Becoming Marie Antoinette

A Novel

By: Juliet Grey

Narrated by: Juliet Grey

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

"Why must it be me?" I wondered. "When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny?"

Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.

Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.

Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike.

Praise for Becoming Marie Antoinette

“A thoroughly enjoyable novel, brimming with delightful details. Grey writes eloquently and with charming humor, bringing ‘Toinette’ vividly to life as she is schooled and groomed - molded, quite literally - for a future as Queen of France, an innocent pawn in a deadly political game.” (Sandra Gulland, best-selling author of Mistress of the Sun and the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy)

“In her richly imagined novel, Juliet Grey meticulously recreates the sumptuous court of France's most tragic queen. Beautifully written, with attention paid to even the smallest detail, Becoming Marie Antoinette will leave readers wanting more!" (Michelle Moran, best-selling author of Madame Tussaud)

“A lively and sensitive portrait of a young princess in a hostile court, and one of the most sympathetic portrayals of the doomed queen.” (Lauren Willig, best-selling author of the Pink Carnation series)

“Wonderfully delectable and lusciously rich, an elegant novel to truly savor. Juliet Grey’s Marie Antoinette is completely absorbing.” (Diane Haeger, author of The Queen’s Rival)

“[A] sympathetic take on the fascinating and doomed Marie Antoinette.” (Publishers Weekly)

©2011 Juliet Grey (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An extremely compelling read. The author blends very intricately detailed research with a narrative that is stunning in its poignancy.” (The Elliott Review)

“Fans of historical fiction will eat this one up. It's engaging, smart and authentic. Grey has done her homework.” (January Magazine)

“A lusciously detailed novel of Marie Antoinette's rise to power and the decadent, extravagant lifestyles of 18th-century Versailles.” (Shelf Awareness)

word cannot describe. A must read!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes and already have.

Who was your favorite character and why?

really? marie of course

Have you listened to any of Juliet Grey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

i like that the author read the story who better to know the charactors

cant wait for the installment!

What made the experience of listening to Becoming Marie Antoinette the most enjoyable?

Rich story, great narration

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator was awesome, covering so many characters well but none better than Marie.

Who was the most memorable character of Becoming Marie Antoinette and why?

Marie of course, so much for a young girl to manage...

Biographical Novels – An Excellent Way to Learn!

I am only 16% of the way into the book but my opinion won’t change by the time I reach the end: I love it!

Paraphrasing myself from my review of The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone: I love this way of telling a biography – like a novel. It’s infinitely more interesting than reading all the boring, dry, dates-names-facts like: on this date this event happened, and then on that date the other part was done, and then on this date that contract was signed.

Like with Michelangelo in that book, I am going to remember the story of Marie Antoinette’s life much better thanks to this format. Of course, being a biographical novel one must assume that there is a little fictional embellishment going on here and there, but I think it just makes the “bigger truer parts” more absorbable.

Sadly, Books 2 and 3 are not available yet on Audible, but I will definitely keep checking!

Delightful

Interesting, intriguing, lighter-hearted story with perfect narration! Her sweet child vloce brought Marie Antoinette’s character totally alive.

Juliet Grey is an Amazing Writer and Narrator!!

All I can say is...WOW. I simply cannot get over how detailed Juliet is not only in every aspect of Maries life as a story being told in that era, as well as how talented of a narrator she is. Especially speaking certain words in French, German and Italian-English!

Beautiful story, beautiful voice!

This has been a great introduction to Marie Antoinette, who has become my focus lately. Juliet Grey is an amazing storyteller and has a very lovely voice for narration. She brought life into every character, giving each their own voice. She made me love the languages and authentic pronunciations. I couldn't put this audiobook down. I'm very sad that the rest of the trilogy is not also narrated. I hope to see it so in the future.

A Great Novel About A Geat Woman

I must start by praising the author's wonderful performance reading this book. Her accent for diverse languages, the many voices, tempo, etc, are just delicious and a good part of why I enjoyed this book so much.
This novel is so well written that it even enticed me to find out more about the life of Marie Antoinette, and of course, I can't wait for the next book -of which, you will get a sneak peek at the end of this one.
I highly recommend "Becoming Marie Antoinette" by Juliet Grey.
Thank you!
#historicnovel #ohmy! #thethingsshehadtogothrough #fascinating #enticing #fantasticnarrator #cantwaitforthenextone #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Not what I expected.

It was well written and very well narrated, but I didn't realize this would be 98%about her being raised rather then her as a queen

There is a part 2. I will buy it now.

great story telling!

I am loving the aliveness of this author's penmanship. I have read many books on Marie Antoinette and this one is brimming with life. The narrator is perfect, delightful voice!

Not my cup of tea

If you are looking for an upbeat, exciting story-you got the wrong book.
The narrator is superb, but the story just doesn’t not move. The beginning is ok because you are getting to know all the characters. Towards the middle it just does not move! Patiently and giving credit to what has already happened, you keep reading expecting the story to move forward, it never does. I did finish the book, but again...not my cup of tea.