Pam Rosenthal
The Bookseller's Daughter (2004)
Author: Pam Rosenthal
Genre: Romance (Historical)
Plot Summary:
When her bookseller father dies, necessity compels Marie-Laure to take a job as a scullery maid in the home of an aristocratic family. She is surprised when she recognizes Joseph, the Viscomte d'Auvers-Raimond who until recently has been long-estranged from his family, as the mysterious book-smuggler whose life she helped save. When Joseph realizes that Marie-Laure is in danger from his lecherous father and brother, pre-Revolution aristocrats who believe their privileged bloodline entitles them to take advantage of servants, he comes to her aid by proposing that she pretend to be his mistress. Each night Joseph's valet leads Marie-Laure to the Viscomte's chambers, where the two share their passion--for books. Before long, their physical attraction inevitably explodes into some very sexually-explicit encounters. However, because Joseph is an aristocrat and Marie-Laure is a tradesperson-turned-servant, the lovers find themselves in a bind when Joseph is blackmailed by his family into marrying a rich marquise with a generous dowry. Other elements of the story include the unsolved murder of a baron, the unbridled social ambition of Joseph's jealous sister-in-law, and the rising tension between the common people and France's aristocrats.
Geographical Setting: Montpellier, Provence, and Paris, France
Time Period: 1783 (six years before the storming of the Bastille sparks the beginning of the French Revolution)
Appeal Characteristics:
The characters in The Bookseller's Daughter will appeal to those who love books. The reader can practically smell the books in the Montpellier bookshop and will relate to Marie-Laure's disappointment at being thrust from the world of letters into the servant's quarters. Both protagonists share a passion for books and ideas, and their love of books forms the basis for mutual respect despite their different stations in life. Marie-Laure is a quietly strong heroine whose ideals forbid her from becoming Joseph's pampered mistress (a glorified servant) after he is forced into marriage; she would rather be his self-sufficient lover. Joseph pens erotic tales under the pseudonym "Monsieur X," and both characters have an appreciation for words and literary elements. The story's mood is infused with the flavor of the imminent revolution. It does not contain long passages devoted to historical detail, but its characters' attitudes and the book's plot, mood, and story-line are highly dependent on the setting. Fans of historical fiction or those who are intrigued by the French Revolution and/or social class tension might enjoy this aspect of the novel. Rosethal includes references to real-life individuals from the era like Ambassador Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Sade. However, no matter how appealing the the above characteristics may be to some readers, no one who is shocked or offended by graphic sexual detail should read this book; the "All About Romance" website (www.likesbooks.com) judges it to have a rating of "burning" on its "sensuality scale." The story-line follows the traditional formula prescribed for the romance genre, yet the plot is full of surprising twists and startling revelations. The book has also garnered favorable critical acclaim; it has earned a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for "Best Sensual Historical Romance" and was a Library Journal Best Book of the Year in 2004.
Read-alikes:
Those who would appreciate another historical romance that features a female bookseller might try The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs. The story is set during the 1871 Chicago fire, and the protagonist, Lucy Hathaway, owns a suffragist bookstore. In Jayne Ann Krentz's Midnight Jewels, when bookstore owner Marcy Pennington acquires a rare edition of erotica, she also attracts a scheming martial arts expert who hopes to seduce her so he can have the book himself. Those who want a book set during the French Revolution and like the concept of lovers from different levels of the social stratum might try Veronique by Virginia Coffman, a romance about a young French noblewoman who falls in love with a revolutionary hero. Elizabeth Palmer's Scarlet Angel shares the story of the Revolution from two different perspectives: Cam, who is British, kidnaps the French Gabrielle, the granddaughter of the man he holds responsible for the deaths of his step-mother and sister. Readers who enjoy romances with a revolutionary flair might be interested in The Rebel by May McGoldrick. In this story, an English philanthropist must keep the secret of an Irish woman who secretly leads a gang of revolutionary Irish peasants against the tyranny of the English.
Red Flags: This book depicts graphic sexual encounters between the two protagonists. The rich marquise (and close friend) Joseph is forced to marry has her own secret: she is a lesbian and needs a cover for her relationship with an actress. Although the story does not detail the sexual aspects of the marquise's relationship, Marie-Claire comes to the conclusion that such a tender and loving relationship cannot be wrong. Some readers may not share or appreciate this belief.
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