‘The Plague’ a tale of royalty, deception

  As a young girl growing up in London in the 14th century, Nell loses her parents to the Black Death.
  She and her younger brother, George, stand outside in stunned silence as the gravedigger and a boy come to collect the bodies of their parents. They follow the death cart as it slowly makes its way to the graveyard, unsure as to where they should go next.
  Horses and soldiers gallop toward them. A man on a white horse looks hard at Nell.
  Both the man and the horse were covered with a mantle of red decorated with yellow lions. The man wore a golden crown.
  “You look exactly like my daughter, even if it is my daughter in one of my worst nightmares.”
  That was the worst day and the best day of Nell’s life. The man on the white horse was the king, and he asked Nell and George to come live at the castle, where Nell’s resemblance to Princess Joan would serve as protection for the young royal.
  Now 15, Nell has grown attached to the princess and has become used to acting as a body double. But when the princess, too, is taken by the pestilence, Nell is forced by the Black Prince to play the part of Joan for good and marry the Prince of Castile.
  Nell knows she cannot dishonor the princess in such a way and must come up with a plan to escape with her brother. Much to Nell’s surprise, she soon realizes she isn’t alone, and with a little help from some friends, she and George just might evade the prince and his horde of vermin.
  “The Plague” by Joanne Dahme is a charming adventure for young adults. Dahme blends historical facts and a little romance into a story that should teach as well as entertain.