TIME WINDOWS by Kathryn Reiss had an intricate plot, a great deal of suspense, dashes of humor and took a little too much work to figure out. However, Ms.. Reiss definitely wove a story that was worth reading. A kind of original book, the main plot is a girl who moves into a cursed house finds a dollhouse that replays scenes through its windows of people who lived in the house before her. Soon her own "Mither" (weird) is acting like the women in the scenes from the doll house and getting touchier, meaner and more hostile. Miranda solves the mystery behind the evil that is exerted over all the women along with a boy across the street and as she changes the past, she also changes the future. A good read, fascinating for people who like to think. For someone who just wants to read a book and not have to stop, turn back a few pages, and get a headache, this book is a no-no. I rate it a 4 out of 5. Ms. Reiss deserves it.

this book is an amazing thing to read. kathryn plots it well, and everything is all tied together in one way or another in the end. if you skip 1 paragraph you'll become lost because kathryn doesn't put in all of the boring detail that is in most other books. she keeps you interested, and wondering what in the world'll happen next. you can never tell what's going to happen or when, because there's no way. something just hits miranda when you thought it wouldn't. time windows isn't kathryn's only thrilling book, either. THE GLASS HOUSE PEOPLE is also an awesome one, although this is more twisting and more mind-boggling. it's the only science-fiction book i've ever liked. it really makes you wonder where to draw the line between fantasy- and reality.

I Love reading it is a passion of mine! When I read a book even if I like it alot, I have a hard time reading it again. I tend to skip parts and I don't enjoy it that much cause I know what is going to happen. I have read this book two times and I'm in the middle of the third. It has not yet ceased to grab my fears, curiosities, and emotions. I love this book. I get lost in it and have a hard time not losing myself totaly! Like Miranda I fell it calling to me though in her case the mysteries of the enchanted dollhouse had her wrapped up and lost. For those who have not read this book Buy it or check it out. Anyone would like this book. Kathrine Reiss has a amazing talent. I intend to look for more novels written by her. This book may be on the reading level of 9-12 years of age, but I'm 14 and can guarantee would capture the attention of all ages young and old!!!!!

I first read Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion when I was eight years old. I fell in love with the Trixie Belden series immediately. I'm almost 22 now, and I own through Book 20 with a few more from the more recent books. I would dearly love to find copies of the remaining books (up to 39). Not only do I still like to read these books, but I plan to pass my collection down to my own children.

Just a note, Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion was written by Julie Campbell, not Kathryn Kenny. Julie Campbell is the author of the first six Trixie Belden books. Kathryn Kenny picked up the Trixie Belden series with Book 7, Trixie Belden and the Mysterious Code.

Like most of the other reviewers, I started reading them when I was young, got hooked and have continued reading them. I packed them up when we moved about 10 years ago and recently was thrilled to discover my box with 34 titles in it, so thrilled in fact I had to re-read them all, in sequence. Then I had to pack them up again but now, at long last, they are in a place of honor in my new bookcase (which, by the way has a shelf of exactly the right height for Trixie Belden books). The local library recently removed from circulation an almost complete set (1-34,36,39) if you can believe it. Unfortunately I got there too late to get the two I was missing and only managed to get a duplicate of #1 which was extremely tattered. I went back a few days later and someone had cleaned them out of the rest of the set. The Trixie Belden series actually furthered my education more than once. Want to know about Arizona? the Hudson River Valley? Williamsburg? More than once I've been sent to my encyclopedias (doesn't that date me?) to look up something I read in my Trixies. I raise my voice with the rest of you--REPRINT NOW!

This was one of my favorites. Even though Jim has been adopted by the Wheeler's family, for him to find a true relative seems to bring him a contentment that he has always deserved. The story is pretty simple and straightforward; a newspaper notice searching for ownership of property brings forth a young woman who is Jim's long lost cousin, Juliana. She becomes involved with the Bob-Whites and is accepted into the Wheeler's home and affections. A seemingly unrelated occurance brings in a new character, Janie, who is recovering from injuries that have left her without her memory. Trixie's involvement in Janie's recovery, and her desire to help Janie discover her past revive more than expected and bring back a character almost forgotten by all but the most dedicated Trixie Belden fans. I first started reading Trixie Belden books in the early 1970's, and adored every book I read. Now that my daughter has started reading chapter books I am eager to introduce her to my favorite childhood series. I adored the youthful angst of Trixie, her fallabilities, but mostly her determination, whether it be in finding the solution to the current mystery, or her belief in her own future as a detective. I, too, would love to see the series reprinted although I realize they would be conspicuously out of date with current technology. However, I would not like to see any revamping to them done, as it would probably change the stories and characters beyond recognition. Hopefully, I as well as many of the others here will be able to find and once again read all these cherished classics.

