My book club chose The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray as our February selection. It was with some trepidation that I approached this novel mainly because of its length. At over 500 pages I feared I would never finish it in time for our meeting. I was so busy with a book festival I help host and a trip to Norway, I just knew I would never complete it. But with several plane rides and airport layovers, I managed to get the necessary reading time in. Thank goodness for a Kindle! At first the book dragged for me (book festival hangover and travel lags), but as I became immersed in the stories of three determined women, I couldn’t get enough. The chateau of the Marquis de Lafayette (yes, that one) connected each time period and story thread. Dray chose to tell the valiant stories of Adrienne de Lafayette, Beatrice Chanler, and fictional Marthe Simon, as they fought for love, freedom, and country. Dray does a wonderful job of creating riveting stories for each of the women. The time periods are the American and French Revolutions, WWI, and WWII — all important in the history of both France and he United States. With extensive research and wonderful plotting, the women’s stories are told against the backdrop of history. I cannot really say which character I liked best — all were intriguing. Perhaps Marthe was my favorite as she found her purpose and place in the world.
If you are fan of historical fiction based on fact, then The Women of Chateau Lafayette is definitely for you. Please note that this is a general market offering.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Most castles are protected by men. This one by women.
A founding mother…
1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband, the Marquis de Lafayette’s political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
A daring visionary…
1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing—not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France firsthand, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what’s right.
A reluctant resistor…
1940. French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan’s self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become.
Intricately woven and powerfully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we take from those who came before us.
Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into ten languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. She lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.
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