The Queen's Soprano

Harcourt Publishers, May 2006

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In this powerful historical novel set in seventeenth-century Rome, a seventeen-year-old girl will sacrifice everything to be free to sing. Based on the little-known but true story of Angelica Voglia, The Queen’s Soprano is a chilling, romantic, and inspirational tale. Read More...

"Life in 17th century Rome is difficult for a beautiful and exceptionally talented girl, especially one born to a humble family...What follows is a series of intrigues and dangerous encounters as Angelica seeks to chart her own course among powerful, opposing factions...The novel is genuinely gripping....will ring true with today’s young readers."Harcourt Publishers
-- Voya, 2006

"Carol Dines has penned an elegant work of historical fiction that will move young adult readers...."
-- Book Loons, Canada, 2006

"...plenty of amour and peril to keep the pages turning. It’s hard to resist a girl up to her golden throat in intrigue, and YAs looking for offbeat historical fiction should be engrossed.
-- School Library Journal, 2006

"There are rich details of food, dress, manners and habits overlaid with much political intrigue, and nearly all the characters, including the composer ArcAngelo Corelli, are historical figures...Riveting in both action and description."
-- Kirkus, 2006

"Intricately layered historical novel explores the obstacles faced by talented women in this time period. 17-year-old Angelica gives impromptu concerts while hidden inside her home, her voice floating down through the closed shutters to the crowd beneath her window. A clandestine relationship with a French art student, who sends Angelica love notes via her maid, and a queen who defies the pope to give Angelica and others like her freedom to perform, add intrigue to the colorful tale."
-- Star Tribune, 2006

"Gifts and talents, while wondrous to possess, may also possess the owner. Angelica Voglia’s musical talent beguiles the poor and the powerful, the peasant and the priest. Nevertheless, the pope has decreed that it is illegal for women to sing in public. The time is 1670, and although Pope Innocent XI rules most of Rome, there is yet one quarter where musical performance by ladies is encouraged and enjoyed by all who are invited to listen. The patron of this court is Queen Christina…Intrigue, death, attempted rape, betrayal, loyalty, pride, and shame blend as the story reaches a memorable crescendo. Dines’ absorbing novel is based on a true story that she discovered in an old library book in Rome."
-- From The Critics, Children’s Literature, 2006

Talk To Me

Delacorte, 1997

“The six stories and novella that make up this collection offer wonderfully intimate and realistic portraits…as protagonists deal with romance, family, job, and school troubles…the plots are very different, ranging from one about growing up in rural Minnesota as the son of a lesbian couple to one concerning the painful silence surrounding a mother’s bout with cancer….Dines incredibly real dialogue…captures the frustration of adolescence and puts readers right into the narrator’s consciousness.”
-- Booklist, 1997

“Talk to Me is a wonderfully honest look at teenagers today. The six short stories and one novella deal with seven young adults who are trying to figure out who they are and where their place is in the world. Their stories are fresh, vivid and true to life.”
-- VOYA, 1997

“A collection of clear-eyed stories that are full of promise…families wrestling with the rest of life as well as adolescence, in stories that hone in on a moment in time and map from it a future of myriad possibilities.”
-- Kirkus reviews, 1997

Best Friends Tell The Best Lies

Delacorte, 1989

“In this funny wise novel Leah meets the exciting sophisticate Tamara, who is prone to outrageous costumes and comments – she airily asserts that her mother is a murderess, having killed off a series of ex-husbands for their insurance money by feeding them cholesterol-laden meals. The fact that Leah’s mother disapproves of her daughter’s new friend serves only to heighten her appeal. Dines accurately captures tumultuous adolescence as she portrays Leah sometimes chafing under the restrictions put on her, sometimes yearning for the security of her childhood….Written in a strikingly authentic adolescent voice.”
-- The Horn Book, May 1989

”An excellent character study…has a plot which will capture its audience from the outset.”
-- School Library Journal, starred review

“The rich texture of the narrative and provocative character development highlight this intricate and intriguing novel.”
-- Publishers Weekly, February 1989