I haven’t read anything about Carolyn Meyer for a few years, but I have fond memories of her books growing up. They were pieces of literature that fueled my love of history and historical fiction:
Beware, Princess Elizabeth
Doomed Queen Anne
Mary, Bloody Mary
Patience, Princess Catherine
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess
Isabel: Jewel of Castilla
Kristina: The Girl King of Sweden
She has many other books, featuring Catherine De Medici, Mozart, Charles Darwin, Anne Hathaway, Marie van Goethen, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, Rose Lee Jefferson, Cynthia Ann Parker, Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria and Helen of Troy.
She’s given a voice to many women throughout history and in a way that makes it easy for younger readers to relate to them. She writes about them before they’re powerhouses, when they’re still growing up, just like her readers. She has an excellent skill for writing in a way that lets you become intimately familiar with historical figures. I was fascinated by her work as I grew up and I’m so thankful that she was part of one of the defining literary collections of my childhood. The Royal Diaries, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, is responsible for much of my love of history as a child and Carolyn Meyer penned three volumes in it.
If you have younger readers (7-12), I would highly recommend Meyer’s work to introduce them to the wonderful world of historical fiction.
Thanks for stopping by!
-Erin