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A Sweet Disorder
 
 
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A Sweet Disorder [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Kolosov (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Book Description

11 and up6 and up

Sixteen-year old Miranda has no idea how much her life is going to change upon hearing the news of her father's death. Left with little dowry to offer, Miranda faces a broken engagement, and is sent to live with her father's cousin, the Count John Hardwood, and his wife whose primary goal is to take her to Court and marry her off to the insufferable Lord Seagrave for their own profit.
 
At Queen Elizabeth's court, Miranda soon learns that a large part of her survival will depend on her knowing who to trust. All the maidens at Court dream of being one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting. When Miranda distinguishes herself from the rest with her exquisite sewing and embroidery skills, she gets the attention of the Queen, much to the anger and jealousy of the courtiers, ladies in waiting, and even a trusted "friend."
 
As Miranda begins to win the Queen’s favor, she is given the ultimate test—to recreate Elizabeth’s mother’s (Ann Boleyn) coronation gown. Miranda knows this is her opportunity to escape the shackles of convention and get out of a marriage to Lord Seagrave and instead establish an independent life at Court as the Queen’s seamstress. But how will she reunite with Henry Raleigh, the man to whom she was once promised, and has always loved?

With sophisticated writing, an eye for historically accurate detail, and a flair for suspense, Jacqueline Kolosov re-creates the intrigues of Elizabethan society with a vividness and immediacy that will make teen readers recall the pleasures and tensions of their own lives.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Life for Miranda, though not necessarily luxurious, has always been happy. With her father's death abroad, however, she quickly learns that her happiness is of little concern to the adults who control her life. Because there is no money for her dowry, her marriage to Henry Raleigh is called off, and she is sent to live with the parsimonious Countess Turbury far away from her family. The 16-year-old feels a glimmer of hope for something better when the Countess is asked to bring her to Queen Elizabeth I's court. There she befriends several of the other maidens with whom she lives, but petty jealousies and competitiveness over who gets to marry which man threaten her future at court. Miranda, a talented seamstress, desperately hopes that the Queen will not force her to marry the dodgy old man Countess Turbury has chosen for her. Her only hope lies in gaining the monarch's favor, which she hopes to do by faithfully replicating Anne Boleyn's coronation gown so that Queen Elizabeth can wear it during a celebration of her mother's coronation month. This complex novel, similar in theme to Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One (HarperCollins, 2009), is written with great style and is full of period details. The swift conclusion is its only unsatisfying element.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; First Edition edition (June 9, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1423112458
  • ISBN-13: 978-1423112457
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #968,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, June 9, 2009
This review is from: A Sweet Disorder (Hardcover)
This is a charming book for both teens and adult. The setting is Elizabethan England. The protagonist is a 16 yo girl, Miranda.

The prose if light and richly detailed at the same time. Once you start reading, you become immersed in the historical detail. This is historical fiction "lite". Enough detail to give the book authenticity and richness without weighing down the subject matter.

I enjoy a little romance with my fiction, and this book has a lovely, clean romance thrown in as well. I thought the ending was a bit rushed. The elderly suitor/bad guy was very stereotypical. But this minor issues were not enough to detract from my enjoyment.

I would say this is a G rated take on Philiipa Gregory's Elizabethan novels.


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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars BLT Reviews, July 29, 2009
This review is from: A Sweet Disorder (Hardcover)
Dripping with historical detail, true love, a court full of ghastly gossip, a demanding queen, and lovable characters, A Sweet Disorder had me captivated from the very first page. I had a wonderful time reading this book and I forgot how much I love historical fiction set in the courts of England. Kolosov made the English palace, with all its splendor and danger, come to life. Not only do you get to relive lively jousting tournaments, dodge sneaky courtiers, but experience the height of tradition-arranged marriages. Since Miranda is a good seamstress, my favorite parts of the book was hearing about the elaborate dresses and wardrobes worn by the courtiers and the Queen. Besides the drama of the courts, A Sweet Disorder mentions many figures in history and is a great example of how we lived back in the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603). With her poetic easy to-read writing style, Kolosov has captured the true light of the sixteenth century and best of all, created a sweet disorder of high society, fashion, scandals, and innocent romance.
A Sweet Disorder is sure to make you fall in love with the past.


Jacqueline Kolosov is the author of two books for young adults, including The Red Queen's Daughter, and several volumes of poetry. She is a professor of creative writing at Texas Tech University.


Age Group: 13+ Content: None
Recommend? Yes
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely historical novel about a teen girl's life in Elizabethan England., May 24, 2009
This review is from: A Sweet Disorder (Hardcover)
After her father dies in December 1579 while on a trip to Ireland for Queen Elizabeth I, shortly before her sixteenth birthday, Miranda Molyneux must face unpleasant changes in her life. Her hope for a possible engagement to Henry Raleigh is ended because of the debts her father left behind. And worst of all, she must leave her family, for she is sent to live with her father's relative, the earl of Turbury, and his wife, the countess. The countess is a very strict and religious woman, and Miranda finds little joy in her life there. The countess even disapproves of her embroidery, believing that wearing only simple clothing is part of living a godly life.

Life again changes for Miranda when the countess brings her to Elizabeth I's court. Life at court, with its banquets, festivities, and elegant clothing is a welcome relief in many ways from the monotony, dreariness, and religious severity of life at Turbury. But she quickly learns that court is a complicated place full of people looking out for their own self-interests and who will do whatever is necessary to gain wealth and influence. Miranda quickly makes both friends and enemies, and is reunited with Henry Raleigh. The reunion makes her long even more that things didn't have to change and they could still marry. But the countess wants to marry Miranda off to Lord Seagrave, a man whom Miranda instantly dislikes and knows she would have a miserable life with.

Jacqueline Kolosov brings to life the world of Elizabethan England in this elegant novel, Her writing style is lovely and detailed, with great attention paid to the clothing, food, and other aspects of life at the time. Miranda is a sympathetic heroine and readers will feel for her plight and hope for her to get her happy ending. I highly recommend A Sweet Disorder to readers, both teen and adult, who love historical fiction.
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