As the murmur of prayers fills the icy room, mother and baby seem doomed. When the newborn finally struggles into the world, the Count of Flanders flees in a rage. The child is not the expected male heir — but a girl.

Growing up under the disapproving eye of her heartless father, the strong-willed Marguerite instinctively learns to survive in the fierce and violent male world of the Middle Ages, with its pagan rituals and bloody fights to the death.

When her father demands that she wed a man she detests, the young countess uses all her cunning to stop the marriage. The only thing she cannot conquer is the plague, which marches across the land killing thousands, including the man she loves.

Based on a real character, this colorful story is told with sharp humor and is filled with dramatic intensity. The final scene in the book, in which Marguerite and her father engage in a savage sword fight, will remain engrained in readers’ memories.

Together with Pat van Beirs, Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem has written young adult novels, scripts for a historical graphic novel series, and a Cannes Film Festival prize-winning screenplay.

Jean-Claude Rijckeghem's profile page

Together with Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, Pat van Beirs has written young adult novels, scripts for a historical graphic novel series, and a Cannes Film Festival prize-winning screenplay.

Pat Beirs' profile page

“… the deft characterization of Marguerite and the sumptuous details woven throughout this captivating novel will engage readers.”

School Library Journal, 11/11