The Red Necklace 10/28/08

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

In the late eighteenth-century, Sido, the twelve-year-old daughter of a self-indulgent marquis, and Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show, face a common enemy at the start of the French Revolution.

If you like historical fiction, this will give you the fix you need! The story is both accurate and romantic, suspenseful and funny.

When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher assigned "Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. We weren't happy. But as we went through the book our teacher was patient and explained what things meant such as the women keeping track of those who faced the guillotine with their knitting stitches. I was fascinated by this book and wished that I could read more of Dickens and have my patient English teacher explain to me what I couldn't figure out for myself. This book, "The Red Necklace" made me think of this period in my life. As Martha Stewart would say, "It was a good thing".