Author Sandra Gulland dabbles her hand in the YA genre with her latest historical fiction novel, The Game of Hope.
Set in 18th century France, the book follows protagonist, step-daughter to Napoleon Bonaparte, Hortense de Beauharnais. At 15 she has survived what is known as The Reign of Terror, in which she witnessed much brutality, and endured sorrow, but her disposition remains hopeful, and her music keeps her steady.
Written in the first person, the author does take liberties with the storyline interweaving some facts into the novel reflecting on two years of Hortense’s life before her step-father became Emperor.
Through her relationship with others, Hortense is portrayed as a kind, creative, and compassionate character. Her progression into womanhood is written with naiveté one would expect from young ladies of that time, who unfortunately don’t have much say or options for their future. There are some humorous and joyous moments within the novel, but the overall tone of the book stays more on the melancholy side, which probably represents the life of the protagonist best. Recommended for readers who enjoy period pieces with a light touch of romance, The Game of Hope garners interest into the lesser known compatriots with Napoleon Bonaparte’s life.
Review of an Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Penguin
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations.
Violence/Gore: A few (about 4) incidents of violence being humorous; about 5 reports of violent altercations including battle reports, past beheadings, and discovery of suicide; ~ 2 events of injuries due to war violence; ~ 2 scenes involving violence including a girl punching another girl.
Sex/Nudity: Several (10+) scenes of teen female(s) innocently and naively discussing sexual relations within and out of marriage as well as homosexuality; 1 extended scene (about 2 pages) in which characters discuss sex (non-mature manner); teen female moons her classmates; a few reports or incidents of kiss on hand/mouth and/or embrace. Note: within the culture it is not unusual for young teenage girls to marry adult men.
Mature Subject Matter:
War, death/execution, imprisonment.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Underage (under 18) and adults drink alcohol throughout novel.
