LitPick Review
Vicky and her father live in the Switzerland mountains among the beauty that surrounds them. One day, an older woman and her entourage pass through Vicky’s very small village. They decide to stop and find lodging. Vicky is drawn to this older woman because she notices she appears very sad. If anyone knows sadness, it’s Vicky because she lost her beloved mother, who she was very close to. Vicky gets the opportunity to meet the woman and learns that she is the Countess of Kent. Vicky wants to cheer the countess up, so she decides to make her a floral bouquet. The countess is surprised by Vicky’s genuine kindness.
The following day, the countess heads out for the day to go paint the beautiful scenery that surrounds them. Vicky is so curious that she goes to see what the countess is up to. She sees that the countess is napping near a painting easel. Vicky can’t help but wonder what the countess is painting, so she slowly approaches the easel. But unfortunately, the countess awakens and both of them are startled by each other. Vicky starts running away, but the countess calls her back. This begins the friendship between them that grows into something deeper in a very short time together.
Opinion:
I felt a true pulling to this story for a few reasons. The first thing that I loved about it was how even though both Vicky and the countess were generations apart in age from each other, they still found things in common with one another to strike up a meaningful friendship together. Ms. Erzinger created well-rounded characters that will allow her readers to have feelings for both Vicky and the countess on a very personal level. I feel this shows children that you can learn so much from being friends with people who might be decades older than you, and you should take it as a blessing if an older person wants to be friends with you.
Another thing I noticed was how Vicky and the countess, who both suffered a very close loss within their lives, found solace within their friendship. Although Vicky’s loss was of her mother and the countess’ loss was of her husband, both found something special within each other to help the other deal with their losses together. I feel these two came into each other’s lives when they needed someone to show them comfort and compassion for both of their losses. This teaches children that you can offer someone kindness and compassion when they might be needing it the most in their lives.
A note I want to mention is that at the end of the story the author explained the inspiration for her story. Ms. Erzinger explained that this story is based loosely on factual events that happened to Queen Victoria of England during her reign between the years of 1837 to 1901. She explained that Queen Victoria was mourning the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, so much so that in order to feel close to him again she wanted to return to Switzerland, a place both she and her husband loved each time they visited. I felt basing this children’s story on a factual event made this story stand out from other children’s books on the market.
The illustrations, also provided by the author, could be found on every page of this story. Each picture looked as if it was a hand-painted mini masterpiece for readers to enjoy. The illustrations perfectly complemented the story Ms. Erzinger wrote.
TAK Erzinger is an American/Swiss poet and artist. Her poetry has been featured in a few journals from different United States Universities. She has won many awards for her work throughout the years.
Overall, Queen of the Mountain is a story that readers young and old can cherish. The characters were well-rounded and very believable, and the storyline was uniquely different than other children’s stories currently offered on the market. I highly recommend this book!
