Miri Learns a Lot About Life and Herself in Princess Academy

Last year, while mulling around my aunt's bookstore waiting for the ceremonial opening of the boxes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my eye strayed to an audiobook display, where I saw Austenland, a novel about a Jane Austen enthusiast who receives the gift of an immersive trip into Austenian England. Months later, I picked up the audiobook at the library, as it did not seem to be available in traditional book form, but I'm much more of a visual reader and never found the time to finish it. Still, I enjoyed what I heard, and the name stuck with me. Shannon Hale. It wasn't long before my friend Beth clued me in to the fact that Hale has also written several books for young adults, and exceptional ones at that. Hence, Shannon Hale was added to my list of must-read authors. Just recently, she rose to the top of the list.

Princess Academy is the story of Miri, a girl who lives with her father and sister on Mount Eskel, where most of the hardy residents spend their days mining linder, a valuable white stone. Miri stays away from the quarry, heeding her father's strict orders, though she yearns to feel like a valued part of her community. She tends the goats and is in charge of trading with the lowlanders who periodically come to town, but she still feels fairly useless. When an announcement goes out that all girls of a certain age are ordered to attend an academy in order to prepare themselves for the possibility of becoming princess, as the kingdom's priests have determined that the prince is destined to marry a girl from Mount Eskel, Miri at first dreads going. But as classes begin, she starts to imagine how her life, and that of her family, might change for the better if she were selected.

Miri is a spirited heroine, unafraid to speak her mind when she senses injustice. Initially, that happens a lot at the Academy, since their teacher, Olana, is a stern woman who imposes harsh punishments upon her pupils. In trying to defend her peers, she risks increasing her isolation. Terribly lonesome without her sister, who was deemed too old to attend, she struggles to bond with the others and is suspicious of friendly overtures made by the quiet Britta, who moved to the mountain only a short time before. Other girls, like the vacuous Liana and Bena and the fiercely determined Katar, are openly antagonistic as they compete for the title of Academy Princess, an honor likely to give the recipient a better shot with the prince.

Miri works as hard as anyone, pleased to find an arena in which she can excel, but questions whether she truly wants to be princess. The mountain is home, and marrying a man she barely knows is a scary prospect - especially when she thinks about Peder, her childhood playmate, the sight of whom has lately stirred up strange feelings within her. But she has no qualms about her education and is amazed at the world it opens up for her. Learning to read is particularly valuable, as is her accidental discovery of a communication method unique to Mount Eskel residents, which she carefully hones, knowing this covert skill may be of great use to her.

Princess Academy has the feel of an old-fashioned fairy tale, stretched across 25 chapters. It's full of richly drawn characters, adventure and romance with an emphasis on the importance of education and cultural dialogue, and I found the rules for diplomacy enumerated midway through the book worth recalling in everyday life. I could certainly see this being adapted into a fine family film, but even if that happens, it's worth taking the time to read the book. Princess Academy truly is regal.