In Review: Mistress of the Revolution.

Note:

Book reviews always baffle me, but I still read them all the time.  

There is always the fear, as with movies, of revealing too much plot summary or other tid bits that people upset over if they don't discover it themselves.  

Yet, I've decided to forge this road regardless because reviews of just about anything introduce others to new and exciting things that they would not have known about before.  

Each Tuesday, I will try to post a review of something I love, like or hate.  It can be anything... from books to beauty products.  :) 

Who: Anyone who loves historical fiction novels.
What: Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors
Where: Barnes and Noble or any place that sells books.

Info:
451 pages.
Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook

Review:
I read this novel over a year ago and it still remains one of my all time favorites.  (So much so that I actually emailed the author as soon as I turned the last page to tell her how much I loved the book...and she wrote back to me!)
The story is set during uncertain times in France, while Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette sat on the throne.  Gabrielle is a young girl, thrown into a noble marriage at the ripe age of fifteen, widowed and then forced to fend for herself in a dangerous world.  The novel covers a large span of Gabrielle's life and the lessons she learns along the way.  Life is not fair as a woman in her position.  From tragic love experiences to nearly being beheaded, Gabrielle struggles through each trial.  Each compelling situation made me wonder how and if I could have ever survived if I had lived her life.
My worry in reading this novel was that my historical expertise was limited when it comes to France (I was more up to par with England back then).  However, this novel actually taught me a lot since it is very much historically accurate.  It is not for the faint of heart due to the length of pages and emotional content as well.  Definitely a good read for any person who loves novels by Phillipa Gregory, but yearn for more details about what life was like long ago.