A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver [Paperback]

E. L. Konigsburg (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1973

Eleanor of Acquitaine has been waiting in Heaven for a long time to be reunited with her second husband, Henry II of England. Finally, the day has come when Henry will be judged for admission--and while Eleanor waits, three people close to her during various times of her life join her, helping to distract her and providing a rich portrait of a remarkable woman in history.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Eleanor of Aquitaine is in Heaven, waiting to learn whether or not her second husband, King Henry II of England, will be able to join her. Henry had died even before Eleanor, but he still had not won admission into Heaven. Waiting with Eleanor are Henry's mother, Matilda-Empress, and William the Marshal. A chance encounter with Abbot Suger, an old friend of Eleanor's from the time of her first marriage, starts the four of them remembering times past. Each person in turn tells a part of Eleanor's life, vividly illustrating the excitement of living in twelfth-century England and France, and especially the excitement of being Eleanor. Wife of two kings, mother of two others, Richard the Lion Heart and John, she set the tone of court life for her times, sponsored poets and musicians, established the legend of King Arthur as a romantic feature of English literature, set the Rules of Courtly Love, and helped rule a kingdom that spanned from Scotland to the Pyrenees. And she did all this in a time when a king could keep his queen a prisoner -- and did!

This book is a novel, fiction, fantasy even. But everything in it about Eleanor and her family and her times is true. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Eleanor of Aquitaine has every reason to be  upset.



For centuries she's been  patiently waiting for her husband, King Henry II, to  meet her in Heaven. Luckily, she's sharing a cloud  with some old friends who knew her when she and  Henry ruled supreme. As long as they're together, they  might as well gossip about old times--and soon all  of Eleanor's adventures in the Middle Ages spring  to life again.



Finally, just when  they're about to give up on Henry, Eleanor spots  three men floating toward them. After all this  time, could one of them be Henry? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Aladdin Book (March 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689704291
• ISBN-13: 978-0689704291
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,560,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

E. L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and be runner-up in the same year. In 1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was named Newbery Honor Book. Almost thirty years later she won the Newbery Medal once again for The View From Saturday. She has also written and illustrated three picture books: Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors.

After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. For several years she taught science at a private girls' school. When the third of her three children started kindergarten, she began to write. She now lives on the beach in North Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All girls should know about Eleanor..., June 11, 2002

By 

'70s survivor (South Dakota,United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (Hardcover)

In college, during a summer session, I had to take a dreadful Medievel History class. The instructor sat on the desk and droned on for the entire class period. We each had to draw names and do a research paper on someone or something from that period. I drew the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine...never heard of her. For some reason, the library had quite a bit of information on her (they must have heard of her!). Besides reference book information, I found 2 historical novels on her. My goodness, WHAT A WOMAN!! She was the queen of both England and France, the mother of future kings of England and France. She was under house arrest for years. The life story of this woman could have been a college class in itself. My mother is a librarian in small town and I was telling her about my project. She said, "I think we just got a children's book in on her." It happened to be "A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Minerva." I went home to pick up the book and it was better and more informative than any of the college material I checked out. WHY hadn't any history teachers pointed out this facinating figure??? History could be so interesting if it were taught with an historical fiction reading list instead of textbooks. I have since traveled to Europe several times and just can't get enough of history. When I think of that dreadful history professor and what a horrible injustice he did to this period of time. However, he DID introduce me to Eleanor. And for that I will be forever grateful.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent intro to one of history's most powerful women, August 15, 2002

By 

C. Quinn (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (Library Binding)

I first read this book at least 15 years ago and have never forgotten it. This book and The Daughter of Time launched my ongoing love affair with British history. After reading this book, I was so inspired that I dressed as Eleanor of Aquitaine for Halloween; I was shocked and astonished to discover that she was far from a household name and I spent my entire evening of trick-or-treating explaining my costume. If more books for children were as historically accurate and entertaining as is Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, I think more people would have recognized and appreciated my costume. E.L. Konigsburg writes some of the best children's books I've ever read and they stand the test of time- I enjoy reading them now as much as I did then. By writing about an often ignored yet fascinating woman, Konisburg opened my eyes to a range of historical characters usually excluded in traditional history books. I highly recommend this book for any child, but especially for young girls who are looking for more female characters to shape their understanding of world history.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Proud Taste" for Writing, December 14, 1999

By 

Jean A Babb - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (Paperback)

Konigsburg has painted the portrait of Eleanor of Aquitaine with the brushes of four observers: her priest, her mother-in-law, her jailer, and Eleanor herself. From each of these artists, we see a part of Eleanor's life, through their sometimes limited senses. The section told by Abbot Suger is full of color and music; the tale by the jailer, William the Marshall, is gray, matter of fact. Konigsburg's subtleties of characterization, use of language, and her ability to manipulate point of view contain incredible opportunities for teaching about writing and how writers work. Konigsburg stretches the minds of all who pick up this amazing book. The four tales are held together by an over-arching story: Eleanor and the story-tellers are in Heaven, awaiting the arrival of King Henry II, Eleanor's second husband. While they wait, they fill each other in about Eleanor's long life and influences.