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Product Description
Quill & Quire
For her newest novel, Martha Brooks draws on her own experiences growing up in a medical family on the grounds of the Manitoba Sanatorium. Nestled in the heart of rural Manitoba, the fictional Pembina Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium is full of fragile souls struggling against illness. At the same time that Canada is sending out its best and bravest to battle the Nazis, the characters in Queen of Hearts are leaving their homes to begin a fight of their own.
When Marie-Claire Côté arrives at the sanatorium, she feels as though she has been ripped from her former life. As the bedridden teenager chases her cure, she is confronted by the realization that the real world is happening “out there.” For Marie-Claire and the other patients, the outside world is an intangible place, but subtle reminders of its existence pepper the plot: there are letters written to and received from young men fighting in the war, infrequent visits from Marie-Claire’s mother, and dreams of a 16th birthday party that will never happen.
Despite strong depictions of fear, frustration, and heartbreaking grief, Queen of Hearts also resonates with beauty and grace. Relationships drive the story forward, and Brooks maintains excellent control of pace. The friendship between Marie-Claire and her roommate is as complicated as it is soulful. Although their initial interactions are strained and awkward, the girls eventually discover the sense of family that both are missing, giving them a reason to fight back against their situation. Simple girlish dreams about dating, clothes, and life outside buoy their spirits, allowing them to rise above their circumstances. Brooks has sculpted a relationship built on resounding honesty, and this relationship becomes the real heart of her story.
Intuitive storytelling, lilting language, and emotional depth coalesce to make Queen of Hearts a moving portrait of hope.
Review
...[readers] will sympathize with the book's prickly heroine... (Publishers Weekly 20100701)
...a careful, graceful novel, robust with sorrow and triumph in equal measure. It will leave the reader with both a chill down the spine and a lump in the throat. (Lucy Silag Globe and Mail 20101008)
...a moving portrait of hope. (Nicola Dufficy Quill & Quire 20100918)
Brooks is rather a 'queen of hearts' herself when it comes to the depiction of a girl's adolescent intelligence, annoyance and desire, and here she works her magic once again. (Deirdre Baker Toronto Star 20100715)
...a story of survival and friendship... (Helen Norrie Winnipeg Free Press 20101115)
...an emotionally rich, stirring story about loss, friendship, love and healing. (Kirkus Reviews 20110701)
...Brooks has been called the premier writer for the older adolescent. As great a compliment as that is, I think that sells her short. (W.D. Valgardson Lögberg-Heimskringla 20110601)
Brooks masterfully re-creates a TB sanatorium through the protagonist's experience and believable characters. A well-drawn, innocent, yet compelling work of historical fiction (Jill Maza School Library Journal 20110701)
Readers will be held by the story's heartbreaking truths, right to the end (Hazel Rochman Booklist )
Much like a play in its discrete, focused scenes, this novel is that rarest of birds, a happily ending, nonsappy young adult romance. (Sarah Ellis Horn Book Magazine )
...a careful, graceful novel, robust with sorrow and triumph in equal measure. It will leave the reader with both a chill down the spine and a lump in the throat. (Lucy Silag Globe and Mail 20101008)
...a moving portrait of hope. (Nicola Dufficy Quill & Quire 20100918)
Brooks is rather a 'queen of hearts' herself when it comes to the depiction of a girl's adolescent intelligence, annoyance and desire, and here she works her magic once again. (Deirdre Baker Toronto Star 20100715)
...a story of survival and friendship... (Helen Norrie Winnipeg Free Press 20101115)
...an emotionally rich, stirring story about loss, friendship, love and healing. (Kirkus Reviews 20110701)
...Brooks has been called the premier writer for the older adolescent. As great a compliment as that is, I think that sells her short. (W.D. Valgardson Lögberg-Heimskringla 20110601)
Brooks masterfully re-creates a TB sanatorium through the protagonist's experience and believable characters. A well-drawn, innocent, yet compelling work of historical fiction (Jill Maza School Library Journal 20110701)
Readers will be held by the story's heartbreaking truths, right to the end (Hazel Rochman Booklist )
Much like a play in its discrete, focused scenes, this novel is that rarest of birds, a happily ending, nonsappy young adult romance. (Sarah Ellis Horn Book Magazine )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical fiction, Aug 21 2011
By J. Prather - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Queen of Hearts (Hardcover)
Queen of Hearts is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction that quite simply blew me away. I had to read it straight through because I was so engaged by the wonderful characters, and was simply mesmerized by the author's ability to so firmly capture a time period and setting. Although this book takes place in Canada during World War II, readers will easily recognize that the wartime themes are universal. You have young men eager to enlist and serve their country, mothers who are heartbroken when their sons never return, and young girls eager to give their hearts to young soldiers. In the midst of all this you also have tuberculosis, a mystery disease that strikes the young and the old, disrupting the lives of Marie Claire and her entire family.There is a lot going on in this story, and it's a testament to the author's incredible talent that she is able to handle so many aspects of the tale with such skill in so few pages. The book has an epic feel to it, without the length. Every piece of dialogue and turn of phrase seems delicately placed to draw the reader in to this story of love, grief, loss and even romance. Marie Claire is incredibly strong and her ability to retain such a firm sense of herself and to hold on to hope in the midst of her tragic circumstances was inspirational. Her relationships with her parents, her roommate, and her boyfriend were all well done and realistically portrayed. There is no room in this story for over the top drama or sappy endings.
