I started reading a new book this weekend and I really love the author’s voice and her imagery. One of the reviews said it was very Dickensian and it really is. The villains are people you love to hate and the good people are ones that you can truly root for their lives to improve. The thing that is driving me mental is the math error in the beginning of the book. If it’s not a math error, it’s a typo or a historical fact error. Anyway, the prologue is dated Paris, 1765 and the heroine is 5 years old. She meets the Dauphine (Marie Antoinette) on her way to Versailles and the prologue says the Dauphine was about 10 years older than the heroine.
Chapter one is titled September, 1781. Sixteen years after the prologue. BUT THE HEROINE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING 16. Ok. NO!! That ain’t right. And as the book goes on, the error is compounded. She thinks back two years to when she was 14 and then two years later, she’s 18. By my calculation, 5 plus 16 is 21. HELLO?? How was this not caught by someone?
Then we come to historical accuracy. Marie Antoinette was born in 1755 in Austria. She was sent to France at age 14 which would have been 1769. A much better year for our heroine to have been 5, right? Closer to being 16 in 1781, right?? So, which is it? A typo or a math error? Either way, it’s sending me over the edge.
Other than that, I can recommend the book. It’s called The Queen’s Dollmaker. It’s by Christine Trent. I think it’s a wonderful story. 
Jillian Chantal 
Yeah, I’ve found myself in this position as well. Not that I’m good at math or anything, but I do sit there going…’Okay if the heroine is 34 years old and she was blah blah when this happened, how the hell did it happen 13 years ago???’
By: danicaavet on May 2, 2011
at 8:12 am
LOL!! I knew you would feel the same as me!!
By: Jillian Chantal on May 2, 2011
at 9:31 am
It’s too bad this wasn’t caught. I’m writing my first historical and doing a lot of research and keeping a worksheet hoping this won’t happen. Scary.
By: Lavada Dee on May 3, 2011
at 1:39 am
Yeah. It is scary. My first historical comes out in July and I hope I got it right. This error is niggling in the back of my head through the whole book – I need to get over it. LOL!
By: Jillian Chantal on May 3, 2011
at 6:28 am
That would so drive me nuts! I believe in stretching things for a historical, but that’s just something that needs to be right. I’m glad you enjoyed the read. I feel bad for the author. That is my worst fear with a release. I hope the story outshines the error.
By: Ciara Knight on May 3, 2011
at 5:59 am
Ciara- the story DOES shine- I just can’t keep my brain from doing the math on her age. I know, it makes me sound crazy, but there it is.
By: Jillian Chantal on May 3, 2011
at 6:31 am