Linda Root

The Mysterious Child at Saint Pierre les Dames Linda Root

This revised, and the edited novel was previously published in 2013 as The Unknown Princess. Its central character Marguerite de Kircaldie is based on the 17th-century Scottish Abbess of Saint Pierre les Dames du Rheims (1627-1639), an acknowledged beauty whose origin remains a mystery. The puzzle takes on new dimensions in light of a rumor circulated by Marie Stuart's correspondence secretary Claude Nau in 1587, who claimed the Queen told him she had given birth to a daughter who was hiding in a French abbey and wished to become a nun. And thus, the hunt becomes a contest between factions wanting to exploit the Scottish girl and those who wished her dead.