The Stolen One

by Suzanne Crowley

Book Overview

No one wanted you. But I did. Kat's true identity is a secret, even from her. All she has ever known are Grace and Anna and their small village. Kat wants more--more than hours spent embroidering... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061232009
• ISBN13: 9780061232008
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Beautiful 16th Century Teen Journey

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One through a GoodReads Giveaway. The cover is gorgeous (I love her hair), and the synopsis made me really curious. It's not just YA, it's YA historical fiction--a good combination. Kat has been raised by Grace Bab as a sister to Grace's daughter, Anna. Anna is a quiet beauty, with hair as pale as her mother's, speaking only to Grace and Kat in a voice otherwise unintelligible to strangers. Kat is curious and outspoken with blazing red hair and a vibrant personality ill-suited to a young girl coming of age in 16th Century England. Despite all thoughts to the contrary, her confidence and strong-will has attracted the attentions of the young pear farmer Christian Bab, nephew to Grace and cousin to Anna. Of course, Kat is supposed to believe Christian is her cousin, too, but she knows better. She knows Grace has been keeping secrets and lying to her about the real world and her real heritage. When a mysterious omen appears in the woods outside of their cottage as the ladies prepare for the local festival, Kat is sure death is near. An evening of revelry ensues in which there is a proposal, a death, and a revelation. It doesn't take much to inspire Kat's motivation for the truth and the next morning she packs her bags and takes Anna with her to London in search of her birth mother, leaving the country and Christian behind indefinitely. The Stolen One is a romantic tale of intrigue at the court of Queen Elizabeth I in which Crowley explores the life of a royal child forever thought lost to the world to fates unknown. There's mystery surrounding Kat's past, gorgeous gowns, lavish dishes, scandal, and, of course, romance. The women of Crowley's imagined Elizabethan court are as flirtatious as they are wicked and cunning. They are quick to jealousy, as hot-tempered as their Queen and as dangerous. Contrast this against Kat's keen eye for embroidery, a talent so strong it wins her a prime spot in Elizabeth's retinue, and the combination eludes to an atmosphere of a 16th Century "Project Runway." There's a lot of focus on dresses and materials, embroidery detail and embellishments, patterns and stitches, techniques and draperies. It's enough to either exhaust the reader into yearning for an accompanying full color pattern book or inspire frequent trips to the local Renaissance Faire to drool at the dress vendors. There's no argument from me that Crowley has written an alluring book. Kat is at times a bit unsympathetic and selfish in her determination to unearth the secrets of her past. Her adventures and accomplishments come at the expense of poor Anna whom I wished the world for. I was very disappointed with happened to her. But Kat does seem to redeem herself at the end of the book which surprised me as I realized the beauty of the story was in the journey Kat took to bring her where she ended up. The lessons she learns are invaluable, albeit costly. There are a few characters I

Coming of Age story in Elizabethan England.

This was a great read. I loved our heroine Kat. She definitely has shades of grey. She is spunky and adventurous. But she can also be selfish and vain. Over the course of this book she discovers the mystery behind her birth, but she also discovers the difference between true love and vanity. The writing is loveley.Although this is a YA book, the quality of the writing and the story should be enjoyable to women of all ages. I do not want to give away the mystery of Kat's parentage, but if you enjoy this book try Red Queen's Daughter, The.

Good historical fiction that teens will enjoy

Kat has an independent spirit and fiery red hair. She is known for causing trouble and many in her village believe she will be a trouble maker the rest of her life. Most want nothing to do with her because of her mysterious past. Things change for Kat when her foster mother dies. She, and her sister Anna go to London. Kat is hopeful she will find out who her real mother is. Once in London she is taken in by a wealthy woman and soon her amazing sewing skills catch the attention of Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth loves beautiful things and summons Kat to court where rumors begin to fly that Kat is Queen Elizabeth's daughter. Kat tries to find out the true identity of her mother while becoming a servant to Queen Elizabeth. While at court she is confronted by people who want to destroy her and men who may not have honorable intentions. As the story unfolds Kat must decide where hear heart belongs. Should she marry one of the rogues at court or should she go back to her small village and marry a simple farmer. The book is well written, and I enjoyed it a lot. There are a lot of historical characters in the novel and I think a summary of each would have been helpful for those who do not know the time period. I enjoyed the direction this book went in. I thought I was going to read a predictable story about Queen Elizabeth and her lost daughter, but that was not the case. I recommend it for historical fiction fans and anyone who is interested in a good story that has mystery and love.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Katherine Bab takes her one chance to get out of her country village to go to London when her adoptive mother passes away. She wants, no, needs, to find out who she really is. Soon, Kat becomes a favorite of Queen Elizabeth herself. Rumors are everywhere, since they have matching hair - could she be the Virgin Queen's secret daughter? She stitches for hours, creating a masterpiece of a dress for the Queen. Two men at court, Rafael and Nicholas, are trying to win her heart, but Kat can't help but think of Christian, her childhood best friend, and the man at her village that wants to marry her. Who will she choose? And will she find out who her mother is? I was so impressed by this novel. I loved all of the characters. It was mysterious, and it made me want to find out who Kat's mother was. I was just as curious as she was! I'm a big fan of historical fiction, especially during the time of Elizabeth as Queen. And here is another one that I really enjoyed. There was nothing I was disappointed in during the novel, except a little at the end, only because I didn't want the story to end! When THE STOLEN ONE hits bookshelves, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Or read it if it just sounds interesting! Reviewed by: Ashley B

A lovely historical novel for teens set in Elizabethan England.

For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Katherine Bab has lived in the English countryside with her adoptive mother, Grace, and Grace's daughter, Anna. Kat has always longed to know the identities of her birth parents, but Grace has always refused to tell her who they are, or give her any more information than frequent comments about how she inherited the worst qualities of her parents. And despite the love of a young farmer named Christian, who is the son of her adoptive mother's brother, Kat longs for something more than marriage to a farmer, though she does have feelings for him. When Grace dies, refusing even on her deathbed to reveal the secret, Kat decides she and Anna will travel to London in search of the answer to the mystery of her past. But London is not what Kat expected - it is a busy, dirty, noisy place. Shy Anna, who is deaf, longs to return to the country. When Kat and Anna are taken in by a noblewoman, Kat's talent with embroidery and stitching gets her invited to the court of Queen Elizabeth, to make dresses for the queen and instruct the Queen's ladies. At court, Kat draws the attention of two handsome young gentlemen, but she cannot forget Christian, no matter how hard she tries. And she is troubled by rumors that she could be related to the Queen, perhaps even be her secret, long-lost daughter. Will she ever discover her true identity? And if she does discover who her parents were, how will she choose between her two worlds? The Stolen One was one of the best historical novels I've read in a long time. Katherine is a wonderfully developed character - she seemed so real, sometimes I would even become frustrated at her actions! The author did a wonderful job at bringing to life the setting of Elizabethan England, and the very different ways of life in the countryside, the city, and at court. Although this book is written for teen readers, I think adults who love historical fiction will enjoy it is as well - it is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and the classic story of a young woman's search for her identity and where she belongs in the world.