The Women of Chateau Lafayette

The Women of Chateau Lafayette

Author:
Genre: Historical Fiction
Tags: International Bestseller, Recommended Books, USA Today Bestseller
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publication Year: 20201
Format: Hardcover
Length: Novel
ASIN: B08CD24WW8
ISBN: 1984802127
Rating:

An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy.

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.

About the Book

 

Endorsements
In The Women of Chateau Lafayette, we move among the extravagance of Marie Antoinette’s royal court, the brutality of trench warfare in World War I and the misery of a French countryside slowly starving under Nazi rule. It’s an epic, gripping novel, a powerful depiction of the way brutal conflicts based on prejudice and greed tend to repeat time and again. And through it all, Dray poignantly reminds us of the undervalued contributions of women throughout history.
This book establishes a subdued, steady tension that never releases its grip... in this extensively researched, sweeping novel.
– Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Sure to appeal to fans of women’s fiction, WWII-era historical fiction, and the musical Hamilton.”
– Booklist (starred review)
[A] riveting tale of a place where the past still echoes in the stones.
– O Magazine, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Novels 20201
Chateau de Chavaniac was the family home of the Marquis de Lafayette. The Chateau played a pivotal role in three major wars, the French Revolution and both World Wars, and The Women of Chateau Lafayette highlights the extraordinary women whose lives intersected with the Chateau and who sacrificed and fought for freedom during these wars.
These history-making women are bound together by their bravery and their beautiful home, which stands strong across the decades.
This is a wildly impressive novel with characters who fly off the page.
"[A] multifaceted anthem of Franco-American relations and feminine courage...based on original research, as explained in the wonderful author’s note, this novel provides satisfying, deep immersion."
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