Spirit of Lost Angels
Set in eighteenth-century France, revolution is in the air and Victoire Charpentier is a peasant whose family seems to be cursed. Her father was murdered, her mother—a healing woman and midwife—is accused of witchcraft and hung. With so much pain and hardship in her life, she decides to break out from her humdrum existence in her village and moves to Paris to better herself.
Her position as a domestic servant to a nobleman is not the haven of safety that she dreams of and she suffers abuse at the hands of her cruel employer. Victoire’s life is one where happiness and a secure future are shown to her before circumstances throw larger and sinister obstacles in her way. She is asked to join the Revolution to overthrow the corrupt aristocracy that ignores the plight of ordinary citizens, but does she possess the courage to join the fight?
The book is well presented and has a very evocative cover, both in texture and visually. It has been produced to a high standard, the font is easy to read and clear, and a lot of thought has gone into making the book appeal to a reader.
Liza Perrat has written a story that shows the French Revolution from the point of view of the ordinary people. The atmosphere created is one of expectation and desolation, of hope and of fear. As the story develops, you do wonder how so many disastrous and heartbreaking events could happen to one person. Whilst the plot is well paced, it seems over reliant on the conflict and resolution of events rather than exploring and developing the personality of the main protagonist; however, the story is solidly written and meticulously researched. It is an enjoyable, engrossing tale and I am happy to recommend it.
