Three Generations of Heroines

Three Generations of Heroines

by | Sep 23, 2024 | Book review, France, French Resistance, Historical novels, World War II

This month, I’m pleased to offer you a review of a novel I recently enjoyed.

With its title, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, you might expect a biography of Lafayette’s wife, but this novel offers much more.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette, by Stephanie Dray, cover image

This amazing time slip novel draws readers into three distinct eras, separated by generations but united in several ways:

  • Each takes place in one of history’s darkest hours
  • Each is set at least partially at Castle Chavaniac, the residence of Gilbert Lafayette, the Frenchman who helped the American colonies win their independence so long ago
  • Each female protagonist’s efforts culminated in heroism at Chavaniac

Summary of each time period:

(includes protagonists; kept general to avoid spoilers)

 

  • Revolutionary era: After helping American colonists win their independence from the British, Gilbert Lafayette returns to France a hero and helps spark the French Revolution, which goes terribly wrong. His family and the French nation suffer grievously. Gilbert’s wife, Adrienne, must navigate between the values of her wealthy noble family and Gilbert’s ideals of democracy, political liberty, and religious freedom. Her heroism will surprise or even shock readers.
  • In World War I, Beatrice, whose marriage to William “Willie” Astor Chanler, elevated her from humble beginnings, finds her passion in creating the Lafayette Memorial Fund, first supplying care packages for French soldiers in the trenches, and then helping refugee children orphaned by the war. Her husband buys Castle Chavaniac for her, and she manages its transformation into a sanctuary for displaced children and orphans. She is torn between her failed marriage and a new life with a kind Frenchman who loves and supports her.
  • During World War II, Marthe, an orphan who grew up at Castle Chavaniac, now teaches there. She must come to terms with her identity, as well as deciding how she can live out her ideals with integrity during and after the Nazi occupation of France.

Other major characters:

Maxime Furlaud—a banker and military officer; Beatrice’s French romantic interest

Victor Chapman—Willie’s nephew, close to Beatrice and Willie; an American architecture student who joined the French Foreign Legion

Emily Sloane—Beatrice’s American friend who works with her to gather aid and work at Chavaniac

Baron Amaury de LaGrange—husband of Emily Sloane; interim president of Preventorium at Chavaniac after Fall of France Riom Trial

Anne—daughter of Emily and Amaury, contemporary of Marthe

Yves Travert—small-town policeman who keeps an eye on Chavaniac and Marthe; he must cooperate somewhat with the Gestapo

Madame Pinton—mother of Marthe’s fiancé, she plays an unexpected role

 

Strengths:

This is a fascinating novel, with its three linked plots, all strong, well-portrayed, and providing windows into life in France in each era.

Weakness:

Three time frames and sets of characters can lead to confusion for readers, who may benefit from taking a few notes as they read.

Content review:

This novel doesn’t shy away from the violence of war, or expressions of the major characters’ sexuality.

My recommendation: 

Readers who enjoy historical fiction steeped with romance and values (both personal and societal) will find The Women of Chateau Lafayette a rewarding and thought-provoking read.

Reader, do you have a favorite time slip historical novel?

My writing update:

I continue to sift through the comments of my beta-readers and polish my upcoming novel, Lucia’s Journey.

Celebrate with me!

Celebrate with me!

by | Jul 24, 2024 | Bohemia, Book review, England, France, Reformation

I invite you, Reader, to celebrate with me!

  • I’m excited to offer my review of the favorite novel I’ve read in 2024! (see below)
  • My second grandson has arrived in the world, and my husband and I have the opportunity to participate in his family’s life almost daily!
  • The revisions of my new novel are nearly finished!

I hope you’re finding things to celebrate in this season, too!

The Mercy Seller, by Brenda Rickman Vantrease, cover image

My Review of The Mercy Seller:

 

You may be familiar with Martin Luther’s reform efforts and eventual break from the Roman Church in the 1500s…

But these earlier reformers had less success and paid a terrible price:

  • John Wycliffe, a cleric who translated the Bible into English in the late 1300s (His followers became known as Lollards)
  • Jan Hus, a preacher in Prague in the early 1400s who championed Wycliffe’s ideas in Bohemia.

Why?

The Mercy Seller, Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s 2007 novel, immerses readers in the cultures in which Wycliffe and Hus lived (England and Bohemia, respectively). After reading it, I understood in a visceral way why the beliefs and reforms that Wycliffe and Hus proposed were doomed to fail in their times and locations.

Because Anna was raised with the teachings of Jan Hus in Prague, she must flee and undertake a dangerous journey, both physical and metaphorical, to find safety and a new life.

