I must say, 2022 was a fantastic year for historical fiction. I posted several hist-fic to-read lists last year, including my Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Books To-Read post, and I am still making my way through all of them. Last weekend I had a chance to read Mademoiselle Revolution– I’m a tad upset I waited to read it! There are some books that simply grab you, and this book did not let go of me. If you are looking for a wonderful piece of historical fiction, you should absolutely read Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak!
Mademoiselle Revolution, Zoe Sivak
Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she was never fully accepted by island elites. After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly into another uprising–in austere and radical Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes enamored with the aims of the Revolution, as well as with the revolutionaries themselves–most notably Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay.
As a rising leader and abolitionist, Robespierre sees an opportunity to exploit Sylvie’s race and abandonment of her aristocratic roots as an example of his ideals, while the strong-willed Cornélie offers Sylvie safe harbor and guidance in free thought. Sylvie battles with her past complicity in a slave society and her future within this new world order as she finds herself increasingly torn between Robespierre’s ideology and Cornélie’s love.
When the Reign of Terror descends, Sylvie must decide whether to become an accomplice while a new empire rises on the bones of innocents…or risk losing her head.
Why You Should Read This…
Mademoiselle Revolution covers not one but two revolutions. I have studied the French Revolution several times at various levels, so I felt quite confident in my knowledge. However, other than the dates, I had no working knowledge of the Haitian Revolution, and Sivak brought it to life.
Sylvie is a fascinating protagonist. While her father was a wealthy white landowner in Haiti, her mother was a Black slave, leaving Sylvie in the in-between of many worlds. The first section of the book in Haiti was engaging but difficult to read at many points, seeing the racism that Sylvie faced from even those close to her.
The two-thirds of the novel set in France during the Revolution also made me look at the Revolution differently. Sivak does take some liberty with historical figures, but she does present figures like Robespierre in a very different light. Being able to spend more time with these figures who are usually one to two minutes in lecture very much felt like a luxury. (I do not know that I am any more sympathetic to Robespierre as a historical figure, but I certainly look at him differently now.)
All in all, this is a brilliantly written novel, and I will be looking out for her next book.
Is Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
