DAUGHTER OF FRANCE

Exquisitely crafted rags-to-riches tale set in pre-Revolutionary France, encompassing the historical Affair of the Diamond Necklace.

Forrest amazes and delights from the very first paragraph. Readers will be quickly pulled into the story, becoming silent observers to an illegitimate daughter being legitimized, her grooming to French court life and her presentation to the court as the Marquise de Ste. Vierge. Court intrigue, schemes, plots, descriptions of clothing and life at the French court keep the pages flying. Forrest convincingly captures the emotions of the main character, Anne-Marie, as she encounters court life, finds her way in society and falls in love with a man who is not destined to be hers. The author also guides readers seamlessly through political upheavals and the private emotions and public face of Anne-Marie, as she grows into a woman sure of her station in life, a force manipulating the events around her, rather than being molded by them. Forrest uses excellent source material to reproduce the sights, sounds and atmosphere of France, England and Austria at that time. Characters are constructed so convincingly that it is almost impossible to believe they are confined to paper. In fact, Forrest paints historical figures so realistically that the reader feels the intrigue in the air from beginning to end. Scandals and plotting are effortlessly revealed, creating a real sense of urgency and tension at the court of Versailles. Political tension grips mercilessly as peasants starve and demand rights, while monarchs spend the treasury dry even to the point that militia guarding the palace have no powder for firearms. Despite all this, Anne-Marie finds happiness after decades of being used as a pawn by her father and the monarchs of France.

An absolute must-read for fans of French history and intrigue.