Two Penniless Princesses

"Two Penniless Princesses" by Charlotte M. Yonge is a tale woven around the lives of Eleanor and Jean Stewart, two princesses navigating a perilous world within the Scottish court during the late 1800s. The story begins with their confinement in Dunbar Castle, where they dream of escaping their dreary existence and reuniting with their sister, Margaret, who is married to the French court. Eleanor and Jean possess a yearning for life beyond stone walls and the regal surroundings of Dunbar. As the story starts they are on the brink of an escape that has anticipation and trepidation. They face threats from warlike nobles seeking connections with royalty, the sisters must rely on their contrasting strengths, Eleanor's imagination and Jean's practicality, to secure their destiny.