A Prisoner of Versailles by Golden Keyes Parsons

I'm a member of a historical writers group (focusing on European historicals) called HisWriters. Many of us who are members joined as soon as the fabulous Therese Stenzel started it, and then we had the joy of watching others discover us and come along for the fun.

I still remember when Golden Keyes Parsons joined the ranks because we had quite the conversation on her name. "Golden Keyes" . . . isn't that the coolest thing ever? Then of course we were really impressed with the book that was about to hit the shelves, In the Shadow of the Sun King. There she was, a first time author with a story about Huguenots in France in the 1600s (when we had all been told that stories set in Europe weren't selling) and she had a contract with Thomas Nelson. I found that incredibly inspiring and encouraging.

In my usual way, I volunteered to review her book for her, and I loved it. We're now both members of HEWN, a network of authors dedicated to promoting those Euro-historicals, so I also had the pleasure of reading the sequel to Sun King, A Prisoner of Versailles.

But you know what I love most about this awesome writer? She's an awesome person. I know, I know, every author I feature is. But seriously. A year and a half ago revival swept through my hometown, and I was so excited that I emailed the loop to ask for prayers for it. Golden emailed me back to ask for details and share her prayers and expectations for something similar to hit where she lives. Does anything make a friend faster than sharing a joy in the moving of the Lord?

She emailed me again out of the blue several times to check on the revival and on me in general. And every time I saw her name appear in my inbox, I felt a warm rush of friendship for this sweet lady who cares so much.

At the conference in September of '09, HisWriters met for breakfast on Friday. The first person I saw was Golden, who came over to me the moment I entered and gave me a hug. I can definitely say I'm proud to claim this elegant, talented author as my friend.

A Prisoner of Versailles
By Golden Keyes Parsons
Review by Roseanna White

In her quest to keep her family safe in their Huguenot faith, Madeleine has a formidable foe: King Louis XIV. The Sun King is determined to bring her back to his side, and when he tears her from her family yet again, she must learn how--and when--to fight. In a world where even love could destroy her, how can her God save her?

Though her husband miraculously escaped the galleys in In the Shadow of the Sun King, Parson's first book in the From Darkness to Light trilogy, the horrors have taken their toll. After clinging desperately to life as long as he could, he passes away in the opening of the book, leaving Madeleine with one final wish: take the family and flee to the New World. She doesn't know how to achieve this task--or if she has the heart to leave Europe--but she knows she must try.

Proving his far-stretching power, King Louis finds her even in Switzerland and has her and her eldest son brought back to Versailles. Held there as a pampered prisoner, Madeleine's faith faces its ultimate test. What price will she pay to protect her family? And what price must Pierre, the man who sacrificed so much to help them, pay for his role?

A Prisoner of Versailles is a fabulous continuation of the Darkness to Light saga, and I loved it even more than the first book. I'm a sucker for romance, so I really appreciated that this one had more of a love story. And I hear that the third book will have even more romance, so I'm really looking forward to that!

Prisoner was packed with adventure, intrigue, and a faith thread to touch your deepest heart. Most of us have never faced an authority that forbids us to worship as our heart tells us to, but Parsons brings to life the cry of the heart that the Huguenots must have felt. This a rich tapestry of a book, one that will paint a vivid picture of the past and bury itself into your heart. I definitely recommend A Prisoner of Versailles--it will capture you, and you'll be happy to be caught.

(I received this book from the publisher as a free review copy.)