January 22, 2008

Cure for the Common Life

“The Commoner,” by John Burnham Schwartz

One day your prince will come.

Who cares?

If Princess Di taught us anything, it’s that marrying royalty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Further proof: The Commoner, John Burnham Schwartz’s poignant new novel about a girl’s tragic rise to empress.

Based on actual stories about the Japanese monarchy, the book is told from the perspective of Haruko, the 24-year-old heroine who attracts the crown prince and becomes the first ordinary Jane to marry into the tradition-bound imperial family.

A dream come true? Hardly. The torment (her mother-in-law is controlling, her marriage is hardly the modern union she hoped for, she’s not allowed to raise her own children) drives Haruko into a deep depression. But a shot at redemption comes in the form of a fateful choice — and makes for an ending that’s far more powerful than your typical happily-ever-after.

Take that, Cinderella.

Available online at amazon.com or at your local bookstore.