Find Me in the Stars: A Cevenoles Sagas Novel (The Huguenot Trilogy)
In this second book of the Cevénoles Sagas, Amelia Auvrey and Jehan BonDurant part ways, although they are very much in love. Amelia wants to further her healing work in the Cévennes Mountains of Languedoc, France, and Jehan longs to search for his Eden, a place he can worship freely after fleeing the persecution of the Huguenots by Louis XIV. Striking out on his own, Jehan escapes to the Swiss Cantons, hoping this will be his place of peace. When their exchange of letters is inexplicably interrupted, both of them experience doubt and despair. In addition, Amelia is falsely accused of witchcraft.
This is a gorgeously written novel, and the author’s excellent descriptive writing transports the reader to every scene, such as “Leaves tinted by the colors of oncoming Autumn ripped from the trees and swirled around her. The veil she wore fluttered like a bird in a storm, its tiny embroidered stars dancing on a sea of azure silk.” The love between Amelia and Jehan absolutely pours from every page; for example, “The body’s sight can sometimes forget, but my soul remembers yours forever.”
The politics of late 17th-century France and the treatment of the Huguenots are well researched. The challenges faced by the couple while they are apart are as riveting as they are heartbreaking. Jehan’s journey includes not just a search for a new land, but a search of his soul, as he struggles with doubt, temptation, and confusion. Amelia battles despair and betrayal as she continually longs for Jehan. The conclusion is a promise of another adventure, and I am looking forward to reading it. Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone. Highly recommended.
