‘The Queen’s Dressmaker’ by Meghan Masterson is a historical novel set in France in the heart of Versailles during a troubled time for the royal family and the people. Meghan Masterson has weaved the lives of real people and events together with the fictional people within this story.
Giselle is Marie Antoinette’s dresser and she never thought she would be chosen for this job. She makes it her mission to ensure the queen is the brightest in the room, perfection personified. Giselle is witness to the queens most private moments. As the news sweeps the palace of the violent protests throughout the country and the evergrowing threat to the royal family, Giselle begins to see her queen crumble. Giselle goes home to see her family and gets caught up in the trouble herself. She is helped by Leon a young, clever and kind man who she soon falls in love with. Leon is everything she wants apart from the fact that he is on the side of those who want the royals gone.
Giselle returns to the palace and discovers the actual lives of the royal family are at stake. Marie Antoinette herself begs Giselle to aid them in escaping France. Giselle realises she will betray someone no matter which choice she makes and could end up going to the guillotine too, what will she do?
The first book I have read about the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette. I am fascinated by any type of history and revel in reading about the past. This was a fascinating story that gives us the French Revolution through Giselle’s eyes. The fact that she has to decide as she does tore me apart for her, as I could almost put myself in her shoes and know what she was going through. Meghan Masterson has created a story and characters that are very real. The history is well documented but the emotions that the author has put Giselle through are not and it was that well written that I felt like I could almost touch them.
An emotional, real and packed full of details that just made this book for me. I do hope Meghan Masterson writes more historical fiction as I would love to read what she brings next.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
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