This classic romance/mystery set in the French Revolution is the story of a wealthy British nobleman, Percy, with a daring and secret side of his life which he keeps hidden even from his wife - a beautiful French actress. Percy and some close friends have found a sport much more exciting, noble, and dangerous than the typical fox-hunting: that of rescuing French aristocrats from the raging mobs and guillotine of the French revolution. Fast-paced and suspenseful, the story is both enjoyable and enlightening as to the evils of the French Revolution contrasted with the nobility of those who tried to counter evil with good.

The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a fascinating book about a young thief who becomes apprenticed to Leonardo da Vinci. This work of historical fiction is set in the latter half of the fifteenth century. The plot revolves around three characters- the famous artist, Leonardo, his apprentice, Salai, and the Duchess Beatrice d'Este. The novel is written from Salai's viewpoint, and we get a good feel for Leonardo's character. We see that Leonardo is shy, and yet brilliant. We see how Leonardo is so unreliable, particularly when he is distracted by his work. Leonardo was commissioned to paint a mural on the refectory wall of a local monastary in Milan. Unfortunately, he took so long with his masterpiece, that the monks began complaining about the loss of their dining hall! Leonardo is fascinated by everything around him. He studies plants, rivers, mountains, rocks and trees. He builds war engines, and studies flying machines. It is interesting to see the rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and how their lives intersect. The title, The Second Mrs. Gianconda, is a reference to the Mona Lisa, Leonardo's most famous work. The author uses this novel to weave the story behind the painting of the Mona Lisa. The back pages of the novel have black and white reproductions of some of the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci.

We used The Second Mrs. Gianconda as a read-aloud for our entire family. The novel was part of our Renaissance studies. This book was a good beginning to the study of the Renaissance artists. The book was entertaining, and informative. We would recommend it highly as a read-aloud, or for children ages ten and above.

This is a fascinating tale on many levels – spiritual, historical, adventure, humor. Fr. Goldmann was a young seminarian in Germany when he was drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS. Despite amazing obstacles and in spite of his loud mouth and rather hot temper with regard to his disagreements with the Nazi's, Goldmann works his way through World War II as a medic for the German army and is finally ordained as a chaplain to his comrades in the French prison camps in North Africa.

The story is quite simply related and details about the horrors that surrounded Fr. Goldmann on a daily basis are handled delicately enough to make the story appropriate for most high schoolers. Without being the least bit preachy, the story demonstrates in a powerful way the mysterious ways of God's will and the power of prayer and suffering. It's a very, very beautiful and worthwhile book. As an added bonus, Americans who are accustomed to seeing the story through the eyes of the "Allies" will find the German perspective (despite the author's clear anti-Nazi position) quite enlightening. This may help provide a much fuller sense of what the war was about.

Note: The story is also available on Audio Cassette, produced by St. Joseph Communications.

The Singing Tree, sequel to The Good Master, is a much more serious story and takes place during World War I. Sandor, Kate's father, is drafted into the war and eventually, the Good Master, Marton Nagy, must report as well. The majority of the book tells of how the family gets along during the war years without the men of the family. Of course, Jancsi the young master steps up and, aided by a journal his father left for him, manages the farm quite well.

There is a difficult child, Lily, to be tamed in this story also, but she is easily won over by a set of puppies and the efforts of Kate and Jancsi. During the war, prisoners of war from Russia are brought into Hungary and Jancsi brings them to the farm to help with the work. A young woman and her new baby also come to live at the farm since her husband is in the war. Some orphans from the cities of Germany are sent out to the countryside and Jancsi takes them in as well. The household is lively and the wholesome life continues despite the terrible news from the war. Sandor is taken prisoner and put to work on a farm in Russia and Marton Nagy is missing in action. Jancsi, Kate and Lily travel to the front to rescue Jancsi's grandparents. Their home is near the front and the townspeople are fleeing the approaching Russians. While there, they accidently find Marton in a hospital bed. He had been injured and lost his memory. They triumphantly bring him home and he tells many stories about the war. One of the most moving is an often heard story about Christmas Eve where both sides sing Silent Night together and light matches to the newborn King. I have read the book at least ten times and cry every time I read that scene.

It is interesting to note that Hungary was on the "wrong" side in this war, yet in this story we see the people as victims of the political causes of a war which had nothing to do with them. One of the side effects of the war is an increase of racism among the people of the countryside who might not have otherwise been exposed to it. One of Mrs. Seredy's themes is that people, ordinary people, people of the land are the same in their hearts, no matter what nationality, and are connected by their shared humanity. She wrote the book in the late 1930's, on the verge of another war, and her tone is one of the hope of peace.

There is little, if any, other fiction for youth about World War I, so this work could be an important piece in a world history overview. My young children did not understand the political and nationalist themes of the story but enjoyed hearing it read tremendously. The reading level is fourth or fifth grade but it could be read at higher levels for the content.