Without a guide, this young woman struggles to know whom to trust. The people she encounters challenge her view of the world, as her perspective challenges theirs.

This compelling story of courage, betrayal, persecution, and character growth also gives readers a window into an era far removed from ours.

Characters:

Some were easy to root for, others easy to hate, some evoked both emotions

  • Gabriel/VanCleve—title character, an English priest assigned to sell pardons/indulgences; his background and many-faceted career become central to the story
  • Anna—protagonist who grew up in Prague, raised with Lollard beliefs by her grandfather, Finn; she learns his trade but must flee Prague after religious persecution begins
  • Finn—copyist of writings of Wycliffe and gospels of the New Testament, fled from England to Prague to escape persecution of Lollards
  • Abbess Kathryn—leader of the abbey at Saint Martin’s that specializes in copying texts, both sacred and secular
  • Brother Francis—Gabriel’s spiritual father and mentor
  • Little Bek—abandoned handicapped boy; Anna mothers him
  • Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Cobham—member of House of Lords; he and his wife use their wealth in generous ways, among which are supporting the Lollard community and the copying of religious texts into English
  • Prince Hal (Henry V of England)—friend of Cobham’s during their military years; torn between his need for Archbishop of Canterbury’s blessing of his coronation and his friendship with Sir John Oldcastle
  • Archbishop Arundel—aged, declining leader of Roman Church in England; determined to root out heresies and heretics from England

Strengths:

  • Characters—three-dimensional, their arcs reveal clear change; the author shows us their flaws as well as (for some) their heroic qualities
  • Heroic theme—self-sacrifice for one’s beliefs
  • Plot—fascinating threads connect the characters, including multiple generations; plot twists that keep readers on edge
  • Settings—portrayals of the several settings provide telling details to immerse readers

Weakness:

Alternating points of view between characters from scene to scene can confuse readers until they get their bearings.

Content review:

Readers should anticipate a few scenes of physical intimacy, but not of a graphic nature, as well as descriptions of executions in this time period.

My recommendation:

If you enjoy an exciting story of strong-willed individuals whose religious convictions lead them to risk and sacrifice their lives, and whose interactions shape their characters, I highly recommend The Mercy Seller.

Reader, can you recommend novels set in the world of John Wycliffe or Jan Hus?

Fight, Flight, or Hide: the Huguenots’ Choice

Fight, Flight, or Hide: the Huguenots’ Choice

by | Mar 17, 2024 | author interview, Book review, France, French Protestants, Historical novels, Huguenots

Where would you go if your convictions or your family’s roots endangered your life in your homeland?

What would you do if the people you counted on to give you refuge turned out to be as intolerant as the rulers of your native land?

A decade or two ago, these questions might have been relegated to distant history, but today they are top of mind for a shocking number of people in our world.

Find Me in the Stars, Jules Larimore’s second novel about 17th-century French Huguenots and their struggles, now takes on a new relevance in the 21st century:

• What would I have done facing the Huguenots’ predicament?

• How was their situation similar to one that people I care about, or even I, confront?

Find Me in the Stars, by Jules Larimore, cover image

This is an adventure- and suspense-filled story of 17th-century Huguenots (French Protestants) driven into hiding or away from their remote homeland, the Cévennes region [once called Languedoc, now (since 2016) Occitànie] by religious persecution.

Their struggle to survive includes:
• disagreements within their communities about the correct course of action
• betrayal by supposed friends and supporters
• above all, the enmity of France’s egomaniacal king, Louis XIV, who used his nation’s wealth, wars, tariffs and religious persecution to make himself the ultimate authoritarian, declaring “L’état c’est moi.” (I am the state).

Characters:

• Jehan BonDurant—protagonist, he was torn away from his Huguenot parents as age 7 and converted by Dominicans. Trained as an apothecary, he inherited his parents’ properties and the responsibility to administer them wisely.

• Amelia Auvrey—Jehan’s muse; a free-spirited holy woman and healer

Both Jehan and Amelia wrestle with the conflict between their idealistic and their very human selves. The author also places both in situations of great danger, making those scenes difficult to put down.

• Commandeur Timoleon—head of Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller Commandery, friend and ally to Amelia

• Menina Elise—wise woman, healer, midwife, and Amelia’s grandmother and mentor

• Abbé du Chaila—French Catholic Abbé of Chaila, merciless persecutor of Huguenots

• Pasteur Guillaume Barjon—Jehan’s maternal uncle, a strict Calvinist pastor and leader of a group of refugees in Aarau and Germany

• Charles Sieur de Sailly—French nobleman refugee in service of William III of England and Lord Galway as an agent to organize and recruit Huguenots for resettlement schemes

 

Strengths:

The author skillfully weaves fictional and real-life characters and events into an exciting story, setting it within a vivid background (topography, customs, architecture, clothing, food) that immerses readers in that time and place.

