Tracy Barrett is the author of numerous books and magazine articles
for young readers. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with honors in
Classics-Archaeology from Brown University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in
Medieval Italian Literature from the University of California,
Berkeley. Her scholarly interests in the ancient and medieval
worlds overlap in her fiction and nonfiction works.
A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study
medieval women writers led to the writing of her first novel, the
award-winning Anna of Byzantium. Since then, she has also written
The Stepsister's Tale, Dark of the Moon, King of Ithaka, and The
Sherlock Files series.
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
An ALA Quick Pick
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A Booklist Editor's Choice
A Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction Pick
[STAR] "[Anna of Byzantium] involves readers in a gripping saga of
alliances, intrigues, deceits, and treacheries worthy of a place
among the tragic myths." — The Bulletin, Starred review
"In the tradition of E. L. Konigsburg's A Proud Taste for Scarlet
and Miniver and Karen Cushman's Catherine, Called Birdy comes this
story of a real-life historical figure, Anna Commena, groomed to be
the sovereign of the Byzantine empire…Barrett uses an effective
first-person narrative to draw readers into Anna's story, and the
author's precise use of detail helps re-create Anna's world, the
palace of Constantinople in the ninth century. . . Readers will be
caught up in…this exciting read."—Booklist, Boxed review
"A fascinating mix of history, mystery, and intrigue."-The Horn
Book Magazine
"Barrett does a remarkable job of painting moods and emotions with
spare, elegant sentences. . . This splendid novel about a neglected
period of history is the perfect choice. . . Hard to imagine it
being any better written." —VOYA
"This wonderfully engaging novel both entertains and serves as a
lively history lesson with its well-researched background, dramatic
plot and dimensional characters. Barrett's descriptive, engaging
prose will draw readers into a fascinating historical time, filled
with political intrigue and a complex, admirable teen protagonist
who faces her changing future with an inspiring combination of
heart and mind."— Wichita Eagle
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
An ALA Quick Pick
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A Booklist Editor's Choice
A Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction Pick
[STAR] "[Anna of Byzantium] involves readers in a
gripping saga of alliances, intrigues, deceits, and treacheries
worthy of a place among the tragic myths." - The Bulletin,
Starred review
"In the tradition of E. L. Konigsburg's A Proud Taste for
Scarlet and Miniver and Karen Cushman's Catherine, Called
Birdy comes this story of a real-life historical figure, Anna
Commena, groomed to be the sovereign of the Byzantine
empire...Barrett uses an effective first-person narrative to draw
readers into Anna's story, and the author's precise use of detail
helps re-create Anna's world, the palace of Constantinople in the
ninth century. . . Readers will be caught up in...this exciting
read."-Booklist, Boxed review
"A fascinating mix of history, mystery, and
intrigue."-The Horn Book Magazine
"Barrett does a remarkable job of painting moods and
emotions with spare, elegant sentences. . . This splendid novel
about a neglected period of history is the perfect choice. . .
Hard to imagine it being any better written."
-VOYA
"This wonderfully engaging novel both entertains and serves as a
lively history lesson with its well-researched background,
dramatic plot and dimensional characters. Barrett's descriptive,
engaging prose will draw readers into a fascinating historical
time, filled with political intrigue and a complex, admirable teen
protagonist who faces her changing future with an inspiring
combination of heart and mind."- Wichita Eagle
Gr 6-10-The 11th-century Byzantine princess Anna Comnena was a remarkable woman. Designated as a child to inherit the throne, she was educated to be a ruler. She learned, from her mother and grandmother, to manipulate the intrigues and factions of the court, and when she was displaced as heir by her brother, she schemed, without success, to assassinate him and regain her position. In this novel, Anna tells her own story, looking back on her former life from the convent to which she has been banished. The first-person device serves well to focus the action on the princess and to build a plausible character study of a brilliant and tempestuous young woman frustrated and embittered by the loss of her expectations of achieving supreme power. However, the book exemplifies the difficulty of writing a historical novel about a real person. Anna's brother is depicted throughout as a spoiled monster who (in contrast to the brilliant Anna) refuses to learn to read. Yet historians characterize John's rule as one of personal virtue and administrative competence and tell that he forgave his sister for her many conspiracies against him. Barrett acknowledges in an afterword that she "changed some of the facts," but, unfortunately, it is the story she spins that will remain with young readers. Still, few books, with the notable exception of Peter Dickinson's The Dancing Bear (Little, Brown, 1972; o.p.), have as their backdrop the colorful and historically significant Byzantine Empire.-Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
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