The Women Of Chateau Lafayette

The USA Today Bestseller! Recommended by Oprah Magazine ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ PopSugar ∙ SheReads ∙ Parade ∙ and more! An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy. Most castles are protected by men. This one by women. A founding mother... 1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband, the Marquis de Lafayette’s political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come. A daring visionary... 1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing—not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France firsthand, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what's right. A reluctant resistor... 1940. French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan's self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become. Intricately woven and powerfully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we take from those who came before us.

Constance Wright, whose Silver Collar Boy and A Chance for Glory have won her critical acclaim and a devoted audience here and abroad, has now written a fascinating biography of a patriot’s wife, Madame de Lafayette. With its delicate rendering of a woman’s emotion and a nation’s mood, this book will long be cherished both as a poignant narrative and as an unerring picture of a departed world. Adrienne de Noailles married the handsome Marquis de Lafayette in 1774, when she was fourteen and he but two years older. The marriage had been arranged by her parents, and neither the bride nor bridegroom could be said to have been in love. Yet in 1781, when Lafayette returned from fighting in the American Revolution, she was prepared to risk her life on his behalf. Adrienne’s deep love for Lafayette, and her spiritual devotion to the Church, sustained her during the dark days of the French Revolution and its nightmarish Reign of Terror. Lafayette, who had to flee Paris for his life, was arrested outside France. Then, “with streetwalkers and nuns, pickpockets and duchesses,” Adrienne was confined in a Paris prison. When she finally won her release, after several years of unimaginable horror, she sought and gained permission to live with her husband in his squalid Austrian cell. Constance Wright has drawn an inspiring portrait of a woman whose extraordinary faith places her among the true heroines of history. “This life story, with its background of the French revolutions, the harsh life of the titled captives, the horrors of the executions and the long, frustrating efforts to be free, is one of selfless dedication and pure motives that has a quiet glow.”—Kirkus Review

"At fourteen Adrienne d'Ayen became the wife of Gilbert Lafayette. Separate strands of episodes and incident record the story of this daughter of France who married an aristocrat, saw him off to fight with Washington, endured the mounting horrors of Paris in the French Revolution, and preserved the unity of her family through voluntary imprisonment in Austria." Kirkus.

Excerpt from Madame De Lafayette and Her Family From the memoirs, real and fictitious, written in such profusion during the last days of Royal France, one is apt to form, in judging the character of the grande dame of that period, an erroneous estimate, and to forget that there existed other and nobler women than those celebrated for extravagance and intrigue: hundreds to whom the salons of Versailles were preferably terra incognita. Of this latter type was the wife of Lafayette. Aside from the prominent part she played, no woman of the Revolution possesses a more interesting personality than Adrienne de Noailles. "She was, wrote the Count de Segur, "a model of heroism. She was one of the few whose unsullied reputation received new lustre from the misfortunes of the Revolution." During the stormy days of the Terror the position of Mme. de Lafayette was one of extreme danger. Only the constant, frantic efforts of her friends and the repeated appeals of the American minister saved her from that tragic guillotine where, within the hour, mother, sister, and grandmother perished. Young and enthusiastic, she encouraged in Lafayette those republican tendencies which, bitterly opposed by their relatives, cost them at a later date so dearly. Stifling her heartache, she sped the husband on that hazardous voyage across distant seas to aid the great cause of liberty in far-off America - a land, as her quaint letters to Washington show, she always loved and longed to visit. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This biography of French liberator Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) reveals not only how the nineteen-year-old bravely ventured to the infant United States to serve in its War of Independence, but also the iconoclast's enormous contribution to the causes of social and economic justice in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Poland. The Marquise (1759-1807), born Adrienne de Noailles, shared the same controversial beliefs as her husband, supporting and defending him wholeheartedly despite ongoing political persecution-including the Marquis's exile in an Austrian dungeon and her own imprisonment (and near-execution) by French radicals. Employing a sweeping, classical feel, and visiting landscapes including the magnificent court at Versailles, the brutal hardship of Valley Forge, and the momentous storming of the Bastille, Lane chronicles and celebrates the couple's passionate yet tumultuous relationship while documenting the birth of America, two French Revolutions, and the Napoleonic era.

This biography tells the story of Adrienne de Noailles, the wife of the Marquis de Lafayette, and her involvement in the French Revolution and the struggle for American independence. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, including letters and diaries, this book provides a detailed and engaging portrait of an extraordinary woman who played a significant role in shaping the history of two nations. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"Lafayette" by Martha Foote Crow is an old biography of Lafayette written in the graceful style of the 19th century which endears and charms readers around the world. Lafayette's courage, bravery, and sacrifice for his country have inspired countless French men and women. This book has helped this hero gain the notoriety he deserves in more countries where his story might otherwise never have been told.