Borchert’s second installment in her Château de Verzat French Revolution series (after Her Own Legacy) reveals the daughter of Paris’ public prosecutor working against her own father to save imprisoned citizens. Geneviève Fouquier-Tinville finds safety traveling through Paris dressed as a man—and seeks male identity papers so she can escape to America to join her lover Henri, a noble forced to flee France. In the meantime, Geneviève works as a clerk in her father’s office, secretly replacing names on the execution list with deceased persons. After removing imprisoned noble Comte Louis de LaGarde’s name and helping him escape prison to find a safe haven for his newborn daughter, Geneviève and LaGarde find safety with Henri’s family at their Château de Verzat in the countryside, where Geneviève eagerly awaits a letter from Henri asking her to join him in America.As Borchert quickly immerses readers into the dangers of late 18th-century France, she entices with her depictions of the fervor that led to imprisoning people, often for no other reason than their noble status. Betrayal and duplicity lurk throughout the narrative, as it becomes evident that no one is safe from the threat of beheading—including the public prosecutor himself. Alongside the danger, Borchert capably highlights the struggles of women seeking independence and equality: Geneviève was only able to attend university disguised as a man, and while studying she met Henri, to whom she was attracted, in part, because he treated her as more of an equal.
Borchert also reveals how, along with the societal changes brought about by the destructive revolution, LaGarde, when faced with his mortality, undergoes a transformation from a carefree, entitled noble to a man embracing life with his young daughter—and discovering newfound love and respect for Geneviève, the woman who risked her life to save them. Borchert’s extensive research shines through a narrative that is enhanced by her mastery of character development.
Takeaway: The daughter of Paris’ public prosecutor risks her life to save a noble from execution.
Comparable Titles: Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki’s Where the Light Falls, James Tipton’s Annette Vallon.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
