A Prisoner of Versailles by Golden Keyes Parsons - REVIEWED

“I should have trusted God to make a way for us, but instead I thought I had to do it myself.” (p. 312)

How easy it is to grow desperate amid trying circumstances and move forward without heeding God’s direction! Madeline Clavell never dreamed that her youthful friendship and blossoming romance with King Louis XIV would cast shadows over her life for years to follow! When we first met the Clavell family in Shadow of the Sun King, they were in grave danger for practicing their Huguenot faith instead of the Roman Catholicism dictated by the King. The price this family paid seemed to be more than any one family should ever endure! But endure they did, and as A Prisoner of Versailles opens the reader quickly learns that the trials faced by those who chose to disobey the King were dire indeed!

The court of Louis XIV was an extremely dangerous and duplicitous place to live and survive. Everyone had their price, and no secret was safe no matter who the confidante might be! Once again, Madeline and her family are separated by the King’s selfish and unyielding demands. Louis uses Madeline’s love for her family as a wicked tool to try and break her down and cause her to turn from her faith. Her prayers will linger in your heart and mind long after you finish the book, dear reader!! Talk about bearing the soul to the Savior! WOW!!

A Prisoner of Versailles showcases the grace and mercy of God within breathtaking historical settings. The reader is transported to a time and place where religious persecution was far-reaching and fierce! At one point this statement is made; “…a river of darkness and loneliness wound its way through the halls of the palace and touched us all.” (p. 341) From the dungeons of the palace, to the heart of the Bastille and throughout the glorious kingdom of Louis XIV, the reader learns what it was like to be a prisoner of both darkness and light. This is truly a set of historical fiction that MUST be read!! It is MOST EXCELLENT!! The prayers alone are worth the read! I happily and heartily recommend the writing of Golden Keyes Parsons!