Ladies in Waiting

Gr 9 Up—In 17th-century England within King Charles II's court are three young women, all of whom are named Elizabeth. They become Queen Catherine of Braganza's maids of honor and swear an oath of eternal friendship to one another. Wealthy Eliza is interested in theater and in avoiding marriage; poor Beth in finding her one true love; and Zabby, there by accident, in science and learning. The Elizabeths pursue their passions while serving the king and queen as best they can, including disguising themselves and taking the queen out to learn about "the world of men." The book traces the stories of their three divergent paths. The language is sophisticated, and many of the scenes are earthy or bawdy. Societal mores are woven into the plot, such as gender inequality and marriage of convenience rather than for love. Ultimately, this is a love story, but not one that ends happily ever after, and it will leave many readers unsatisfied. The framework laid down in this book presents great promise, but stunted character development and what feels like incomplete plot realization result in too many loose ends.—Jesse L. Ray, Seattle Public Library, WA