Great historical fiction: why you should read The Women of Chateau Lafayette

If you like historical fiction, have I got the book for you! The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray follows the lives of three amazing women at three significant points in history: the French Revolution, World War I, and World War II. The women featured in each of the three interwoven narratives of the book are vastly different, and yet alike in one key way: they are STRONG!

The Premise of The Women of Chateau Lafayette

The Women of Chateau Lafayette explores how three women tackle the challenges of war and marriage. First we meet Marthe Simone, a fictional character from 1940 working as a teacher at Chavaniac-Lafayette, a home and hospital for orphans. As the Germans occupy France and dominate the daily life of the French people, Marthe finds herself pulled into the war and the resistance to it.

Dray also introduces readers to 18th century France and the historical figure Adrienne Lafayette, wife of the famous French hero General Lafayette. Dray portrays Adrienne as a devoted mother, a devout Catholic, and a faithful wife and political partner to her husband during the extremely turbulent times of The French Revolution. Finally, we meet the vivacious Beatrice Chanler, also based on a real person. Chanler is a New York socialite who channels her wealth and determination into helping the people of France as World War I breaks out.

What I liked about The Women of Chateau Lafayette

Each main character is multifaceted and fascinating, and I loved learning more about how each chose to handle the obstacles placed in front of her. I didn’t always agree with the decisions they made, but their stories made me think a lot about the role of women in the past as well as today. In every case, I admired the strength and determination of the women.

I also learned a lot about history that I somehow missed in high school and college. My book club lamented that more historical fiction isn’t used to teach history and make it more interesting to students. It has taken too long for me to understand the link between The American Revolution and The French Revolution. As someone who grew up near Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home) and Washington, D.C., I’ve often heard Lafayette’s name, but I certainly didn’t know much about his life, or anything about his extraordinary wife.

A story with three main characters and three different time settings might be confusing, but not in Dray’s experienced hands. Dray weaves together the narratives making it easy to see how the lives of these women relate to one another. The stories build upon each other and deepen the themes of the book.

Finally, The Women of Chateau Lafayette has a satisfying, although not perfect, ending. It feels bittersweet and realistic, showing how war damages people and how they choose to heal.

What I didn’t like about Chateau Lafayette

The book felt a little long, especially in the middle and towards the end, but it held my attention. he print version has 576 pages. The audio book is almost 24 hours long. I think it could have been trimmed without sacrificing important details and scenes.

Word nerd recommendation

If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love The Women of Chateau Lafayette. I dare say it’s also a good book for women’s studies or if you are interested in French language or culture. I was very happy I read it before a trip to France this summer.

I listened to the audio book. The performance featured different readers for the different women and helped keep them straight in my mind. It also helped to hear the French pronunciation of words. The narrator who reads Beatrice’s parts is especially effective at capturing her energy and humor.

Dray is an expert at historical fiction, and I also recommend her books America’s First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton.

Can you recommend other good historical fiction?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

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