This book is just a terrific read. From the first page, Ms. Harvey just draws you into the worlds of not only the main character, but the subplots are pretty enticing, as well.

This book, along with the sequel, "Stars" (which you MUST read if you have read this book, and vice versa) are on my permanent summer reading list - books I re-read each year. Love, lust, revenge, redemption - it's all here. One of the best things about these books is that there is a sense of closure once you complete both volumes, unlike many novels which seem to end before the story is complete. Highly recommended!

This is a smut book with a plot. The twists and turns keep you guessing to the very last page. The intricate way in which several different storylines all weave together is absolutely brilliant, I kept turning back to reread past chapters only to reabsorb each juicy detail. I read this for the first time about 8 years ago, and my paperback copy is so worn I may have to replace it! If you start this one, be prepared for the housework to suffer, you will not want to interrupt this amazing story of deception, lust, greed, passion, and sex aplenty!

If possible, I would give way more than 5 stars; this book is that good. The way Ms. Harvey weaves such a realistic fictional story into the very fabric of the world we live in is phenominal! The characters come alive as only talented authors can manage. This book is an inspiration not so much for revenge, but to really strive and work to accomplish your most desired dreams. It makes you realize what's possible in the long run for sacrifices made today... Okay, okay, not to mention the steamy sexuality, political and strategic conspiracies, and the intense writing style that puts you right THERE in the story with the characters! This is the most well-rounded, COMPLETE book I've ever read- and it's not just for women! I have to say, the story has actually been a motivational one for me, and has inspired me to accomplish goals that, before reading this book, I would have viewed as unattainable or as having too many obstacles to even try. Just wonderful!

Although it has been over a year scince i read this book, i still clearly remember how much i loved it. I was drawn to do a search on this title becuase i am looking for the book to give as a birthday gift. My best friend has loved this book for years and she has read it so many times that she has been forced to use both scotch and duct tape to repare the cover of the book. My friend and i are both 16, and although this book is written for 12-13 year olds, i have no shame in telling you that this a tremendous book. The reader will be instintly sucked into the plot and characters and will feel a wide range of emotions. One moment i was full of admiration for Jared and the next i could feel nothing but disgust for Clementine, the past life of Molly. All in all, i would definitly recomend this well written book!

This book is one of my absolute favorites. If I were a producer, I would get this story into a movie without a second thought. The book is about a young girl named Molly who has waterphobia eversince she was little. One day, she met her best friend's cousin, Jared, and when they were a party together, she gets thrown into a pool by HIM. Ever since then, she starts seeing hallucinations while she's awake, other than just the bad dreams she's been having before. Read it, I totally recommend it. It's one of the best stores, I think.

I read this for the first time in 6th grade. It was being sold at my school book fair, and so I was introduced to it this way. I remember in past years looking for it, and it is a little hard to find, but websites like these make it readily available so it's not as much of a problem.

Anyway, the storyline is pretty gripping, though can be a little monotonous and long. There are two styles of writing in this book. There is the third person narrative of the author in present day, and then the voice of Clementine, a girl from the past reliving her life through memories. It's not at all confusing, since it is divided into chapters and you can obviously tell the historical sections from the present day ones, but some chapters get a little lengthy.

The main character, Molly, is mentioned in other books by Kathryn Reiss. If you have ever read her other stories, you will recognize some of the character's names and attitudes/personalities. This makes it nice because you know it's all connected in some way or another. Makes it a little more predictable, but familiar. I like this quality in her books.

The storyline in general isn't all that complicated, but relies a little much on a subtle imagination. It doesn't take much to figure things out in this book, and the ending really isn't surprising at all. In fact, it's almost expected. But it's fitting and so it doesn't ruin the story at all.

I would recommend this to young adults, those who like small and simple ghost stories, or those who just want a pretty fast read to get away from things. It's pretty easy reading and goes relatively quickly, only about 250 pages or so.

