The Women of Chateau Lafayette

foreigners and unpatriotic schoolteachers-are to blame for France's defeat.

 

Personally, I think it had more to do with Hitler.

 

Maybe it even had to do with military leaders like P tain who believed in fairy tales like the stupid Maginot Line to keep us safe. I can't say something like that, though. I shouldn't even think something like that about the Marshal-the man who saved France in the last war, and, as everyone says, the only man who can save us now.

 

But merde, what smug idiots got us into this war?

 

Hitler's panzer divisions rolled past French defenses five months ago. The Allies fled at Dunkirk, leaving forty thousand French soldiers to cover their retreat and hold the Germans back. All for nothing. Eighteen days later, we surrendered, to the shock of the world. Like almost everyone else, I was relieved; I thought the fighting would stop and that Henri would come home. But now a swastika is flying over the Eiffel Tower, and France-or what's left of her below the line of demarcation-is neutral while Britain fights on, alone.

 

Almost two million French soldiers are prisoners of war-including Henri. My Henri. Given all that, smoking is the only thing keeping me sane, so the lie comes easily. "The cigarettes are for the baron."

 

The gendarme looks over his shoulder at the castle and says, "I took the Baron de LaGrange more for a man who prefers a pipe."

 

The baron is now the acting president of the preventorium. The baroness trained as a nurse in the last war and has a knack for organization, but unfortunately, women aren't supposed to run anything now, so her husband got the job. And as the founder of an elite pilots' training school and a senator with connections in the new Vichy government, the baron is too powerful to question about cigarettes.

 

Travert knows it and knits those bushy brows.

 

For a moment, I think he'll shrug and walk away. Instead, he sweeps autumn l

veritable time machine to the past. The Women of Chateau Lafayette shines with her incredibly meticulous research, and against that masterfully built backdrop, she has placed three extraordinary women, each fighting her own battle in a different war, whose lives are connected in ways that will make your heart soar. You'll be mesmerized by this sprawling, epic, masterful tale of love, heartbreak, strength, and duty, all set across a century and a half of riveting French and American history. The fascinating Author s Note at the end is the final dusting of sugar on this complex, unforgettable French treat."
Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names

"Just dazzling! Three women, three wars, one French chateau and a whole lot of heroism: The Women of Chateau Lafayette is quite simply breathtaking in its scope and accomplishment. Prepare to be swept away to France and beyond by a master storyteller.
Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret
 
Prepare to be swept away by utterly masterful storytelling. Stephanie Dray s The Women of Chateau Lafayette abounds with wartime intrigue, superb historical detail, and unforgettable women of courage you won t soon forget, nor should you. A captivating page-turner from first word to last."
Susan Meissner, author of The Nature of Fragile Things

This is by far one of the grandest novels I ve read in a long time. A masterpiece of historical fiction. Stephanie Dray has created an all-encompassing saga spanning three wars with three unforgettable women at its core. The immense scope of research, so seamlessly infused into Dray s stunning prose, is mind-blowing. I simply can t say enough good things about this brilliant novel.
Renee Rosen, bestselling author of The Social Graces

"A rich and immersive deep dive into three tumultuous eras in French history via the lives of three remarkable women.  Despite the strictures of their times and the hardships they face, Stephanie Dray's women of Chateau Lafayette-- the aristocrat, the artist, the orphan-- are testament to the power of the individual to take a stand and shape the course of history.  Warning: you'll want desperately to know how it all turns out while wanting just as desperately for none of their stories to end....  And you'll catch yourself thinking about all three women long after the book has been closed."
Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters

"Impeccably researched and masterfully told... This ode to the strength of women throughout the ages is a tour de force!" 
Stephanie Thornton, USA Today bestselling author of And They Called It Camelot

Stephanie Dray sparkles and astounds with this compelling and seamlessly woven multigenerational epic about the women who resisted, fought, and sacrificed to protect Lafayette's legacy and our most cherished ideals and institutions. A monumental achievement and truly historical fiction at its finest!" 
Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling co-author of America's First Daughter

A masterful work of historical fiction, enthralling, immersive, and utterly impossible to put down. Stephanie Dray deftly weaves together the lives of three fascinating, courageous women, separated in time but united in their enduring connections to an extraordinary castle in the French countryside.
Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Resistance Women

Captivating, moving, and utterly unforgettable, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is extraordinary in every aspect. Dray s astounding depth of research and richly drawn characters combine to brilliant effect in this epically breathtaking tale that held me in its grips from the very first page. I didn t just read the interwoven journeys of three remarkable women, I lived and fought and endured alongside them. An absolute must-read!
Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday

This book establishes a subdued, steady tension that never releases its grip. Dray uses lavish historical detail in this extensively researched, sweeping novel. Library Journal (starred review)

Expert storytelling highly recommended, sure to appeal to fans of women's fiction, WWII-era historical fiction, and the musical Hamilton. Booklist (starred review)

Dray poignantly reminds us of the undervalued contributions of women throughout history. BookPage (starred review)

"This is a history-sweeping story encompassing the French Revolution and both world wars, woven around a mix of fictional and real-life characters....It s a long, satisfying book, deeply researched by this wonderful historical novelist." AARP