Marie Antoinette states, “Like everyone, I am born naked,” at the opening of Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund. Her remark sets the tone for what follows- a fictional memoir of her life where we learn that underneath all the glitz and glamour of being the queen of France, she’s a regular woman like everyone else. Marie Antoinette recounts her life from her baptism in the Rhine to be reborn a French citizen all the way to the final moments before she faces the guillotine. Readers get a taste of French food, architecture, music, and the palace of Versailles while we learn about how Marie Antoinette comes to court a silly young girl aimed to please and grows into a woman through the experiences of motherhood and loss. Even though we know how the story ends, Naslund does an excellent job of telling it.
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