The Queen’s Dollmaker by: Christine Trent

***Purchased this copy from Barnes and Noble

Synopsis

On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil - as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home...Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the specter of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test. Infused with the passion and excitement of a county-and an unforgettable heroine–on the threshold of radical change, this captivating novel propels readers into a beguiling world of opulence, adventure, and danger, from the rough streets of eighteenth-century London to France’s lavish Palace of Versailles.

My Review Comments:

I absolutely loved this book and I thought it offered an interesting twist on the tale of Marie Antoinette. It takes place during the French Revolution. Claudette Laurent is a young French woman who moves to England after a fire destroys her home in France and also takes her parents from her in the process. She is left an orphan, who is penniless, with only one possession, her late Father’s doll making tools. She struggles as a maid, than little-by-little she starts her doll making business along with her friend Beatrice and her little daughter Marguerite. Eventually, her dollmaking business gets the attention of Maria Antoniette and she becomes the Queen’s personal dollmaker. She then becomes rich and famous. This book goes into so much depth on how dolls are made, through silk, wax and wood. It is interesting to note that in the eighteenth century dressmakers used to demonstrate fashion on dolls to potential customers. Claudette is a heroine of honor and integrity, caught between her admiration for an English gentleman and the memory of her lost love back in London. This is a wonderful, suspenseful, historical read where there are twists and turns throughout the book.