Book Review: FINDING EMILIE by Laurel Corona

This one I have to admit was a tough one. I went in with high expectations because I truly loved ‘Penelope’s Daughter”. In this case however two novels could not be more than different. The legendary Odysseus’ daughter versus the new daughter of a famous French mathematician; worlds apart from each other Laurel Corona shifts away from ancient Penelope to Lili du Chatelet who even as a young child questions everything about life. A mind like lili’s is a rarity in her times and it could have been tragically wasted on conforming to being a young lady of Pre-Revolutionary France.

Sweet Lili, she was a loving child. She had heart where other less courageous people would falter. Lili I think was born with courage because her mother Emilie had passed away not long after giving birth to Lili. Lili was a fortunate girl in the fact that even with her mother gone she would be truly loved by her mother’s best friend Julie de Bercy. Julie begged to take Lili in as her ward even though she was expecting a child herself any day. Julie would not back down and eventually would have her way. The three women would form a type of merry trio. The ladies were all educated, had social skills, and my favorite aspect of the trio was that Julie had made sure she instilled in the girls when they were young that they were free thinkers. She taught them to question what said reason is with class befitting a lady of their ranks.

Lili and Delphine were the type of girls that struggled with society circles and the rules of engagements as far as the court politics were concerned. On the cusp of The French Revolution Lili struggles with what is to be expected of a typical young woman and as she grows into womanhood she begins her search to find out who her mother Emilie really was. But more importantly who was Lili and where was her place in this world going to be?

⅗ here is my deal first the positive: I really loved Lili, Delphine and Julie the merry trio were fabulous to say the least. I felt really attached to Lili and would love to have had the pages of her story “Meadowlark” more integrated into the book. On the positive I wanted more of Lili’s portion. Or at least more of an explanation of whom these important people of influence were in her life. On the downside from the beginning I was lost. The authors note confused me in the beginning along with the prologue. I really did not figure out who the beginning letters were coming from until at least 100 pages into the novel and even then I was still unsure. I really wanted to enjoy this one more but I felt confused most of the novel. I would fully recommend this one to avid pre-revolutionary France lovers because I feel the reader must have an extensive knowledge of the French elite’s of the times.

• FTC-This novel was sent to me by the publisher.
• R-Rating brief sexual references

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