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Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house. Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl. While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point. ** ### From Booklist In 1293, Cecily and her father leave Coventry, England, to settle in Caernarvon, Wales, where the king offers opportunities to those who will settle in the newly conquered land. Lonely, miserable, and willful, Cecily tries to assert her authority as the lady of the house, only to be thwarted by the housekeeper and Gwenhwyfar, a servant girl her own age. Over the next year, Cecily begins to understand more about the town and the grievances of the Welsh starving outside its walls, but nothing prepares her for the savage sack of Caernarvon. In this intriguing first novel, the main narrative is Cecily’s, but passages written from Gwenhwyfar’s point of view provide a startling contrast and foreshadow the story’s climax. Cecily is a flawed protagonist who grows throughout the story, yet stoical Gwenhwyfar is the more sympathetic character. Their shifting relationship strengthens the story, while Coats’ considerable research provides details of everyday life that ground this dark and sometimes brutal historical novel. Grades 9-12. --Carolyn Phelan ### Review A *Kirkus* Best Teen Book of 2012 "I am gobsmacked by this astonishing story. This is a remarkable achievement, full of truth and compassion."—Karen Cushman, Newbery Medal-winning author of *The Midwife's Apprentice* ** *"Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it."--*Kirkus Reviews, *starred review * "[An] unusually honest portrait of the effects of power...[Coats] offers us a potent historical novel."--*Horn Book,* starred review * "This debut novel reverberates with detail, drama, and compassion."--*SLJ, *starred review "Coats's debut shifts gracefully between the two girls' perspectives, finding empathy for both."--*Publishers Weekly* "A rich historical novel that challenges readers to think about universal ideas, such as true justice."—*VOYA* "[An] intriguing first novel...Coats' considerable research provides details of everyday life that ground this dark and sometimes brutal historical novel."--*Booklist*