This book remains one of my childhood favorites, and my friends have often noted how much they liked it in the past as well.

I will not repeat what other reviewers have said about this classic learner's dictionary. It has been a valuable reference for ESL students for many decades. I own several learner's dictionaries published recently (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 4th Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and Collins Cobuild 3rd edition) and some of them have features this one does not have. But I still use this dictionary a lot and will continue to use it. I hope a new edition of it will come out soon.

I have recently bought the millenium edition (hardbound) of this book. In my scientific studies (I study Scientology which uses a precise study technology that demands a good dictionary to look up misunderstood words) a good dictionary is vital.
This one has been very helpful to me as it gives precise yet comprehensible definitions. This is maybe the most important point of all.
I found it very easy to look up a word i did not understand and gain a conceptual understanding of that word after a short period of time. The definitions just make sense and are not too complicated and confusing.
It also includes example sentences and idioms and information for the further usage of a particular word.
It also has a section with colored pictures (maps, categories such as clothing, food, animals etc.) that provide a picture of the real thing that the word represents - a quite useful tool for foreigners and non native speakers like me.

If you are currently studying english, reading english texts (but have a limited vocabulary) or just don't want to run into too many complexities when using a dictionary and don't want to be too confused but you just want to know the meaning of a word and understand it, then this is the right dictionary for you.

As it is a dictionary for "learners" it does not include things like etymology and syllables (the only negative points), technical definitions (although it includes some where their appearance is reasonable) etc.

But it includes phonetic symbols at the bottom of each page and has, as all dictionaries, a section wich explains each symbol and abbreviation that can appear in an entry.
If there would appear some symbol or abbreviation in the entry that you wouldn't understand, you would find it easy to find its meaning as everything in this dictionary is exactly where you would consider it to be.
So you don't fool around loosing time and getting frustrated. I think the editors of some dictionaries assume that you already know all these symbols but include their definitions anyway in a very complicated way.

Not with this one.
I highly recommend this dictionary. You can buy it without reservations.
But...you should have a second one with etymologies at hand.

No other book on my bookshelf is more worn out. I use it all the time. When I started to study English I used to use an English / Portuguese (my first language) dictionary but I could only actually improve my English when I started using the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

The dictionary has lots of pictures (over 1700) for words that can be explained but for which a picture is much more effective like "hinge". The words have a pronunciation guide with a mark (') showing the main stress. There are many useful appendixes like irregular verbs conjugation, usage of numbers, punctuation, family relationships and a few colorful maps.

Over 220 usage notes clarify the subtle differences among words such as dealer trader and merchant. Although it's mainly a British English dictionary the differences in spelling, use or pronunciation between American English and British English are stressed.

By far the most interesting feature is the extremely reduced defining vocabulary constituted of 3500 words. The great majority of definitions are written using that reduced defining vocabulary. This simplifies the definitions and it's a great starting vocabulary for the beginners. The use of such a small defining vocabulary rules out the use of this dictionary as a thesaurus but the advantages compensate this drawback.

My copy is a paper back that has been reinforced with adhesive tape. This makes the dictionary lighter and handy. I used to put it on my back pack and take it to all my classes when I started college in USA.

The drawbacks are the need of an additional thesaurus and the fact that the entries are not syllabified. Nevertheless I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Leonardo Alves - December 2000

IT projects are increasingly complex. A number of different models have been developed over the years including the CMM model. However, these do not fit many real world situations. What has been lacking are sources that address the real world issues that IT and business managers face. This book stands out from other project management books because it deals with maintenance, enhancement, development, and management of resources using modern tools. This is an important book because it contains so much useful information. The book also provides guidelines for measuring projects, presenting projects, and working with business managers on IT issues. We use it across our over 50 projects.

I have applied methods in this book and a related seminar to a number of real projects and have gotten excellent results. I am not an IT person and was placed in charge of systems. The book helped me to plan and execute a huge IT project from scratch.I have 12 staff who were applications programmers of which 2 were analysts. I divided their tasks and attached them to users per the ideas in the book. The approach was applied to enhancements, new systems for tender evaluation and purchasing, and hardware. Per the methods of the book, all arising matters with management, vendors, and users were seen as issues and not as problems. By the team approach we were able to sack one person and reassign his roles. A 4 year project was finished in 2 years. Hardware and WAN were completed in two months. Right now we are planning a project to reach out to the remotest plantations that we own that is another 170 areas. We are using the book here as well. The key idea here is that the methods in this book are different and WORK.

