Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / HistoricalA smart, OwnVoices historical adventure and gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness secretly trains as a Musketeer and discovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks
her dizziness makes her just “a sick girl," but she wants to be a fencer
like her father, a former Musketeer. Then Papa is mysteriously
murdered, and as his dying wish, he sends Tania to finishing school. But
L’Académie des Mariées is so much more. It’s a training ground for new Musketeers:
women who are socialites on the surface, but who seduce men into giving
up secrets—and don’t shy away from sword fights. Tania finally feels
like she's found her sisters, a place where she belongs. But when she's
torn between duty and dizzying emotion, she must decide where her
loyalties lie . . . or risk losing everything. This is a whirlwind debut
about found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the
power of self-love.
One for All is the debut novel for author Lillie Lainoff. Set in 1650's France, One for All is an OwnVoices historical adventure and gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness secretly trains as a Musketeer and discovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love. Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. She's
lived a rather sheltered life after she became sick with a chronic
illness (POTS). This sickness often resulted in her having bouts of
dizziness and fatigue. Her once close friend shunned her and at times
bullied her.
Her chances at being married drop on a daily basis. All Tania every wanted is to train as a fencer like her father, a former Musketeer. Then Papa is mysteriously
murdered, and as his dying wish, he sends Tania to finishing school under the tutelage of Madam de Treville. But
L’Académie des Mariées is so much more. It’s a training ground for new Musketeers:
women (Aria, Théa and Portia) who are socialites on the surface, but who seduce men into giving
up secrets—and don’t shy away from sword fights. Tania finally feels
like she's found her sisters, a place where she belongs.
But when she's
torn between duty and dizzying emotion, she must decide where her
loyalties lie or risk losing everything after she falls for one of her targets. One of the things that ends up surprising a lot of people is that Tania is a fantastic fencer who turns into a excellent swords woman. With a little self esteem, she quickly separates herself from her fellow Musketeers. This is a whirlwind debut
about found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the
power of self-love.
One of the things that makes this book real, is the authors own admittance that she suffers from (POTS) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. A person with POTS can
experience vertigo, light-headedness, and other debilitating symptoms.
Tania endures this same condition and struggles to do many day-to-day activities. But, once she's around her new sisters, they don't turn their backs on her. They make her feel welcomed which is something her own mother lacked.
As the author states, her condition took years for a doctor to come to terms with what she's experiencing. I can't imagine the pain that Lillie went through until someone finally heard her and put her on a path to recovery. One of the things I've learned about this author is as a senior, she was one
of the first physically disabled athletes to individually qualify for
any NCAA Championship event, and helped her team to an end-of-season
10th place ranking by the National Coaches Poll. She still fences
competitively and coaches. You have my respect and admiration Lillie Lainoff. I do hope you are able to write a sequel to this story!
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