要登上英格兰王位，弗雷迪和弗雷迪莉卡必须收复美国殖民地，并且在欠高贵的时代里锻炼出高贵的人品。赫尔普林的最新力作用戏谑的比喻刻画出一个特殊的英国皇室家庭，对当代君主制大行调侃，也对在不合理的皇室樊篱中孤独挣扎的皇室成员们给予了深切同情。弗雷迪身为威尔士亲王，弗雷迪莉卡是他那麻烦事不断的妻子。弗雷迪受教育过度，做事糊里糊涂又不合时宜，闹出的大笑话常常被英国报纸用来当作攻击的把柄。金发的弗雷迪莉卡生性轻浮，头脑简单，沉迷于华美的露肩礼服。两位任性的王位继承人与公众的关系交恶达到顶峰之时，两人遵循一个鲜为人知的古老传统被送去征服一片陌生而又荒蛮的土地——美国。两人被迫踏上旅途，伞降到工业地狱新泽西，开始了他们的美国之行。他们搭过货运火车，洗过盘子，偷过艺术品，从密西西比河顺流而下，也假扮过牙科大夫，与森林大火进行过一番斗争，甚至卷入了一场疯狂的总统选举运动。在路上的生活对两人皇室教育的思想体系产生了巨大冲击，他们充分发挥出体内潜能，赢得了成为伟大君主和善良人所需的尊严和谦逊品格，并且学会了爱对方。这样的故事前所未有。赫尔普林的散文文笔优美，充满深刻的哲理和洞见。他的忠实读者喜欢他的那些悲伤故事，因为从中仍可看到作者对人类的善良和精神韧性的坚信。本书写作手法相当离经叛道（就像马克·吐温为了向美国音乐剧演员哈波·马尔克斯致敬而改写法国哲学家德·托克维尔的作品一样）。总之，这个用高明手法改写的童话是一场趣味横生的闹剧。但是在嬉笑的背面，赫尔普林讲述的是信念、生机、勇气和最为重要的爱情。他留给我们最后的印象是：有人成功地超越了后现代的愤世情绪，唱响了代表尊严、美、高贵和梦想的赞歌。

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"