The Queen's Granddaughter

N.B. Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but this is not a fantasy book. Zahler writes some impressive fantasy titles, but this is definitely historical.

 

Zahler, Diane. The Queen's Granddaughter

March 24, 2026 by Roaring Brook Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Twelve-year-old Blanca is an infanta living in Castile, Spain with her father, Alfonso VIII, and mother, Lenore. When it is announced that her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine will be visiting and taking her older sister, Urraca, to France to marry the dauphin, Louis, Blanca is not happy. She's already lost one sister to marriage, and knows that if Urraca goes to France, she may never see her again. Even though Eleanor is in her late 70s, she is not afraid of a journey, and even arrives early. Blanca tries to paint her older sister as someone who would be unfit to be queen, but is surprised when her grandmother announces that Blanca herself will be Louis' bride! Her sister is angry, and this is not at all what Blanca had intended. She takes some comfort that her best friend, Suna, will go with her, since Suna has no family. Her mother consoles her that it is the fate of princesses to embark on political marriages, and that she herself was married at nine, although it is said in passing that such marriages are not consummated until the bride is of age. Her grandmother says that the choice was made because she liked Blanca's spirit and thought she would be a good queen of France, and also because she doesn't like Urraca's name! Eleanor musters her retinue, and the group sets off for France. It's not an easy trip. There is a snowstorm near Aquitaine, and the group helps to rescue some pilgrims, who are helpful when Eleanor falls ill. Eleanor and Suna are also kidnapped and held for ransom, but manage to escape and take sanctuary in a church. Eventually, soldiers from Castile come and save them, but Eleanor decides that she won't go all the way to France for the wedding, but will instead go to the abbey at Fontevraud to spend the rest of her days. Suna, also, decides to return to Castile after experiencing a lot of anti-Muslim sentiment. Even though it's not ideal, Blanca heads off to France, where she went on to have an impressive career after her marriage to Louis VIII. 
Strengths: One of my favorite books as a middle schooler was Princess of Orange (1966) by Elisabeth Kyle. There was something endlessly appealing about a fictional version of everyday life for a girl destined to be queen that made me read the book again and again. Blanca's adventure on her way to her wedding felt the same way, but with more excitement. I adored the representation of Eleanor of Aquitaine as an older woman still willing to take an epic journey and to wield power over her family. Suna is a completely fictional interpolation, but her inclusion makes sense given Blanca's resistance to her son fighting Muslim's, and gives this a little more diverse look at the past. There are plenty of descriptions of food, travel, and Eleanor's lined face that added to the appeal.
Weaknesess: This really needed Blanca's family tree at the beginning; maybe the final copy will have one. I knew of many of the characters, but could have used a handy reference to how everyone was related, as well as the years when all of this occurred.
What I really think: I no longer have Konigsburg's 1973 A Proud Taste of Scarlet and Miniver or Gregory's 2002 Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine, France, 1136, although I do have Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals books. It's not a topic my readers request a lot, but Zahler's fairy tale based books circulate steadily. I will have to buy a copy anyway, since it made me so happy, and I always have a few voracious readers of historical fiction who can be persuaded to pick up something a little different.