Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution

by James Tipton

Of course the first review with my new rating system would be a 5 star rating, but please don’t think I am being too generous; this book deserves it!

Set during the tumultuous French Revolution, this story revolves around a young upper-class, though untitled, lady named Annette Vallon.  An unfortunate incident during her youth causes her to shy away from typical female society and helps build her character as an independent, brave woman.

She meets the English poet Wordsworth and, for a time, they defy the obstacles that set them apart: family,  distance and the Revolution.  While they must be parted Wordworth works on his writing with Annette as his muse, and she focuses on saving innocent lives threatened by the new French regime.

I cannot begin to tell you how heartbreaking the details of the French Revolution are as depicted in this story.  There was so much hypocrisy in the government.  It honestly reminds me of the Holocaust.

I am now of the opinion that men can write good historical fiction from the perspective of a female protagonist.  I have tried a few novels of this persuasion before and they just didn’t get the feelings and motives right.

I’ve read books on Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte, but this is the first one that really shows what was happening with the lower classes in France during the Revolution.  I am now very interested in learning more thanks to this book!  It is a must read if you are at all interested in this era.