Fear was my gateway to becoming interested in stories. My nanny growing up, a Scottish expat named Jackie with a fox pelt of red hair and a manic...
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KimberlyB, January 2, 2012 (view all comments by KimberlyB)
This book is very aptly titled; it really is "A Novel of the French Revolution". Although I'm a lover of historical fiction, I haven't read much HF set in France so went into this book largely ignorant of the events of the Revolution. As Moran states at the beginning of her "Historical Note" at the end of the novel, "It is hard to relate just how turbulent and bloody the years of the French Revolution really were...[they] make for what can be a challenging read, simply because so many innocent people perished in the name of liberty, equality, and fraternity." I'm still in a bit of shock at just how bloody and tragic it was. Moran does a great job at imparting knowledge of the events spanning from 1789 through 1794 while keeping the reader engaged and maintaining historical accuracy by taking very few fictional liberties. This is not a feel-good story, but it isn't meant to be. The witch hunt for those who are "traitors to the patrie" is reminiscent of our own HUAAC mixed with the Inquisition. And, as one part of the book says, "people's imagination has proven stronger than reality" in the conviction and execution of supposed traitors. They really were sad and tragic times.
As for Madame Tussaud herself, her character is incredible. I will admit when I first heard of this book I immediately thought of the slightly cheesy wax museums of our day and age. As Moran has pointed though, people in the late 1700s didn't have the means or ability to travel and see people and places as we do now, nor did they have the media we do today where we know what everything and everyone looks like. Tussaud truly was an artist creating 3D portraits of people and places that the general populous would rarely, if ever, get the opportunity to see.
KimberlyB, July 18, 2011 (view all comments by KimberlyB)
This book is very aptly titled; it really is "A Novel of the French Revolution". Moran does a great job at imparting knowledge of the events spanning from 1789 through 1794 while keeping the reader engaged and maintaining historical accuracy by taking very few fictional liberties. As for Madame Tussaud herself, her character is incredible. I will admit when I first heard of this book I immediately thought of the slightly cheesy wax museums of our day and age. As Moran has pointed out, people in the late 1700s didn't have the means or ability to travel and see people and places as we do now, nor did they have the media we do today where we know what everything and everyone looks like. Tussaud truly was an artist creating 3D portraits of people and places that the general populous would rarely, if ever, get the opportunity to see. Excellent read!
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"From Versailles to Boulevard du Temple, royalists to revolutionaries, art to science, Moran (Cleopatra's Daughter) returns with a new historical novel of fierce polarities. Set during the French Revolution, with an emphasis on the Reign of Terror, Moran's fourth deftly chronicles the consequences of seeking reversals in power — or liberty. Marie Grosholtz, the talented wax sculptress who would become Madame Tussaud, narrates with verve. She and her family are 'survivalists' who 'straddle both worlds until it's clear which side will be the victor...' but never come across as opportunists; they are resourceful, sympathetic individuals facing an unraveling nation and an increasingly angry mob mentality. Though readers may wince at the inevitable beheadings, the storming of the Bastille, and the actions of men like Robespierre, Moran tempers brutality with Marie's romance and passion for artistry; quiet moments in the family's atelier provide much needed respite. This is an unusually moving portrayal of families in distress, both common and noble. Marie Antoinette in particular becomes a surprisingly dimensional figure rather than the fashionplate, spendthrift caricature depicted in the pamphlets of her times. A feat for Francophiles and adventurers alike. (Feb.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
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