Prisoners in the Palace (30 page)
Krista Richards Mann who helped me to fully develop Liza’s character, strengthening the book immeasurably. Any flaws Liza still has are my responsibility.
Elizabeth George who flew with me all the way to Kensington Palace and waited patiently through a ridiculous number of tours. Bless you, Liz!
Patricia Reilly Giff who was a patient teacher and mentor—I’ve learned more than I can say from her.
My fabulous agent, George Nicholson, and his assistant the incomparable Erica Silverman, who held my hand every step of the way.
Victoria Rock, my editor at Chronicle Books, for understanding right away what I wanted to achieve and helping me get there; Amy Achaibou who designed the coolest cover ever; and Amelia May Anderson who created the lush interiors.
My mom, Barbara Burns, who has always shown by example that it’s never too late to follow a dream; my dad, Robert Wieboldt, whose love of history and politics was a constant companion to my childhood; and my aunt, Susan Richardson, who always traveled to exotic places, inspiring me to follow.
Rosemary Nichols who read and reread the manuscript and was an invaluable resource for all things Victorian.
My husband, Rob, whose insistence that I was a professional writer finally convinced me.
And most of all, my two beautiful daughters, Rowan and Margaux—they inspire me every day and I hope that maybe, just a little, I inspire them.
Our faithful tomcat, Simba, passed away when Prisoners in the Palace was in the final editing stages. He was a constant companion while I was writing—his favorite lounging place was across my keyboard. He was a noble cat and will be missed.
Michaela MacColl studied multi-disciplinary history at Vassar College and Yale University, which turns out to be the perfect degree for writing historical fiction. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and four extremely large cats in Connecticut. This is her first book. To learn more about Michaela and her work, please visit www.michaelamaccoll.com.
Copyright © 2010 by Michaela MacColl.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data MacColl, Michaela.
Prisoners in the palace : how Princess Victoria became queen with the help of her maid, a reporter, and a scoundrel / by Michaela MacColl.
Summary: Recently orphaned and destitute, seventeen-year-old Liza Hastings earns a position as a lady’s maid to sixteen-year-old Princess Victoria at Kensington Palace in 1836, the year before Victoria becomes Queen of England.
ISBN 978-1-4521-1127-8
[1. Orphans—Fiction. 2. Household employees—Fiction. 3. Self-reliance—Fiction.
4. Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819–1901—Childhood and youth—Fiction.
5. London (England)—History—1800–1950—Fiction. 6. Great Britain—History— William IV, 1830–1837—Fiction.] I. Title.
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