When in France...

Do as the French do…right?  Unless it’s during the French Revolution and everything seems to be falling apart.  Then you do whatever you need to do to survive.

This week’s book is The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent.  It focuses on Claudette Laurent, a young Frenchwoman.  This book spans the years 1765 to 1795, a crucial time in French history.

As a child, Claudette and her best friend Jean-Philippe had a chance encounter with the new Dauphine (or Princess) of France, Marie Antoinette.  Several years later Claudette is thrust into the chaos of France in 1781.  Claudette thinks fondly of Jean-Philippe, and they have secretly betrothed each other, promising to wed after his apprenticeship is over.

However, her father, a dollmaker, and her mother die in a fire, and Claudette is forced to run away.  Soon she along with other women get on a ship bound for England – escaping the chaos of France.  Claudette bonds with Beatrice du Georges, who is traveling with her daughter Marguerite since Beatrice’s husband passed away, leaving her unable to provide for Marguerite.

Another storyline in this book is the one concerning Marie Antoinette.  She and Louis are suddenly thrust to the throne after the death of Louis XV, and she is scared because she knows they are too young to reign.

Claudette goes through many adventures while in England, working for a few different families as a maid.  She eventually starts making dolls, like her father, to make more money.  Claudette comes in contact at a party for her mistress with William, who is clearly smitten with her.

Eventually, Claudette leaves her job and opens her own doll shop with help of Beatrice and Marguerite.  Claudette becomes very successful, even catching the attention of the Queen of France.  She even travels to France and makes a special doll for her majesty herself, while also reuniting with Jean-Philippe.  Claudette is unsure if she should go with Jean-Philippe or William, who has promised to marry her.

Claudette soon comes into trouble due to her close ties with the Queen.  I’ll leave it up for you the reader to uncover though.  You may know how Marie Antoinette’s story ends, but I won’t spoil Claudette’s fate.

I found this book to be interesting, since a lot of the fiction I have read during this time period usually is about England or even the colonial United States.  I really liked Claudette’s character and how she would do anything to survive, yet honor the memory of her father by making dolls.

That’s it for this week.  What’s up for next week?  I think I’m going to read a book about the Romanovs, the former royal family of Russia.  It’s completely fiction but I think you will all enjoy it.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll be reading next week!