This book was already one of the more innovative and useful project management books for IT. Our organization has adopted the approach of the book with success in managing both IT projects, regular IT work, and engineering projects. We have over two years experience with the approach. The second edition adds substantial new material in budgeting, issues, multiple projects, dealing with risk, and evaluation of milestones. Milestone evaluation and QA/testing are addressed through selection of which milestones to evaluate based on risk and importance. This is a good approach because it forces people to determine what milestones to evaluate in detail early in planning and the project. The budgeting approach is also based upon managing risk. Estimation of tasks is based on determining what issues are behind specific tasks. This isolates uncertainty to specific tasks and eases the estimation effort. There is an innovative method for analyzing issues for multiple projects that we have put to use already. The issue analysis allows you to determine your approach to addressing specific issues that cross multiple projects. There are also additional guidelines for e-commerce as well. Overall, an excellent new edition.

It's 1903, and Zipporah Feldman, her older sisters Miriam and Tovah, and their mother have come to join Papa in New York City, fleeing the persecution of Jews in their small Russian village. As she struggles to adjust to the American way of life, fit in at her new school, and learn English, Zippy, as she is calld, writes in her diary of how her father is becoming more American every day, Miriam is in love with a Catholic boy, Tovah is obsessed with fighting for better labor condition, and Mama attempts to keep traditional Jewish ways. Over one and a half years, we see how Zippy grows and matures. She experiances tragedies and losses, makes new friends, learns English, adapts many American ways, and persues her dreams of becoming an actress. I highly reccomend this wonderful book.

Zippy Feldman is a Jewish immigrant who immigrates to "the golden country" with her mother and two sisters (Miriam and Tovah) to live with her father. She meets many different people and becomes aquainted with the theater business. She learns English and is able to help her friend Blu Wolf, who has to help her mother at home with the other children. I love these books and I recommend them to anyone who likes a good read!

I read this book called Dreams in the Golden Country. It is a historical fiction book. The author Kathryn Lasky challenged me a little because I always thought Dear America books were kind of hard but I took a challenge and read it. Some of the words were kind of hard but as I read parts of it, I understood it later.
My favorite character was Zipporah. She was very talented and had goals, like me. Her family would always fight because her dad came to America before them and changed a lot. Zipporah was an immigrant that was Jewish. She was around the age of 12 years old. I like the part when she was talking about her acting days because her dream was to be an actress. I didn't like the part when her friend Mamie died during a fire. It was very depressing to me and Zipporah I also didn't like the part when her friend Blu's father abandoned her family when her mother was just giving birth to the third child. It was very sad when Zipporah's little brother died when he was just a baby because he was born a little early and his lungs weren't strong enough.

In his preface, J. Michael Straczynski describes this book as "a remarkable achievement . . . a breathtaking accomplishment". In fairness, however, let's remember that the novel was written by his wife about his universe!

Drennan does a very good job of imagining the difficulties of Sinclair's transition from Babylon 5 commander to Earth ambassador to Entil'zha. She also fills in Marcus Cole's backstory. The problem with this type of novel is that, being backstory of familiar characters, it's very difficult to generate suspense. Any Fiver reading this novel already knows the outcome of the Shadow attack on the Arisia mining colony, for instance.

However, Drennan does make Sinclair an interesting and compelling character (much more so than I found him onscreen). Other characters don't fare so well. Marcus' whole life up to his being on Arisia is summarized in a single page; his interactions with his brother William are just interesting enough to make you want a little more depth.

The plot is serviceable, most interesting when it focuses on Sinclair; there's some quiet humor as he tries to adjust to life on Minbar. Action sequences are good, and we finally learn the details of the attack on Arisia and where Sinclair got that scar on his face. The climactic mission, however, lacks punch. Most dedicated Fivers will be able to predict its outcome.

The prose style is competent, but pedestrian; I was ready to scream when "the Minbari penchant for the half-truth" was alluded to for the umpteenth time.

These caveats aside, this is an enjoyable book for the "Bab5" fan (and also--alas!--the only one likely to feature Marcus Cole as a character). It's considered canonical for the series and does fulfill its mission of rounding out Jeffrey Sinclair's story. A "breathtaking accomplishment" it's not. A competently-written,good solid read for "Babylon 5" fans--most definitely.

