Sandrine Legrand is no ordinary peasant. Although unaware of her past (which she discovers later in the story), Sandrine makes herself as inconspicuous as possible when Philippe, Count de Treffort-Salignac, and his troops lodge at her foster father's inn. Ironically, the two are drawn to each other. Philippe is surprised that Sandrine is both literate and quite knowledgeable on political affairs. Meeting secretly, the two confess their love for one to another. Sandrine is caught in the middle of ruthless wars between the Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots), especially when she is wrongfully accused of witchcraft. Just as Sandrine receives her gruesome sentencing, Philippe rescues her. For her safety, Sandrine stays at a convent in the guise of a nun. Philippe and Sandrine share intimate moments before he heads back into battle. But now separated from his love, Philippe learns that Sandrine has not only disappeared, but is also pregnant with his child.

Goldstein weaves a powerful love story in the heart of religious civil wars in France (1562-1598). Separated into two books, Goldstein draws readers into a time period shrouded in fear that was motivated by superstition and extremism. Shifting character scenes while still keeping Sandrine and Philippe front and center, Goldstein highlights historical themes that in many ways reflect the present. Great examples include class divisions (i.e., rich and powerful versus the poor), greed (coming mainly from the rich and powerful), and extremism. The most prominent themes focus on the nonsensical meaning of war and the attainment of peace via non-warring terms. Goldstein uses Sandrine and Philippe—her principal characters—as representatives who strongly hold firm to the latter precepts. A stellar novel, Princess of the Blood is a wonderful addition to historical collections and should be considered as a required high school and college read.

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