Enchantée

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.