One of the most difficult problems faced by authors writing books based on television shows is being able to truely capture the essence of that show and it's charactors. Although the story may be wonderfully written, there are many times when I read these type of books where I really don't feel like these are the same charactors I have come to know and love on the TV show. Kathrynn Drennan has the wonderfully rare gift of being truely able to capture the essences of both the show itself and the charactors therein. "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" focuses on what happened to Commander Sinclair after he was assigned to Minbar, as well as his engagement to Catherine Sakai. It also shows us how Marcus Cole came to join the Rangers. This book is excellently written and you can truely believe you are reading about these same charactors. The story answered many questions but also asked just enough to make you want more! I would love to see Ms. Drennan write a follow-up book involving Babylon 4 and Sinclair's transformation to Valen.

A very involved story about the creation of the Rangers, and the preceding events. We get to see Marcus Cole and his brother, and how they are brought together only to be tragically separated. Catharine Sakai continues her work as a surveyer while Jeffrey Sinclair finds out his promotion was something else he expected. Of course a lot more happens, but you can read about it yourself.

The events in the book are mainly taking place during the time from "Chrysalis" upto "Matters of Honor". While the events are happening on Minbar (revealing a lot of the Minbari culture), they seemlessly fit into the 'grand' picture happening on Babylon 5 simultaneously.

Although in style different ('traditional' written prose style) than the previous book Personal Agendas (with its 'filmy' atmosphere), the very involved story, totally built on 'actual' events, keeps the interest up very well and there is nothing unimportant you could leave out.

With its 337 pages the book is more than worth its price. There is also a 4-page introduction to the book by jms.

"I'll try and do anything and be anything you want if only you'll keep me." This is how "Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery begins.
Anne Shirley is a twelve-year-old girl who is brought to Green Gables only to find they were expecting a boy. The Cuthberts however, are one over by this queer, imaginative girl with bright, red hair and decide to allow her to stay.
Green Gables is a lovely, little farm just outside of a small town on Prince Edward Island called Avonlea. It is surrounded by fields and forests, which hold many surprises for adventurous Anne.
Throughout this book Anne's fierce temper and wild imagination often get the better of her, but she usually manages to squeeze out of these scrapes.
Anne's melodramatic nature and fiery temper keeps you interested as you read this marvelous book.
Montgomery's humorous writing style gives life to the characters so that you feel like you are meeting them in person.
I think that this was a wonderful book filled with humor, drama and tears. I would recommend this book to anyone that has ever had a dream and loves a good book.

If you were an orphan and all your life you continued to move from house because no one wanted to keep you,then finally,all of a sudden you find someone who actually likes you and wants you. That's exactly what L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Grenn Gables is about.

Anne Shirely is a smart talkative,very imaginative little girl who lived all over until one day the Cuthberts of Avonlea,Canada adopted her. Deciding to kepp her didn't come easily. They finnally did decide and she was so happy about it. During her stay she got into lots of trouble. Anne then has something that happens that is very nice but sad. In order to find out whatg happened,you will have to read the book.

I liked Anne of Green Gable because the character was very smart and had a big imagination. I also liked it because the plot was excellent. I recommend the book to anyone who is into reading stories with lots of plots and if so you will sure love this book!

Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorite books. Anne is a person almost everyone can relate to in some way or another. Anne is launched into the "depths of despair" as soon as she finds out the horrible truth that the Mathew and Marilla really sent for a boy from the orphanage. Her fiery temper gets the better of her at some of the worst possible times. Such as when she vows that she will never forgive Gilbert Blythe for calling her carrots, as if smashing a slate over his head is not enough. This is a wonderful book that L. M. Montgomery has really shown her skill as a writer and novelist in. I have read the entire Anne of Green Gables Series and am also, like another reader, saving them all for my daughter some day. If you want a book that you can thoroughly enjoy, this is the one, although I have one warning that you may have a hard time putting it down.