This is a great recommend for teen and adult readers. Although it is classified as historical fiction, the characters will appeal to fans of other genres as well. I will not be surprised to see this one show up on a few award lists this year! Don't miss it.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read but..., Mar 12 2012
By C. Baker - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Queen of Hearts (Hardcover)
I agree with all the other 5 star reviews in as much as the book was well researched and full of interesting characters and had a great story line with lots going on. The cover struck my fancy because I liked its 1940's look and the little twist on the playing card theme. I got the connection right away when Oncle Gerrard would call Marie-Claire his little "Queen of Hearts". The book left me guessing though when the pastor came up with all those Queens of Hearts to leave in Marie-Clair's room for her to find. I had to suppose it was due to Oncle Gerrard telling the pastor about Marie-Claire during his stay at the San. I would have given the book a 5 star rating too, except for one thing--THE ENDING.The first review said that there was no room for sappy endings for this book. Considering the subject matter, I would agree with that reviewer. However, I felt that this book came not to a close at the end, but a dead STOP. I'm not asking for a sappy ending--just a proper resolve. What did Marie-Claire find when she went back to spend Christmas with her friend? Did her friend live or die? Did Marie-Claire see her boyfriend again or did he die in a train crash caused by an avalanche on the train ride back to the San after the holidays? [That was the tragic ending I made up to amuse myself after I read the book.] Were Marie-Claire's parents really angry with her for not coming for Christmas? Did they maybe come out to the San to be with her since she wouldn't come to THEM or did they resent her for snubbing them on the new baby brother's first Christmas? ...So many questions. If I had known that the book was going to leave me hanging so badly, I probably would not have bothered to read it. Glad it was a library book. I looked at the Kindle price and the cost of buying the book when I first started it and thought it was too pricy for a short book like that too. JMHO.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great YA Historical Fiction, Jan 7 2012
By Jenn Booksessed - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Queen of Hearts (Hardcover)
I don't know when the last time I read a book set in Canada. Honestly, the only thing that comes to mind is Anne of Green Gables. So when these book called to me from the shelf I gladly picked it up.I felt that the book started a little slowly and that there seemed to be some superfluous information, but it really picked up after a few chapters. I'm really glad that I stuck with it. I didn't really like Marie-Claire as a protagonist initially; her character kind of confused me. But as her illness progresses and she gets angrier about it, the more I liked her. (Which is a very odd sentence to write.)
I really adored the character Signy. She was my favorite, even though when you first meet her character, she comes off as a little annoying and eager to please. I just loved her, and thought that her character was a great juxtaposition to Marie-Claire's.
The love story was really great too. I loved that it grew and evolved. Ultimately, this book wasn't so much about an illness, or "chasing the cure" it was about hope and the importance of having people who care for you in your life.
It was a short book, and it was easy for me to get through in an afternoon. It was a great book to start with coming off my reading hiatus.
My only real complaint, is an odd one. I wasn't crazy about the cover. It's cute, and goes well with the title, but I didn't really make a connection with the book itself until near the end. It's very scene specific. I greatly prefer to paperback edition's cover
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