Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Madam Tussaud by Michelle Moran 5 of 5 stars.

When Marie Tussaud learns the exciting news that the royal family will be visiting her famed wax museum, the Salon de Cire, she never dreams that the king's sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. As Marie familiarizes herself with Princess Elisabeth and becomes acquainted with both Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, she witnesses the glamorous life of the court. It's a much different world than her home on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris, where bread can only be had on the black market and men sell their teeth to put food on their tables.

The year is 1788, and men like Desmoulins, Marat, and Robespierre are meeting in the salons of Paris, speaking against the monarchy; there's whispered talk of revolution.

Spanning five years from budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom. (Book blurb from press release)

Madame Tussaud is a deftly written novel that portrays all of the important players of the French Revolution through the voice of a shrewd young woman who manages to straddle the worlds of both 'Royalists' and 'Patriots' to an amazing degree. During the day she may spend time with King Louis XVI's sister, Madame Elisabeth, in her beautiful Montreuil but at home in the evening she is listening to men set on destroying the royal family at all costs.

As violence grows steadily in Paris, the woman who will become Madame Tussaud is caught between loyalty to her friends on both sides and the simple need to survive this horrid time. She will do anything to ensure the safety of herself, her family, and, of course, her Salon even if it mean taking wax models of severed heads of people whose only crime was being in the wrong place in France at the worst time possible.

When I read the synopsis for this book I was overjoyed by the fact the Michelle Moran had written another historical novel. I expected it to be much like her others, but was pleasantly surprised. Instead of being completely immersed in the intrigue and grandeur of the French court the reader is simply given the chance to dip their toes in it from time to time, focusing more on what was happening in Paris during the most bloody time in this country's history.

Moran finds a way to perfectly straddle the closed world of Louis XVI and the harsh reality of the French people. She shows the royal family in a light that will make you sympathize with them. The naive love Louis had for his people was beyond my grasp of understanding, and indeed beyond that of those who were closest to him. We receive a rather horrid view of what the consequences of a "weak" king really are.

I once read a book about Marie Antoinette that made me feel I understood her to some extent, but since then I have watched one historical documentary after the other that pretty much condemned her as the doom of France and, eventually, the French monarchy. This is the first time in a while I have seen Antoinette from a different light, and I will admit that I cried when she was executed. (This is not technically a spoiler since everyone should already know she died.) Every time she tried to economize she was attacked by her courtiers. Historians can say what they wish, but in my mind I will always see Marie Antoinette as a prisoner in a rather gilded cage.

However, the most interesting character in the book has to be the wax artist Marie Tussaud. A shrewd business woman and an amazing artist, she helps immortalize the French Revolution in her own way. The things she was willing to do to ensure her survival and that of her family continue to astound me, and that makes the ending all the more surprising.

If you are a Moran fan, a history buff, or just an avid reader looking for a good story I would suggest you read Madame Tussaud. It is the best historical fiction novel I've read since Moran's last book Cleopatra's Daughter, and the great thing about this author's works is that they never really feel historical. They feel like they directly relate to our modern lives.

To order Madame Tussaud from Amazon.com, please click here.

In My Mailbox!

*Comes in happy dancing* I don't mean to brag but Mr. UPS Man dropped off an AMAZING surprise today. I don't know exactly where it came from (I'm guess Goodreads?) but Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran showed up. As a HUGE Michelle Moran fan I am really excited about reading it, but I fear it will be another week or so before you see my review.

 

"When Marie Tussaud learns the exciting news that the royal family will be visiting her famed wax museum, the Salon de Cire, she never dreams that the king's sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. As Marie familiarizes herself with Princess Elisabeth and becomes acquainted with both Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, she witnesses the glamorous life of the court. It's a much different world than her fome on the Boulevard du Temples in Paris, where bread can only be had on the black market and men sell their teeth to put food on their tables.
The year is 1799, and men like Desmoulins, Marat, and Robespierre are meeting in the salons of Paris, speaking against the monarchy; there's whispered talk of revolution.
Spanning five years from budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling save her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom." Book Blurb

Have you guys gotten any awesome goodies in the mail this week?

Win Madame Tussaud from Queen of Happy Endings

Check out Queen of Happy Endings's awesome January Giveaway for a chance to win Madame Tussaus by the amazing Michelle Moran!

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran 5 of 5 stars.

IN ANCIENT EGYPT,
A FORGOTTEN PRINCESS MUST OVERCOME
HER FAMILY'S PAST AND REMAKE HISTORY.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty's royal family--with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl's deceased family has been branded as heretical and no one in Egypt will speak their names. Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharoh's aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family's history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari become the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

In all honesty, my words cannot do justice to Michelle Moran. Her writing feels so real you are able to completely immerse yourself in the story. Reading her books is truly like take a trip to Ancient Egypt (or Rome, in the case of her latest book Cleopatra's Daughter). The Heretic Queen was so thick in court intrigue if it had not been written so carefully and with such perfect attention to details a reader could easily become lost.

I enjoyed watching Nefertari grow as a character throughout the book. Her intelligence and strength were conveyed wonderfully. Pharaoh Ramesses's love for her was touching and easily understandable. The Heretic Queen is really a passionate and twisting portrayal of one of Ancient Egypt's most famous Pharaoh's and his wife.

For fans of: Michelle Moran, Staton Rabin, Historical Fiction

To order The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran at Amazon.com click here.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran 5 of 5 stars.



Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped that her strong personality will temper the young ruler's heretical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people but fails to see the powerful priests are plotting against her husband's rule. The only person brave enough to warn the queen is her younger sister, yet remaining loyal to Nefertiti will force Mutnodjmet into a dangerous political game; one that could cost her everything she holds dear.



Nefertiti is historical fiction at its best. Michelle Moran blew me away in Cleopatra's Daughter and she has done the same here. Her great attention to detail, mind frames, and the culture of these people will sweep you away to Ancient Egypt.

At first I was a bit critical about the fact that she chose to write it from Mutnodjmet's point of view rather than Nefertiti's, but in the end I think it worked out for the best. You get a view of the young queen from the people who were closest to her. While infuriating at times, I did enjoy the strength of her character. On the other hand, Amunhotep came across as completely insane. Which, from what I've read in history, is probably true. Michelle Moran did an amazing job with this novel. I think anyone could enjoy it, and perhaps even learn something from it.




For fans of: Michelle Moran, Staton Rabin, Esther Friesner

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daughter a novel by Michelle Moran 5 of 5 stars.

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony's vengeful rival, Octavian, sweeps into Egypt. Their orphaned children--ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander--are taken in chains to Rome. Delivered to the household of Octavian's sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian's family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.(From novel)

You will walk in Kleopatra Selene's sandals and see the horrors people of the time were subjected to. You will see the famous character's of this time from several points of view and be made to wonder who was truly horribly and who was simply suffering like the rest of the world. It is a true story that reminds you of the imperfection of humanity and the unfairness of life.

Honest, I don't know quite what to say about this book. It was beautifully and, I presume, accurately written. The story, though, is heart-wrenching to the core. The cruelty of parts of it made me feel honestly sick. It will make you cry and laugh and be glad you read it. It is a wonderful glimpse into what Rome was like during this time. Michelle Moran did a wonderful job with it and I would suggest it to anyone who is a lover of history and doesn't have too weak of a stomach.

For fans of: Michelle Moran, Nobody's Princess, Nobody's Prize, Mara, Daughter of the Nile