Karina Belcher

Period 3
Book Review
October 23, 2014
Book Review #1 The Lacemaker and the Princess
I chose The Lacemaker and the Princess, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley for my book
review. It is a very riveting book based in the time of the French Revolution. Isabelle is an 11
year old lacemaker in Versailles, who one day takes a parcel of lace to deliver, but in the process
is almost trampled by a crowd of courtiers. She is rescued by the queen Marie Antoinette, and is
suddenly thrust into lavish palace life. Isabelle befriends the queens daughter, Thrse, who is
the princess of France. Thrse also had a friend named Ernestine, who she bosses around along
with Isabelle. Thrse calls Isabelle Clochette because she thinks it is a more fashionable name
than Isabelle, and only Thrse can call her Clochette. Thrse starts to teach Isabelle about life
in the palace of Versailles, like how to ride a pony, only Isabelle falls off and has to stay in the
palace for three weeks after getting hurt. In the summer the court goes to Saint-Cloud and
Isabelle has to make lace again, and then her family starts to resent her for becoming a spoiled
palace child compared to what she used to be like.
When Thrse and her family come back from Saint-Cloud, the three friends talk about
rumors of revolution, and how the royal family will be safe if anything happens because they
have connections. Then Isabelle, Ernestine, and Thrse sneak into a midnight party wearing
masks, and almost get caught by the queen. Next, the representatives of the levels of people in
France hold a meeting with the king, and they start negotiating for reform of taxes and rights.
Finally, the third party of commoners voted to declare themselves independent from France and
establish a parliament. Then the nobility of France start leaving the country and the queen wants
to leave, but the king says that his whole family will stay in France. One day thousands of people
crowd around the palace of Versailles and demand bread, and in the night there is another mob of
people that storm the palace. After the violence is over Isabelle has to go home with her mother,
and they start working in a tavern. The royal family tries to leave the country, but they get caught
and have to come back to Paris. Isabelle and her mother finally agree to leave the country to start
a new life, instead of living in France with lots of violence. Isabelle saved a ring that the queen
had given her, and when she shows it to her mom, they decide to move to England and start
making lace again, just like they used to.
Isabelle, the lacemaker, is the protagonist in The Lackmaker and the Princess. She is the
main character and the book centers on her life in France during the French Revolution. I can
first tell that Isabelle is the protagonist because the title says The Lacemaker and the Princess,
not the princess and the lacemaker. This tells me that the book is going to be mostly about a
lacemaker and a princess might be secondary, because in this day and age, people will put the
main or most important part of the subject first in order. In this book, Isabelle is the narrator. The
story is being told from her point-of-view. Ernestines mother had been ill with consumption
the entire time Id known Ernestine, but she had grown much worse while I had been gone.
Thrse had warned me, and she and I had been as gentle with Ernestine as we could. (101).
This paragraph illustrates how when it says I or Id, it means Isabelle, and this shows that she is
the narrator and this is constant throughout the entire book. The story follows Isabelle, and
whatever scene it is, Isabelle is always there. Maman looked up and smiled at me. Go, she
said. Spend the day with your brother. I went, but only because Maman made me. The first
unpleasant surprise was that George expected me to ride beside him on the outside of the box
(121). Notice that the story doesnt go on to explain what Maman did all day, instead it followed
Isabelle on the carriage ride. Another main clue that tells me Isabelle is the protagonist, is that it
never says Thrse thought, it only says Isabelle thought. Rotten boy, gone back to the stables
already, I thought (11). These are some of the main ways that this book shows that Isabelle is
the protagonist.
