Barrett, Tracy. Anna of Byzantium. New York: Random House Children’s Books. 1999. ISBN:0-440-4I536-5
Plot Summary:
Set in Constantinople during the Byzantine era, Anna of Byzantium, is told through the voice of a teenage girl who has been exiled to a convent by her brother, the Emperor. Anna recounts the story of how she was originally chosen by her father as successor to the throne. In order to prepare her for the task of ruling the empire she is schooled by a teacher named Simon, and by her grandmother. Her grandmother is the real power behind the throne and Anna is being groomed to be a puppet, but also learns statecraft and Machiavellian tactics in the process. She is engaged to a young soldier from her mother’s family and she is the hope that the ruling families of the empire will be untied.
Anna has a special dislike for her brother John, especially after John kills her pet parrot. This hate for John grows along with an independence from the control of her grandmother. Anna’s grandmother can see that she will not have complete control of Anna and starts to try to turn the favor of the emperor against Anna. When Anna is overheard saying that she would like to kill her brother she is stripped of her title as heir and that title is passed to John. Her father allows her a place in the family, but she no longer has hopes of power. She is no longer betrothed to the soldier, who later dies, but now becomes betrothed to a famous historian. She passes her time in the study and writing of history.
After her father dies, Anna plots with her mother to kill her brother John. She is found out by her teacher Simon and he informs John of the plot. Anna is caught and made to go to a convent where she passes her time as a scribe and physician to the nuns and local peasants. John eventually shakes loose of his grandmother’s influence and goes on to rule the empire on his own.
Critical Evaluation:
The writer does a particularly good job of bringing Anna to life for the reader. The protagonist goes through many of the same emotions that teens of the modern age go through. A teen might be able to relate to the themes even if readers are not able to connect with the time and the place. Family struggles, power struggles, love, sibling rivalry, and intrigue are themes that could be popular with older teens. The plot is rather believable, and it is based upon a true story. The writer must have completed a good amount of research to have covered the topic as well as she did. Little details such as clothing and foods really serve to bring a level of description to the reader which enhances the story significantly. An afterward tells the real story and the instances where the novel and the true tale separate from one another.
Reader’s Annotation:
Independent minded and skilled in statecraft, Anna of Byzantium is exiled to a convent after an attempt on her brother’s life. Struggles for succession, a murder plot, and a historical setting make Anna of Byzantium an exciting read.
Information about the author:
Tracy Barrett is an American author who was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1955 and grew up in New York. She earned her BA in Classics-Archaeology from Brown University, a M.A. and PhD in Medieval Italian Literature from U.C. Berkeley. She speaks Italian and is currently an instructor of Italian, Women’s Studies, Humanities, and English at Vanderbilt University.
She has written over half a dozen fiction titles for a YA audience. She is also the author or coauthor of a number of nonfiction works for young readers. Barrett is married and has two grown children, two dogs, and a cat. She loves to travel, especially to Italy, and her hobby is knitting. She met her husband while sky diving, a sport she no longer practices.
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Curriculum Ties:
History
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Discuss the way that Anna is educated and how this influences her personality and the plot of the story.
2. Focus on the outright struggles for succession and power in Anna’s family and how this influences their relationships.
3. Center the talk on the historical setting and the real people and place that the writer chooses for this tale.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
14+
Challenge Issues:
None
Challenge Defense Ideas:
1. Read the book.
2. Be Familiar with the policy of the ALA and your institution.
3. Make a note of the contents of the work and how they fall in with the collection development policy of your institution and the standpoint of the ALA.
4. Gain an awareness of the awards, reviews, and criticisms of the work, as well as other works by the same writer.
5. Know the process for materials challenges at your library.
Why did you include this book? :
This book received good reviews as a piece of historical fiction that could be popular with young adults. Byzantine history is not particularly well-known and the subject as a novel is interesting.
Author’s Website:
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