The French Lesson : By the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FIVE
(Author) Hallie RubenholdFor fans of TV dramas like 'Victoria', 'Downton Abbey' and 'Poldark' 'A riveting novel of female intrigue, betrayal and revenge in the French Revolution. Read it!' LUCY WORSLEY PARIS, 1792 It was a head, but one so bloodied, so rolled in filth, that it was scarcely recognisable but for its long red curls. It had been stuck on a pike like a lump of bread upon a toasting fork ... Henrietta Lightfoot trips on her silk gown as she runs for her life along the bloodstained streets of revolutionary Paris. She finds refuge in the lavish home of Grace Dalyrmple Elliott, one of the old regime's most powerful courtesans. But heads are beginning to roll. Outside, the guillotine mercilessly claims its victims, while inside society's gilded salons, Henrietta becomes a pawn in a vicious power game. How will she survive in a world where no one can be trusted? 'A gleefully modern retelling of a juicy chapter in history' The Times 'Rubenhold unfolds a complicated plot with great dexterity' Sunday Times 'Compelling, operatic, modern' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE 'Dark and delicious' Red Magazine
Hallie Rubenhold
Hallie Rubenhold is a British author, social historian, and broadcaster. She is best known for her works that focus on the lives of women in the 18th and 19th centuries, shedding light on their experiences and struggles. Rubenhold's writing style is characterized by meticulous research and compelling storytelling, bringing forgotten stories to life with empathy and nuance.
Her most notable work is "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper," a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed book that reexamines the lives of the victims of the infamous serial killer through a feminist lens. Rubenhold's work has had a significant impact on the true crime and historical nonfiction genres, challenging traditional narratives and highlighting the importance of centering marginalized voices in historical storytelling.