I believe that Thrse is the deuteragonist because she is best friends with Isabelle and is
in a vast majority of the book, or is the subject of thought. Thrse wants to have what she thinks
is a better life for Ernestine and Isabelle by saying that when her friends grow up that they will
be ladies of the court and have a grand time. I will hold court the way the queen my mother
does. You and Ernestine will be my ladies-in-waiting. We will all dress in jewels, and dance, and
play cards, and stay up past midnight the way the court does. We will be beautiful. You will live
with me, and you will never make lace again (97). In the story, it follows what happens at
Isabelles home, but when Thrse and her family go away to Saint-Cloud for a month, the story
doesnt follow what Thrse and Ernestine do, rather it follows what happens to Isabelle while
she is at home. Less than a week later, the royal family went to their summer palace, miles
away, at Saint-Cloud. Ernestine went with them. I wished so much to be invited that I prayed
about it, and lighted candles in the palace chapel, but Thrse didnt ask me (112). This is an
indication to me that Isabelle is the main character and that Thrse is the deuteragonist. Another
thing that tells me that the deuteragonist isThrse, is that the book never has a chapter or section
that is only Thrse and Ernestine at the palace, Isabelle is always in the scene, no matter what
else is happening. If Thrse and Ernestine need to leave or go somewhere and Isabelle has to
leave, the story will follow Isabelle and not Thrse. People surrounded the carriage on all sides
as it trundled slowly toward the road. In a matter of minutes, the courtyard had begun to empty. I
looked at Maman, who was supporting herself with her walking stick (185). This quote shows
that Thrse was in the carriage, yet the story followed Isabelle home. These are some of the
ways that show Thrse as the deuteragonist in this book.
The antagonist in The Lacemaker and the Princess is Grand-mre. She doesnt do any
work, which forces Isabelle to work continuously. I had never realized how much work Grand-
mre did, until she no longer did it (80). Im working every moment I can, I said (80).
Grand-mre is also very violent to Isabelle. Still she grabbed Mamans cane and whacked me
once across the backside. Youre not lying? If youre lying, stupid girl- (30). Grand-mre
reached forward to pinch me (31). Grand-mre clouted my head to help me remember (44).
Grand-mre clouted me again (44). She is also mean and calls Isabelle really mean names.
Silly fool, she said (44). Worthless girl! (44). Who would notice such a sniveling
child? (5). Isabelle even is afraid of her, and feel like her maman is the buffer between her and
Grand-mre. Grand-mre was an evil old goat. She made our house a misery (2). Nothing
frightens me. Except hunger, and Grand-mre (94). Meek Maman, gentle Maman, who for
years had been the only slight buffer between Grand-mre and me (74). Grand-mre is very
mean, violent, and derogatory towards Isabelle, and she is constantly causing Isabelle stress,
pain, and grief. These are traits that point to the antagonist in the book.
The most prominent theme in The Lacemaker and the Princess is friendship. The whole
book is centered on the friendship of this lacemaker and a princess. I didnt care what Grand-
mre wanted. Thrse and I would be friends (34). Thrse and Isabelle dont have a
conventional friendship, but they are constantly reminding each other that Isabelle doesnt get
paid to be friends with Thrse, but Isabelle wishes to be Thrses lacemaker in order to make
some more money for her family. You do not pay us for our friendship, which is yours without
question, but of course out of your generosity you wish to reward us for our dedication. Ernestine
takes her meals here and receives her education. I do not ask for anything so fine. I wish for only
a fraction of that, for only twenty livres a week, so that I may for my crippled mother and feeble
grandmother (94). Thrse is nice enough as a friend to pay Isabelle sixty livres each quarter
day, or as each season began. Thrse wants to have what she thinks is a better life for Ernestine
and Isabelle by saying that when her friends grow up that they will be ladies of the court and
have a grand time. I will hold court the way the queen my mother does. You and Ernestine
will be my ladies-in-waiting. We will all dress in jewels, and dance, and play cards, and stay up
past midnight the way the court does. We will be beautiful. You will live with me, and you will
never make lace again (97). This quote shows that Thrse is trying to be a good friend to
Ernestine and Isabelle by promising them a better future. Throughout the book, the friendship
between Isabelle and Thrse is prominent and even though it is tested by many factors, it stays
together up until the very bitter end.
This book is about friendship during the French Revolution. It would be a good read for
anyone that likes history because it is very historically accurate. I would recommend this book to
anyone that likes historical fiction or likes studying the history of royal courts. This is because
the royal court of France was one of the most complicated in Europe, and it plays a major role in
the book. This book is also not very long, however it is not near as long as a New York City
phonebook. If you are a reader that likes books with pictures, then this is not the one for you.
There might be colorful descriptions of the various scenes, but you will still have to use your
imagination to get pictures. All in all I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to a wide
range of people, especially those who like history.