 

Weakness:

Although this novel can be read as a standalone, readers will more fully understand the backgrounds and relationship of Jehan and Amelia if they have read The Muse of Freedom, the first novel in The Cévenoles Sagas series.

 

Content review:

This novel includes references to violence by French dragonnades against Huguenots, threats of sexual violence against a woman, and an unmarried couple’s sexual encounter.

 

My recommendation:

Find Me in the Stars will appeal to readers who enjoy a suspenseful story grounded in history, with characters they can root for, as they reveal both their foibles and their strengths.

Reader, can you share a brief mention of a heroic character in your family’s past?

Keep reading for an interview with Jules Larimore, author of Find Me in the Stars!

Interview with author Jules Larimore:

What drew you to focus Find Me in the Stars on this particular moment and characters?

The period I write about in this novel chose me, actually. I’ve always had a love for the Middle Ages and Renaissance, yet felt a calling for over twenty years to write a story inspired by Jean Pierre Bondurant dit Cougoussac—my 8th great grandfather—a French Huguenot ancestor from a minor noble family. Jehan’s motivation to give up the estate he inherited and flee the country always intrigued me, and I knew there were many sides during this divisive period that needed to find a voice.

Once I dove into the research, I became utterly fascinated with this overlooked period in the late 17th century that led up to the Camisard War. I blended it with Cévenole magic lore into a coming-of-age story and family saga of courage, tenacity, and the power of love, hoping to transport the reader to this thrilling and obscure slice of French history.

How did you discover details of that time and place?

I began research for this series twenty-plus years ago shortly after I learned about my connection to Jean Pierre Bondurant. The first thing I did was to take a trip to Genolhac (Genouillac), France. It is important to me to embody the setting and culture first, to experience a place through its flora and fauna, geology and architecture, and to hear the voices of the people who lived during the era I am writing about, even before I do much other research.

I have returned to the Cévennes a few times in recent years and I was invited to visit, (even spending the night on my last visit) the old Bondurant maison de ville (townhouse) in Genolhac, whose owner shared a few secrets about the house and what transpired there. I have also spent much time in the Museé du Desert to learn about the tools, furnishings, clothing, weapons, and religious artifacts that were in use in the late 17th/ early 18th centuries. In addition, French Departmental archives became a primary method for research. One of my best sources has been Les lien de chercheurs Cévenols.

Did you discover surprises while researching this novel?

 I did! Not to give away any spoilers, one was a secret element at Jean Pierre’s townhouse in Genolhac that aided his family in conducting clandestine Huguenot prayer meetings which were outlawed by Louis XIV. Hopefully readers will discover that when they read the first book in the Huguenot Trilogy, The Muse of Freedom.

Another surprise occurred after I connected with a distant French cousin who shared documents showing that Jean Pierre’s father had been imprisoned for a month in the Tour de Roi in Uzès.

How much did you have to deviate from history to create a satisfying story?

The timeline, locations, and the majority of characters are true to history. Although several characters are the creation of my imagination to bring a diverse, multi-layered experience to the story. But even the historical characters had to be used fictitiously, acknowledging that no one can ever entirely know the true story of bygone eras. So, I filled in gaps using extensive research on the history of the era and took my characters on journeys that seemed befitting based on my personal analysis and inspiration.

Since novels with a bit of romance seem to attract more readers I had intended to develop a fictional love interest for the character Jehan, but I didn’t know until I opened up to it that it would be a free-spirited, mystic holy woman. My research led me to discover that healers who practiced ancient healing techniques were common to the Cévennes Mountains.

What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?

Since most of the primary source documents and many of the scholarly papers I used for research are in other languages—French, German, Dutch—they had to be translated. If it were not for the translation programs now available, I’m not certain I could have completed enough research to have developed this novel properly.

And then there was also the editing process—one of the most challenging aspects of writing.

What did you enjoy about writing this novel?

The research is always my first love—traveling to the locales and studying the history. But I love the moments when I sit down with my laptop on my patio and let the characters speak to me. After the research, I can immerse myself in their world and channel their thoughts and feelings. That’s when it feels like magic.

What do you hope readers will take away after reading Find Me in the Stars?

