The Women of Chateau Lafayette
Book Feature - The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
HBL Note: Mark your calendars! Stephanie Dray and I will be in conversation about her latest novel, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, in conjunction with the St. Louis County Library. In addition, William Chanler, the grandson of Beatrice Chanler, one of the three women featured in Dray’s novel, will also join us. I cannot wait to discuss this incredible book about a remarkable woman with these two individuals. Video premiere is scheduled for May 10, 7:00 p.m, click here for more information.
I am shocked I haven’t featured Stephanie Dray, or any of her novels, before now. That was a real miss on my part. Stephanie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of such well-known titles as America’s First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton (among many others!) Her latest novel, THE WOMEN OF CHATEAU LAFAYETTE, is about three women protecting the legacy of a castle: Adrienne Lafayette (1774), Beatrice Chanler (1914) and Marthe Simone (1940). Scroll down to read more, and don’t forget to join us on May 10.
From the publisher:
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.