I love seeing all these new historical fiction books featuring characters of color and of the LGBTQ community! It’s exciting and refreshing to see a new side of history told from a new perspective. I am always eager to check out books that have substance and a rich historical backdrop and interesting locations. I have said this often enough, a lot of historical fiction is set in England and France—-familiar landscapes for readers. But if you read a lot of historical fiction, you will likely grow board of these locations.
This is why this book appealed to me so much—it is set in Haiti and then moves to France. I am so eager to see how the Haitian culture translates into the French culture. The setting and cultural elements promised in this book really make it stand out as unique and new. I am just so excited to check this one out and of course share a bit about it with all of you today.
This is Sivak’s debut novel and it has been receiving rave reviews from early reviews. It features a biracial main character and brings bisexual energy to the story as well. It promises well researched history told from a new perspective with interesting details and historical information. I am simply beyond excited to check this one out and if you love historical fiction, this no doubt will be a hot seller this year. It is out now so do not delay—download or order it today!
Summary
A powerful, engrossing story of a biracial heiress who escapes to Paris when the Haitian Revolution burns across her island home. But as she works her way into the inner circle of Robespierre and his mistress, she learns that not even oceans can stop the flames of revolution.
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, Corn�lie 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 Corn�lie 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 Corn�lie’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. (summary from Goodreads)
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