The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Ashley Schumacher's latest novel is a delightful read, with diverse characters and an irresistible setting. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway proves that there's no better place to find yourself than at a Renaissance Faire." - Jen Deluca, author of Well Met
Dumplin' meets Well Met in this novel about finding your place in the world, learning love is a risk worth taking, and discovering what happens when you take your fate into your own hands.
Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favorite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.
Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend - and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.
Ashley Schumacher's The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide open heart... if only she just admits it.
"Set in one of my favorite places in the world — a Renaissance Faire full of jousts, royalty, bards, and castles— this is a wise, beautiful, funny book with tremendous heart. I absolutely loved it." - Jamie Pacton, author of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly and Lucky Girl
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A teenager working the Renaissance faire circuit experiences a summer brimming with new experiences and slow-burn romance in this sincere rom-com by Schumacher (Amelia Unabridged). Following her mother's recent death from cancer, 17-year-old Madeline Hathaway wants to hide away from the world. She begrudgingly continues on with the family business instead, which involves traveling around the country with her father while he peddles wares at Ren faires, and attending school online. When they arrive in Oklahoma, her mother's favorite stop, she constantly finds herself "peering around corners hoping to see coming toward me, only to be disappointed." Madeline soon meets Arthur, a teen bard and the faire owner's son, who asks her to be the faire's Princess Guinevere. She's initially hesitant, believing no one wants to see a fat girl in the role. But as the teens grow closer, she becomes more confident in the idea that she has what it takes to be the faire's princess. Madeline and Arthur are irresistible romantic leads; their burgeoning feelings for each other and their mesmerizing chemistry, coupled with Madeline's worries surrounding body image, grief, and her future, makes for a swoony, uplifting love story. Ages 12–up.
