Mademoiselle Eiffel
Paris, late 1800s. The titular character is Claire, the oldest child of engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel. Her mother dies when she is fourteen, so Claire takes on the burden of raising her four younger siblings, running a busy household, and helping her father in his work. She excels in all she does but laments the loss of her dream of being an artist in her own right. Being in her father’s, then husband’s, shadow is difficult for her. The story takes us through the building of the famous tower, and Eiffel’s disastrous connection to the Panama Canal.
With Eiffel’s daughter as the protagonist, it shouldn’t be a surprise that most of the action occurs “off-screen,” as Claire was only tangentially involved in her father’s work. Readers mostly learn about events through conversations and Claire’s memories. Conflict comes from the many arguments Claire has with other characters, but there is little suspense to the novel, and I found much of the dialog awkward and unrealistic. With Claire as our narrator, we learn about her thoughts, emotions, and desires, but the other characters are one-dimensional: the rude and demanding grandmother, the profligate son, the hard-working father, the artistic best friend. What Runyan is good at are the details involving food, clothing, and household furnishings, which help to bring the setting to life.
