Today's Read: Enchantee by Gita Trelease
Imagine
you lived in Paris in in the 1780s, where smallpox is taking its toll,
Marie Anoinette and Louis XVI are basking in luxury, and there are
rumblings of revolution. Now imagine that you're a peasant teenage
orphan trying to keep yourself and your little sister alive. What would
you do survive?
Yves Rencourt, the chandler's apprentice, had lost his wig. After the last customer left the shop, he searched through baskets of curling wicks and blocks of beeswax and teetering stacks of bills. Rien. It was nowhere to be found. And he needed the wig for tonight: he alone was to deliver candles for the Comte d'Astignac's party, which would last until the sun came up. This was Yves's chance to be noticed. To rise. And he didn't want to show up wearing his own hair, looking ridiculous. He had to look promising. Like someone who could be Somebody.—Enchantee by Gita Trelease (Flatiron, February 5, 2019)
Quick Facts
- Setting: Late 1700s, Paris, Versailles
- Circumstances: Camille, 17 years old, must find a way to take care of her younger sister in a city on the brink of revolution. When her street magic fails to pay the rent, she dares to borrow some her late-mother's power, donning an enchanted dress, engaging in the art of disguise, and learning the sociopolitical climate of Louis XVI's court. A little slight-of-hand card playing promises a financial windfall, until Camille meets a mysterious magician and begins to make enemies. Meanwhile, revolution is in the air, the pull of magic is strengthening, and Camille will soon have to choose sides.
- Genre: historical fiction, alternate history, speculative fiction
- Themes: loss, family, rebellion, freedom, LBGTQ, women's issues
- Why I want to read this book: I've always liked alternate history books and love the setting for the novel. Several reviews commented on the period details, including the technology of hot-air ballooning, life at Versailles, and the darker side of Paris. I've also read that this is a kind of Cinderella retelling. Finally, it's a standalone debut, so there should be no cliffhanger ending.
- Extras: Goodreads members give the novel 4.1 stars. The endpapers are maps of Paris,
- Meet the author: The Winged Press interviewed Trelease last month. Gita Trelease also has a blog.
- Acknowledgments: thanks to Flatiron's for the review copy of Gita Trelease's Enchantee.
13 comments:
I'm not a big historical fiction fan yet, this sounds intriguing. Enjoy
This sounds like fun. I could use an enchanted dress! :--)
This might be a little to magical for me but I would consider it because of the Paris setting.
What a gorgeous cover! The excerpt piqued my curiosity, so I would probably read more. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
I'm not sure this is my kind of book, but I did pick up a new-to-me word: chandler. Thanks.
hmm, I wonder how the LGBT gets in there. Mine is here: https://francebooktours.com/2019/02/05/first-chapter-first-paragraph-the-first-noel-at-the-villa-des-violettes/
Not my kind of book but I hope you enjoy it.
Lost his wig. Sounds like a fun read.
sherry @ fundinmental
I've been really interested in this one! I love historical and alternate fiction, so this sounds super interesting--and fun. Great pick!
Funnily enough my taste in historical novels are usually confined to the UK but I do like the sound of this one.
Ewww! He lost his wig? WTF? LOL It sounds like fun.
Here's my Tuesday post!
I love the cover and I'm fascinated by the French Revolution era. Thanks for stopping by Girl Who Reads.
I feel like i need to pick this one up for the end papers alone! I love maps in books. Sounds like a wonderful historical novel.
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