolution erupts, and she must make choices-- before Paris burns. -- Adapted from jacket.

General Note:

Maps on endpages.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

449 pages ; 25 cm

Genre:

Subject Term:

Courts and courtiers -- Fiction.

Impersonation -- Fiction.

Social classes -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793 -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Flatiron Books,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9781250295521

Publication Information:

New York : Flatiron Books, 2019.

Call Number:

YA TRELEAS

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003390690	Young Adult	TRELEAS	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Love. Magic. Revolution... Gita Trelease's debut fantasy about an orphaned girl who uses dark magic to save her sister and herself from ruin is "a soaring success" (NPR)!

Paris is a labyrinth of twisted streets filled with beggars and thieves, revolutionaries and magicians. Camille Durbonne is one of them. She wishes she weren't...

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille must find a way to provide for her younger sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on magic, Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy food and medicine they need. But when the coins won't hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family's savings, Camille pursues a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Using dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into a baroness and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for magic. As she struggles to reconcile her resentment of the rich with the allure of glamour and excess, Camille meets a handsome young inventor, and begins to believe that love and liberty may both be possible.

But magic has its costs, and soon Camille loses control of her secrets. And when revolution erupts, Camille must choose--love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, reality or magic--before Paris burns.

Author Notes

Born in Sweden to Indian and Swedish parents, Gita Trelease has lived in many places, including New York, Paris, and a tiny town in central Italy. She attended Yale College and New York University, where she earned a Ph.D. in British literature. Before becoming a novelist, she taught classes on writing and fairy tales. Along with her husband and son, Gita divides her time between a village in Massachusetts and the coast of Maine. Enchantée is her debut novel.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution, two orphaned sisters, Camille and Sophie, struggle to survive on the streets of Paris. Possessing an inherited gift of magic from her once-aristocratic mother, Camille begins "turning" coins and cards for rent and food. When her debt-ridden, abusive older brother, Alain, steals their meager earnings, Camille is determined to save herself and Sophie. She conjures deeper, darker magic, creating a double identity, Baroness Cecile Descharlots, with a new appearance, elegant dress, and access to the gaming tables at Versailles. Even as she prospers and befriends courtiers and vicomtes, Camille's double life begins to fray. Her aeronaut boyfriend, Lazare, is hiding his own secrets. She suspects an ardent court admirer, Vicomte Seguin, of sinister intentions and destructive magic. Her pursuit of fortune in the royal court conflicts with her empathy for the common man. Then, Sophie disappears. Multiple threads of history are woven into this tale: the role and persecution of magicians in the French court; experiments with balloon aeronautics; contemporaneous attitudes toward women, queer folks, and biracial nobility; the opulent, decadent lifestyle of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; and, the rising outrage of impoverished citizens. Informative historical notes and a French glossary are appended. Distinctive characters, vivid 18th-century images of Paris and Versailles, lively French-infused dialogue, an appealing heroine, and an upbeat ending propel this lengthy romantic fantasy. VERDICT Romance and fantasy readers will enjoy the magic realism, ruse and tension of Camille's double identity, authentic historical references, and Camille's daring, passionate spirit. A must-have.-Gerry Larson, -formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

On the cusp of the French Revolution, 17-year-old Camille Durbonne and her 15-year-old sister are struggling to survive after being orphaned, then robbed by their abusive alcoholic brother. Camille has been using la magie ordinaire to transform metal scraps into coin, but getting caught when it changes back is a constant threat, and the rent is far past due. With the help of more dangerous magic, her mother's enchanted dress, and a few drops of blood, Camille infiltrates Marie Antoinette's court in disguise. There, her talent for manipulating cards fills her pockets with currency. Rebellion is in Camille's blood, and she's shocked to find herself befriending young nobles despite their politics of privilege. But as she becomes addicted to the magic and the opportunities it affords, Camille begins to wonder about the price of freedom. While debut author Trelease's twist on the Cinderella story offers some diversity with gay and biracial characters-Camille's love interest is an aeronaut of French and Indian descent-too much attention is given to the minutiae and intrigue of court life, leaving themes of diversity under-explored. Nevertheless, Camille's desire to be a voice of change for the oppressed will resonate. Ages 12-up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.