The Book of a Thousand Days - Tapa dura

When a beautiful princess refuses to marry the prince her father has chosen, her father is furious. So furious he locks her in a tower. She has seven long years of solitude to think about her insolence. But the princess is not entirely alone - she can take her maid, Dashti. Petulant and spoilt, the princess eats the food in their meagre store as if she were still at court, and Dashti soon realizes they must either escape or slowly starve. But during their captivity, clever and resourceful Dashti discovers that there is something far more sinister behind her princesses fears of marrying of the prince, and when, finally, they do break free from the tower, they find a land laid to waste and the kingdom destroyed.They were safe in the tower, now they are at the mercy of the evil prince. But this maid is a force to be reckoned with. Thrilling, captivating, and a masterful example of storytelling at its best. The princess' maid is a feisty and thoroughly modern heroine, in this wonderfully timeless story.

The Goose Girl was Shannon Hale #39;s stunning debut novel and she has since assured her place as an exciting voice in children #39;s fiction. Shannon lives in America.