The Bee and the Orange Tree 8391
The Bee and the Orange Tree 8391
It’s 1699, and the salons of Paris are bursting with the creative energy of fierce, independent-minded women. But outside those doors, the patriarchal forces of Louis XIV and the Catholic Church are moving to curb their freedoms. In this battle for equality, Baroness Marie Catherine D’Aulnoy invents a powerful weapon: ‘fairy tales’.
When Marie Catherine’s daughter, Angelina, arrives in Paris for the first time, she is swept up in the glamour and sensuality of the city, where a woman may live outside the confines of the church or marriage. But this is a fragile freedom, as she discovers when Marie Catherine’s close friend Nicola Tiquet is arrested, accused of conspiring to murder her abusive husband. In the race to rescue Nicola, illusions will be shattered and dark secrets revealed as all three women learn how far they will go to preserve their liberty in a society determined to control them.
This keenly-awaited second book from Melissa Ashley, author of The Birdman’s Wife, restores another remarkable, little-known woman to her rightful place in history, revealing the dissent hidden beneath the whimsical surfaces of Marie Catherine’s fairy tales. The Bee and the Orange Tree is a beautifully lyrical and deeply absorbing portrait of a time, a place, and the subversive power of the imagination.
Reviews:
“Delightful Historical Fiction. Reclaims the lives of 18th century forgotten French women writers of novels and fairy tales. Told from three first person perspectives: The ageing fairy tale writer; The falsely accused wife awaiting the death sentence; The daughter discovering her identity after being released from a cloistered upbringing in a Nunnery.
Each part of the story-line held me equally captivated. I had a slow start to reading this due to a stressful bushfire season. Current fire’s edge is only a few kms away and has already burnt over 76,000 ha. Current conditions are mild, so felt able to devote my attention to reading this over the past few days. An excellent novel and highly recommended for readers who enjoy Historical Fiction in a French setting. ” – Goodreads review
Author: Melissa Ashley
Softcover
Condition: Great lightly used condition.
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