The themes in Find Me in the Stars are very relevant to events happening in the world today—bigotry, authoritarianism, persecution—so the timing for it has been meaningful. Writing this novel gave me the opportunity to convey the positive qualities of courage, tenacity, and transcendent vision while the entire Huguenots trilogy contains overarching themes of love, compassion, and tolerance. I hope that after reading this novel, readers will have a new awareness for the Huguenot refugees and hold a place in their hearts for all people, past and present, who have struggled to escape persecution, oppression, violence, war, or poverty.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

 I will be presenting this September at the Historical Novel Society conference in Devon, UK alongside two French historical authors, Keira Morgan and Michèle Callard. We are part of an authors’ collaborative who share history articles on France’s Splendid Centuries Facebook page. Our presentation is on “The Allure of French Historical Dramas on Screen and in Novels”.

As part of our presentation, we will be sharing the results of a survey running through March 25 asking “What do YOU like about France & Historical Fiction? We’d be happy to have your readers participate. It is short, only about 5 minutes, and it is anonymous. Anyone wanting the results can simply provide their contact info in the survey and we will send it to them after we compile the data. Here is the link for anyone who is interested.

Sunny Times under the Sun King?

Sunny Times under the Sun King?

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Book review, France, French Protestants, Historical novels, Huguenots, Reformation

If you had to choose between obeying your king or risking everything by staying true to your convictions, what would you do?

That’s the agonizing decision Jehan (Jean Pierre) Bondurant must make at the age of 18, after 11 years of captivity in a Dominican priory.

The Muse of Freedom, by Jules Larimore, cover image

The Muse of Freedom takes place during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV, who spared no effort to rid his kingdom of any threats to his power. Though he was known as the Sun King, his policies were anything but sunny for many of his subjects. His dragonnades (troops) terrorized the Huguenots (French Protestants) whose faith called them to obey God instead of the king, breaking up their families and killing many.

Before writing The Muse of Freedom, author Jules Larimore explored his family’s genealogy. Now he crafts a deeply-researched novel (that he labels as historical fiction) in which his ancestors’ lives and choices play a major role.

Characters:

In spite of Larimore’s natural sympathy for his ancestors, his nuanced portrayal of Protestants and Roman Catholics avoids one-dimensional characters.

Jehan (Jean Pierre) Bondurant – conflicted protagonist inspired by the author’s ancestor born in 1677, perhaps a descendant of Jewish refugees persecuted in Aragon who eventually had to convert to Catholicism or flee to avoid further persecution

Amelia – female protagonist who strongly influences Jehan; she’s a sage-femme (wise woman) healer whose life history has brought her to embrace universalist beliefs, rather than either the Roman Catholic or Protestant faith.

Lucrèce – childhood friend of Jehan, she married his cousin André while Jehan lived in the priory; she helps Jehan adapt to life outside the priory

Curé Gellion – parish priest; Jehan’s nemesis who tormented him during and after his years in the priory

Prieur Chabert – Jehan’s tutor during his years in the priory; a more tolerant and sympathetic face of French Catholicism

Children of God – breakaway Protestant group that held clandestine assemblies to evade persecution by French king’s dragoons; they did not always choose pacifism in response to persecution

Strengths:

This novel uses beautiful description to show the complex background of the people of Cévenoles, in the Languedoc region of southern France, as well as the conflicting forces tugging at Jehan and his countrymen.

Weakness:

The slow pace of plot development demands patience on reader’s part.

Content review:

The novel contains numerous references to violence.

The Muse of Freedom will appeal to readers with an interest in the era of France’s Sun King (Louis XIV) who desire a fuller picture of how he obtained and maintained his absolute power, and especially to those ready to challenge themselves with the question, “What would I do if I were in Jehan’s situation?”

Reader, can you recommend other novels whose characters must choose between loyalty to their rulers and their faith?

When Librarians Were Spies

When Librarians Were Spies

by | May 7, 2023 | Book review, France, French Resistance, Historical novels, Portugal, World War II

If you know any librarians, can you imagine them as heroic spies?

Neither can I, so Madeline Martin’s recent novel, The Librarian Spy, sparked my curiosity.

The Librarian Spy, by Madeline Martin, cover image

I discovered a spy-filled World War II story set in Lyon, France, and an intriguing, new-to-me location—Lisbon, Portugal.

Here’s the plot in a nutshell:

  • The Allied Special Libraries and Information Bureau in Lisbon brought in research librarians from the U.S. and U.K to track down facts about clear or possible Nazi plans and activities, which helped shorten the war.
  • At the same time, German spies in Lisbon sought information about Allied plans.
  • Into this mix arrived a constant flow of refugees (especially Jewish) seeking safe refuge from parts of Europe under threat or occupation by the Nazis.
  • In occupied Lyon, France, under threat of torture or immediate execution, the Resistance continues to work actively against the Nazis, printing and distributing truthful news about the progress of the war and the Nazis’ crimes.
  • The stories begun in these two locales converge at a certain point in the story (sorry, no spoiler here!)

