THE BURNING OF THE ROSE Ruth Nichols Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, 1990. 341pp, cloth, $24.95 ISBN 0-7710-6742-9. CIP Grades 12 and up/Ages 17 and up Reviewed by Mollie Hooper. Volume 18 Number 3 1990 May After publishing five children's fantasy novels, Ruth Nichols has turned to the writing of historical fiction. Her debut is The Burning of the Rose. She has done an impressive amount of research for this book, as is shown by the detailed descriptions of people, places and things of that time (the fifteenth century). The style, which is appropriate to the era, and the intricate detail help to carry the story. Claire Tarleton - musician, artist’ s model and scholar - is adopted. She shares experiences with some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance but the looming Turkish invasion of Italy sends the family and friends to Normandy. There Claire finds out something about her real parents and finds her loyalties divided between English and French, Lancaster and York, and the brothers Linacre. Her coming to terms with this conflict is the story. The book is well bound and the print is easy to read. Because of its symbolism, its many and deep allusions to religious customs of the past, its songs in French (not all translated), and its deep mental conflicts, this book will appeal mostly to historically oriented students and to adults. Mollie Hooper, Qualicum Beach, B.C.