The year is 1769; the place, Austria. The pressure is on thirteen-year-old Maria Antonia, youngest daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa, to excell so that she will be chosen to marry the future king of France. Antonia, as she is called, must learn French language, fashions, customs, and etiquette so that she can impress the king's messengers. She is given no time to act her age; when she does attempt to enjoy life as a girl should, she is severely punished. When she is sent away to France, her life is little better - she makes enemies of the mistress of the current king, who is the grandfather of her husband-to-be. She is forced to observe customs she can barely keep straight. And she is having a hard time getting along with her fiance. I viewed Marie Antoinette differently after reading this book. It was obvious from the book and the afterword that Marie and her husband were not trained well by their parents and teachers on how to become good rulers, and Marie had been taught from the time she was young that the most important thing was to look good. This is most likely why they became such bad rulers and ended up losing their lives.

This book, Marie Antoinette, was written by Kathryn Lansky. It was set in the years 1769-1770,when Marie Antoinette was a young teenage girl, growing up in the palace of her mother, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria.

In the first part of the book, Marie Antoinette's mother is trying to make a match between her and the Dauphin, Prince Louis 16th of France. Marie must have her portrait done and learn French etiquette (which she thinks is very boring) if she is to become the Queen of France. Thankfully, she has her riding lessons, which she loves. After the plans for the wedding are set, she must prepare to go to France, to marry Louis and join the French court as his wife. She tells in her diary of all the endless preparations to be made for the journey, like being fitted for fancy new French dresses. Then when Marie goes to France, she must adapt to the ways of the French court. For example, when she eats meals with her husband, she is watched by thousands of courtiers. She really hates being displayed in front of everyone like an animal in a cage! But she does enjoy horseback riding with Louis.

There are some really neat things about this book. First, the author wrote this book in diary form, with the date and year at the top of each quote just like a real diary. Second, when you read Marie's diary it is just like she is talking to you about her innermost thoughts and feelings. She tells you the sad, lonely, angry and the happy times that happened in her life. Third, the author did a great job explaining the book in great detail. For example, when Marie had to have her hair done for a fancy ball, afterwards she had to sleep with her hair on a board, to preserve the hairstyle! Another example is when she taught her young prince husband how to throw a snowball for the very first time. I love the way the author wrote this book in such a fun way to read!

This diary book has a blue and gold cover just like the one in the story. The edges of the pages are a beautiful gold color. On the front of the book, there is a beautiful picture of Marie Antoinette all dressed up for a ball. There is a section in the back of the book that has historical facts, plus pictures of Marie Antoinette and her family, where you can see how big their fancy ball dresses really were!

This diary tells of the events of Marie's life as a teenager, as well as her thoughts and feelings as an 18th century princess. Marie Antoinette was a very pretty, fun-loving girl who is really interesting to read about. This book shows how girls today are the same and different from girls back then, in an exciting, fun-to-read way.

Written about the "headstrong" Austrian archduchess Maria Antonia (as the future Queen of France was called as a child), this book portrays her as a girl who wants to be herself. Tired of her mother's incessant attempts to mold her into a beautiful, ladylike Queen, Maria Antonia just wants a chance to develop her own character and make decisions for herself. This book also deals with Maria Antonia's marriage to Louis XVI, the Dauphin (or Crown Prince) of France. Maria Antonia has been meticulously prepped so that she will make a good impression on the Dauphin and his grandfather, the incumbent French monarch. However, when she actually meets her fiance, Maria Antonia discovers to her shock (and horror) that he is not at all handsome and that he is overweight--which is completely the opposite of what she was expecting him to look like. But Maria Antonia and her husband grow closer throughout the final third of the book and become good friends at last. They are on the verge of falling in love when the book ends. Maria Antonia also has to deal with Countess du Barry, the King's mistress. Du Barry is unfriendly to Maria Antonia and goes out of her way to insult the young Dauphine. In spite of this, Maria Antonia is expected to talk to du Barry and be courteous to her--which the Dauphine refuses to do. The book also talks about Maria Antonia's bond with her older sister Elizabeth, who was once a great beauty but whose skin is now scarred as a result of smallpox. Titi, or Theresa, who is Maria Antonia's seven-year-old niece (the daughter of her older brother Joseph and his late wife Isabella of Parma), is also a close friend of the Archduchess. A principal character in this book is Queen Maria Theresa (Maria Antonia's mother), who is controlling and strict (but not cruel). This book interested me in the history of the Habsburg family (of which Maria Antonia was a member). The author aptly describes the scenery of Maria Antonia's home(s) in Austria--expertly enough so that I could recognize every single landmark mentioned in the book when I visited Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, coincidentally a few days after I finished the book. An excellent read!