Monday, March 14, 2011

Madame Tussaud

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
By Michelle Moran
Crown, 2011. 448 pgs. Fiction

Eventually known around the world for her amazing wax museums, Madame Tussaud’s early adulthood was spent in Paris during the French Revolution. Her family had ties with both the revolutionaries and the royalists, a situation that forced them to walk a fine line as they waited to see which faction would be left standing. The terror and uncertainty of that violent period of history is vividly brought to light in this detailed piece of historical fiction.

Most of the fiction I have read depicting the French Revolution have focused on either the nobility and their flight from the guillotine or their English rescuers like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Moran’s novel brought a whole new viewpoint to life, that of the common people of France. This is perfect for historical fiction readers who don’t mind a bit of violence and enjoy a thrilling story.

CZ

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