A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. by E.L. Konigsburg. (1975). 207p. New York: MacMillan.

Awards and Honors: A National Book Award Finalist, An ALA Notable Children's Book

Review: 

"During her lifetime Eleanor of Aquitaine had not been a patient woman. While she had lived, she had learned to bide her time, but biding one's time is a very different thing from patience. After she had died, and before she had arrived in Heaven, it had been necessary for Eleanor to learn some patience."

So begins E.L. Konigsburg's historical novel about one of the most well-known European rulers of all time, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Though Eleanor is the subject of countless novels and biographies, Konigsburg's highly original premise makes A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver a real standout in Medieval fiction for tweens. Eleanor and a handful of her contemporaries and friends are waiting for her husband Henry to be allowed entry into Heaven. From atop their clouds, they pass the time by gossiping about the trials and and travails of Eleanor's life, providing readers with an engaging and intimate picture of a fascinating woman.

Opinion:
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver is best-suited for readers on the older side of the tween spectrum. Although there is nothing objectionable with the content, the book is fairly sophisticated and may be a challenging read for younger tweens.

Ideas:
This is an obvious choice for inclusion in Medieval European curriculum, and I'd definitely recommend it for students looking for historical fiction.