On the cover of Mistress of the Revolution, the Associated Press is quoted as saying that this novel is "Definitely a contender for one of the best reads of the year." Usually I don't believe the comments from book reviews because they are written by only one person; you only get one opinion, and it's usually not in keeping with my own view of a book. However, this one was spot on. I was so eager to finish this novel because I wanted to know how it would all end, and I was not disappointed.
Mistress of the Revolution centers around Gabrielle de Montserrat, the daughter of impoverished aristocrats in the French countryside. It starts when she is about eleven years old and ends when she is forty-six. As the author states in the historical note, Gabrielle is entirely fictional, but I found myself sharing her hopes, dreams, fears, and sorrow. Her story really brings French history to the forefront by giving a "first hand" (not really, because she wasn't real, but still) account of what life would have been like for the aristocracy during such a time of turmoil. The story of the French Revolution is widely taught, and most students learn of the fates of King Louis and Marie-Antoinette, but little is said about their supporters, their enemies, or those caught in the middle. Gabrielle is one such person caught in the middle, and as a woman at this time, she was mostly without any way of saving herself from the Revolutionary horrors.
Delors reveals the atrocities that existed within the nobility, those that were to come during the Revolution, and after. Gabrielle survived it all, but her journey was one that was filled with sadness, dashed hopes, and only fleeting moments of happiness. The novel begins with Gabrielle being dominated by her mother and brother, to the point where they deny her the only this she wants, and force her into a life of misery and physical pain. She is passed from one authority figure to the next, and when she can finally be happy with the one person she loves, this too is taken from her, leading to her life in exile (from where she begins this novel of her memoirs).
I couldn't help but cry at the end at Gabrielle's final revelations, when she admits truths that she concealed, even from her family. By the last page, I can assume that Delors means Gabrielle to be content with her life, but she is not happy. If anything, she regrets what happened, but does not give herself the pain of wondering "what might have been." Gabrielle accepts that nothing can be changed, but she writes that "I have the memory of love, and I have hope." That is enough to keep her moving forward, hoping that her future, or her death, will bring her happiness at last.
I thought that this book was amazing. I haven't read any historical fiction about French history, so I learned a lot about the events the Revolution (the big things such as the execution of the monarchy, as well as other historical figures and dates were true). Yet, what I got through to me most of all were Gabrielle's relationships. For the most part she was lucky, but Delors tried to show that by being honest, maybe a little backward, and true to yourself, you can make the best of friends, and keep your head. Gabrielle is a true heroine, despite her fictionality, and I'm glad to have known her in these pages.
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