Sullivan, Laura L. Ladies In Waiting.

Sullivan, Laura L.  Ladies In Waiting.    Houghton Mifflin/ Harcourt Brace  328p    $16.99      978-0-547-58129-3       ms/hs       VG    Historical Fiction

In this novel three Elizabeths (Zabby, Beth, and Eliza) are sent to the court of Charles II by their parents for different reasons.  Eliza wants to be a playwright for the King’s Theater, but her father wants her to marry well so he will have an influence at court.  Zabby comes to court from the Islands so that she can further her scientific studies and gain access to the King’s laboratory.  Beth is a poor noble girl whose mother is putting her on the marriage market to further the family's status.

The court is teeming with mysteries, schemes, and jealousies, along with allegiances made and broken daily.  Into this drama King Charles welcomes his new bride, Queen Catherine.  The three Elizabeths befriend the queen and becoming her ladies in waiting.

The daily intrigues and doings of the three ladies will provide the reader with chuckles and despair as they follow their future.  Life at court is exciting as they deal with the theater, love affairs, and overly determined mothers.  Readers will not want to put the book down until it is finished.

This historical novel will be a good addition to any collection that needs Great Britain history.  It will show readers the everyday activities of court life.  However, it was not recommended for our "Books of Note" category because of the lack of author notes and historical notes, which would have helped readers understand the jargon and timeline of the Court.

English courts-Fiction, King Charles II-Fiction, Great Britain-Fiction,                                                                   --Linda McNeil

Sullivan, Laura L. Guardian of the Green Hill.

Sullivan, Laura L.  Guardian of the Green Hill.  Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, 2011.  292p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-8050-8985-1 ms/hs VG-BN Fantasy    

      This is the sequel to Under the Green Hill.  Meg realizes that she is to be the next Guardian, and her contradictory desires do battle with each other.  There are plenty of familiar mythical and made-up beings to delight the fantasy lover.  It is a few days after the end of the previous book.  Meg is conflicted about going home or becoming the new Guardian.  Gwidion, a relative,  is trying to claim the leadership role for himself.  All he needs to do is to paint a picture of a weak Phyllida to control her actions.  Meg is forced into action when little brother James is stolen.  There are many new fantastic creatures, and more fairies are introduced.  There are suspense, action, tricks and treachery, and a satisfying conclusion.
     Sullivan paints a clear word picture of the many fantastical creatures and the habits of fairies.  She also does well at describing emotions and motivations.  It is a wonderful world she has created in the English countryside.
     I wish that more of a review of the events in the first book had been provided, either in the beginning of chapter 1 or in an introduction.  Having had a year elapse since reading the first book, it took a while before I remembered all the characters and events in it, and a review would have helped in making sense of the story.

Joan Theal

Sullivan, Laura L. Under the Green Hill

Sullivan, Laura L. Under the Green Hill
Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2010 308p 16.99 978-0-8050-8984-4 ms/hs Fairies E-BN


Six children are sent to the English countryside to avoid a rampant fever in the States. This is a special place where the fairy kingdoms keep the world alive. It is also the year of the Fairy War and the children become involved.
Meg and Rowan with two more siblings and two friends are sent to spend the summer with distant relatives in the English countryside when a fever is rampant in the United States. This particular location is the center of two Fairy Kingdoms. Every seventh year at Midsummer╒s Eve there is a fairy war and human blood must be shed to maintain the vitality of all living things. The children arrive on May Day and are warned not to leave the grounds. They disobey, watch the fairy procession and Rowan is chosen to be the champion of one kingdom. Hiding this information from the relatives, Rowan trains to fight on Midsummer╒s Eve. Meg desperately want to prevent Rowan from fighting, especially when she finds out who the other champion will be. This occupies the children most of the time through May and into June. The two other children do research on fairies. One in the library, and the other throughout the woods. After all the buildup for the war, the actual fighting is over in one paragraph. The ending of the book involves fairy magic and provides a neatly wrapped up happy ending.
Very well written with wonderful description and character development. Middle school students will love it. Fantasy Theal, Joan

Sullivan, J. Courtney. Commencement

Sullivan, J. Courtney Commencement
Vintage see Random 2009 419p 14.95
978-0-307-45496-6 college E
Four young women continue their friendship after graduating from college. Each has a destiny to follow and as their new life unfolds they try to support each other whether they agree or not. Four young women from different part of the states come together as freshman and forge a friendship that will continue even after they graduate from college. Celia the writer in the group introduces us to her best friends, April, always on the path searching for the truth and ready to document it, Sally wealthy and eager to face life as a professional but ultimate choosing to marry and have a child, and then there is Bree, beautiful, gorgeous Bree, confused as to her sexuality and choosing doomed love affairs.
Together they continue their friendship and support each other whether they agree with the choices their friends make or not.
Each character gets a chance to tell her story and they are interweaved so that the reader gets to know all the characters and how each life affects the other characters and although there are strange moments of tension, fear and danger but ultimately friendship wins out.
An excellent story but not for high school. Diaz, Magna
Young college women - Female friendship - United States - Social conditions