I received this book from Thomas Nelson publishing and in return I promised to do a blog review about it. Frankly, I wasn't expecting to like it. While it is historical fiction (my favorite genre), it is also technically Christian fiction. I've read enough barely mediocre Christian fiction that I had kind of written off the whole genre. This book may have changed my mind.
Set in 17th century France, the historical background of the story is the persecution of French Protestants (Huguenots) by order of King Louis XIV. The story follows the Clavell family, nobility from southern France and Huguenots, and their connection with the king and how they managed the persecution without giving up their faith.
Madeleine Clavell was the first love of King Louis XIV before she left the court to marry Francois. She hoped to use this relationship to the advantage of her family. What follows is a series of trials and each character faces difficult choices.
The story kept me engaged. There was plenty of action and it wasn't terribly predictable. It also didn't feel like a Christian fiction novel. Of course, there was a lot of religious content, but it felt like a natural part of the story and not overly preachy.
I would feel comfortable recommending this book to just about everyone. Book groups, especially those affiliated with churches, would have plenty to discuss and there is even a set of questions in the back.
Hey Christy--how do you get hooked up with getting free books for a blog review? I would LOVE to do that (I regularly do book reviews on my blog anyway!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment on my calorimetry--it was a fun and challenging pattern for this novice knitter!
Sarah
I've been in such a reading slump lately,I'll have to check out this book. I love historical fiction too so if you have any other recommendations feel free to send them my way!
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