Head That Wears the Crown, The

A fortysomething woman’s ordinary life takes a royal detour in an engaging novel about embracing a family legacy and stepping up when it matters most by New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart.

Annaliese—Annie—Gilberti is a divorced South Philadelphia mother of two with a nine-to-five job when a shocking discovery turns another average day upside down: her late grandmother was the exiled ruler of a small European country, and Annie is next in line to wear the crown and restore the monarchy. The would-be grand duchess of the Grand Duchy of Saint Gilbert has vacation time coming, enough to take a quick trip to check it out.

It’s easy to fall in love with Saint Gilbert’s villagers; its mysteries (why does everyone look decades younger than they claim to be?); her family’s ancestral home, Castle Blanc (so many hidden rooms and passages!); and maybe—just a little—with the dashing Maximilien Belleme, the captain of the castle guard. Never one to walk away from a challenge, Annie steps up, determined to be worthy of the crown that’s been offered. As she, her sisters, and her children work to bring Saint Gilbert into the modern age, Annie discovers a legacy of courageous women and that no threat is too great to deny the grand duchess’s right to the throne.