要登上英格蘭王位，弗雷迪和弗雷迪莉卡必須收復美國殖民地，並且在欠高貴的時代裏鍛煉齣高貴的人品。赫爾普林的最新力作用戲謔的比喻刻畫齣一個特殊的英國皇室傢庭，對當代君主製大行調侃，也對在不閤理的皇室樊籬中孤獨掙紮的皇室成員們給予瞭深切同情。弗雷迪身為威爾士親王，弗雷迪莉卡是他那麻煩事不斷的妻子。弗雷迪受教育過度，做事糊裏糊塗又不閤時宜，鬧齣的大笑話常常被英國報紙用來當作攻擊的把柄。金發的弗雷迪莉卡生性輕浮，頭腦簡單，沉迷於華美的露肩禮服。兩位任性的王位繼承人與公眾的關係交惡達到頂峰之時，兩人遵循一個鮮為人知的古老傳統被送去徵服一片陌生而又荒蠻的土地——美國。兩人被迫踏上旅途，傘降到工業地獄新澤西，開始瞭他們的美國之行。他們搭過貨運火車，洗過盤子，偷過藝術品，從密西西比河順流而下，也假扮過牙科大夫，與森林大火進行過一番鬥爭，甚至捲入瞭一場瘋狂的總統選舉運動。在路上的生活對兩人皇室教育的思想體係産生瞭巨大衝擊，他們充分發揮齣體內潛能，贏得瞭成為偉大君主和善良人所需的尊嚴和謙遜品格，並且學會瞭愛對方。這樣的故事前所未有。赫爾普林的散文文筆優美，充滿深刻的哲理和洞見。他的忠實讀者喜歡他的那些悲傷故事，因為從中仍可看到作者對人類的善良和精神韌性的堅信。本書寫作手法相當離經叛道（就像馬剋·吐溫為瞭嚮美國音樂劇演員哈波·馬爾剋斯緻敬而改寫法國哲學傢德·托剋維爾的作品一樣）。總之，這個用高明手法改寫的童話是一場趣味橫生的鬧劇。但是在嬉笑的背麵，赫爾普林講述的是信念、生機、勇氣和最為重要的愛情。他留給我們最後的印象是：有人成功地超越瞭後現代的憤世情緒，唱響瞭代錶尊嚴、美、高貴和夢想的贊歌。

Mark Helprinas legions of devoted readers cherish his timeless novels and short stories, which are uplifting in their conviction of the goodness and resilience of the human spirit. "Freddy and Fredericka"aa brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farceaonly seems like a radical departure of form, for behind the laughter, Helprin speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love. Helprinas latest work, an extraordinarily funny allegory about a most peculiar British royal family, is immensely mocking of contemporary monarchy and yet deeply sympathetic to the individuals caught in its lonely absurdities. BACKCOVER: aWith a pitch-perfect sense of the absurd . . . he has produced a delightful romp of a book.a aMichiko Kakutani, "The New York Times" a"Freddy and Fredericka" recalls American journeys of self-discovery by Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac. . . . I promise you, this will be one of the fastest . . . novels youall ever read.a a"Los Angeles Times" aA rollicking, heartwarming examination of the state of the nation . . . Working his own magic, Helprin transforms the thinly veiled satire of the monarchy into a quirky love song to the colonies.a a"People"