Characters:

Each must make heart-wrenching choices with potentially fatal consequences:

  • which risks to take
  • whom to trust
  • whom to help

Most are heroic, so readers will root for many, among them:

  • Ava Harper – 1st protagonist, she’s a Rare Book librarian recruited from the Library of Congress to aid the U.S. intelligence effort in Portugal
  • James MacKinnon – Brit in Lisbon who takes an interest in Ava, who thinks he works for the Special Libraries and Information Bureau  
  • Elaine Rousseau (alias of Hélène Bélanger) – 2nd protagonist; she’s a resident of Lyon, France, who sympathizes with the Resistance, but her husband, Joseph, forbids her from volunteering and scolds her for not being a proper Vichy wife
  • Etienne – Joseph’s best friend, he connects Elaine with the Resistance
  • Josette, Nicole, Denise, and Manon – all Resistance sympathizers in Lyon who interact with Elaine
  • Sarah – Jewish refugee desperate to escape with her young son, Noah, to join her husband in the U.S.
  • Kommander Werner – cruel German known for torturing Resistance captives in Lyon so they would reveal names of their fellow anti-Nazi sympathizers

Strengths:

This suspenseful story keeps readers on the edge of their seats, while weaving in setting details and interesting information that’s not widely known about Portugal and Lyon in World War II.

Weakness:

Although this is a compelling story, a major premise is fictional. This may disappoint readers seeking a completely historically-accurate novel. The author admits that the U.S. sent no women librarians to Portugal during World War II to uncover potentially useful information.

Content review:

Descriptions of violence committed by the Nazis will make this story disturbing for some, especially young readers.

I recommend The Librarian Spy, an entertaining and informative dual-protagonist novel, to readers who enjoy suspenseful reading about the World War II era, with a fresh twist.

Reader, what are your favorite novels of World War II?

An Unlikely Hero? The Case of Biochemist Rosalind Franklin

An Unlikely Hero? The Case of Biochemist Rosalind Franklin

by | Mar 8, 2022 | Book review, England, France, Historical novels, Rosalind Franklin

Sometimes the unlikeliest people rise to the moment and surprise the world with their heroism, whether it’s

  • a Hebrew shepherd boy named David whose only weapons are a sling and stones
  • a mild-mannered newspaper reporter named Clark Kent
  • or a comedian-turned-president of a threatened nation

This month, we focus on one such unlikely scientific hero: Rosalind Franklin, an early-20th century British biochemist.

Her passion for science led her down a challenging and improbable path for a woman in that time.

Her research in France and England led to groundbreaking discoveries in science and medicine:

  • DNA (brought revolutionary advances in understanding disease pathways and genetic disorders, as well as the formulation of new drugs)
  • RNA (brought great advances in understanding viruses blighting agricultural crops, as well as the virus that causes polio)

What inspired me, a non-scientist, to read Her Hidden Genius, Marie Benedict’s fictionalized account of Rosalind Franklin’s life and scientific career?

  • Rosalind Franklin was an underdog—a woman forging a scientific career in an era when society and her family pressured her to choose a more traditional, family-oriented life
  • Her perseverance, work ethic, and scientific rigor, in spite of the skepticism she faced as a woman scientist in her era
  • Author Marie Benedict maintains an even-handed perspective on Rosalind and the controversy relating to other scientists’ use of her findings without giving her credit. Other writers have portrayed Rosalind either in a negative light or as a saint.
  • Her conflicts with others revealed her core principles
  • Well-painted settings, in Paris and London
  • A well-written story that humanized Rosalind and held my interest
  • Strong characters:
    • Heroes of the story were Rosalind and the men and women who supported her in her life and the race to map the structure of DNA.
    • The scientists and family members who treated her badly came across as villains. Their attitudes and behavior weren’t uncommon in that era, but still shocked me.

Fyi for this novel:

  • You’ll encounter basic scientific explanations of Rosalind Franklin’s projects, since science played such a big role in her life
  • Content Rating—mild + for brief kissing

My recommendation:

If you enjoy a story that immerses you in an earlier time period, takes you inside the main character’s psyche so you experience the highs and lows of her emotions and life, and if you have at least a passing interest in how science progressed, Her Hidden Genius is a book for you.

Reader, please share your heroes of science!