How it came about...
I don’t usually write books for children or young adults, but one day I wrote a short story for my two children to tell them during summer vacation before they changed schools. The story was meant to give them courage, and it ended with the girl, Claire, leaving home to begin a new life.
My children were thrilled and adamantly insisted that the story wasn’t over and had to continue. So I kept writing Claire’s adventures page by page, and as soon as a chapter was finished, it was read aloud. That’s how the novel «Claire Brubacher – The King’s Bodyguard» came to be.
What's it about?
Nicole Bachmann (text) and Dorian Iten (illustrations) have together created an illustrated adventure novel in twelve chapters, set in a fictional European country in the 17th century.
Claire grows up in a small farming village in the country of Arras. Her family is desperately poor, her parents argue daily, and Claire sees no future for herself in her homeland. Then she learns that the King of Arras is looking for new bodyguards, following an old tradition, seeking both women and men. Anyone who is at least twelve years old, brave, and capable may participate in a competition at Nanterre Castle.
The book stands out for its historically informed story, clear language, and detailed, expressive illustrations. The book is suitable for children from 8 years old, for teenagers, and also adults. Text and illustrations were developed simultaneously and in a dynamic exchange, which led to surprising and fruitful developments for both parties. For example, in an illustrated portrait of the archery master Barrato von Sierentz the author discovered new character traits that she then incorporated into the story.
At the heart of the novel is the development of Claire Brubacher, who transforms throughout the story from a shy but strong-willed and stubborn girl into a person who has found her own path. Claire rebels against prevailing norms, trusts her intuition, and follows only her own conscience. She is brave, sometimes defiant, but also often full of fear and self-doubt. Of particular importance to the story are the friendships between Claire, Tara, and Tibor, as well as the special, often tension-filled relationship that Claire has with the old rag woman Andraina.
This novel provides insight into everyday life in the 17th century, based on research into European social history, the sociology of absolutist societies, and life at a royal court of this time.
Throughout the story, gender roles are questioned. The contrast between rich and poor also runs as a recurring theme throughout the story. But appearance and reality at the royal court also play an – often humorous – role. The king, who is neither entirely good nor entirely evil, possesses great power but is simultaneously trapped in a role that he often finds burdensome.
The story thrives on humorous details, the critical view of a kingdom that lives in excessive luxury at the expense of its subjects, and the tension that arises through experiencing the trials that Claire must overcome. But it especially lives through the portrayed characters, who don’t appear clichéd and develop a life of their own. This also applies to the «supporting roles,» such as the falconer Angèle or the dance and ritual master, composer, and musician Jean-Louis Duport.
The Challenge
Marlene Zöhrer (www.textreif.de), the widely recognized expert for children’s and youth media, has read the manuscript and very positively assessed the quality of language, plot, and illustrations. However, literary agencies and publishers judge the book as not commercial enough. According to the feedback, this is because adventure novels are no longer illustrated today, the story of Claire Brubacher cannot be categorized into either the binary girls’ or boys’ genres, and the high quality of book production that we aim for is considered too expensive to be commercially successful.
