The Diamond Keeper

Gr 9 Up–Mobley’s latest work of historical fiction centers on a perilous adventure during the French Revolution. At 19, Claudie feels trapped by a tedious, white, working-class destiny, laboring in her father’s inn. Abandoned by her mother and abused by her father, she sees herself as unmarriageable—a plain, “sturdy” girl, unlike her pretty little sister Mathilde. However, everything changes for Claudie when she and her sister find themselves in the middle of a scheme to steal the crown jewels from the leaders of the French Revolution. Readers will appreciate Claudie; she’s a strong character who gradually grows in confidence even as she falls in love with Yannig, a staunch royalist. This well-researched story offers a unique glimpse of the French Revolution from the perspective of the women who acted as spies, messengers, and planners behind the scenes. By reimagining the theft of the French crown jewels, this book brings to life an often unseen side of the revolution outside of Paris.