#67: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver

Konigsburg, EL: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1973. Print. 201 pages. 

-

SETTING: Heaven, with flashbacks in England and France.
-

SUMMARY: After nearly eight centuries since her death, Eleanor of Aquitaine has the chance to be reunited with her second husband, King Henry II of England.  To keep her anxiety at bay, Eleanor keeps herself in the company of her mother-in-law and two friends, an abbot and a knight, and begins to reminisce about her life, before, during, and after her marriage to Henry.    

-

FAVORITE QUOTE: "... self-righteous people never look beyond themselves for the reasons that things happen." - Part 2, Chapter 1, page 83.

-

I read this book when I was in middle school and I remember really enjoying it.  I wanted a fun, light, read and unfortunately didn't have time to go to the library when I needed a book, so I thought I'd re-read this and see if I still enjoy it as an adult.
-

Things I liked about this book:

1. The storyline.  This is obviously a book for children because it is written in very simple language.  However, I really enjoyed reading it.  It is a fun concept and story.
2. The setting.  It takes place in the twentieth century in Heaven with people who lived during the twelfth century.  It makes for a great combination.
3. The concept of Heaven and Hell.  The book begins by explaining how one is not automatically accepted into Heaven.  An individual has to first pay penance in Hell for their sins, and only then do they have the chance to move up to Heaven.  Eleanor, for example, spent two centuries in Hell before being accepted into Heaven.
4.  Historical fiction.  One of my favorite genres.

-
I don't have much to say on this book.  As you can see, there is no "dislikes" section in this post.  This is a children's book that I decided to re-read, mostly so I could see if I still liked it as an adult... and I do! 
-
Recommend?  Yes.