Book Review: MADAME TUSSAUD by Michelle Moran

That Michelle Moran, she does such great things I love her to pieces. I have to admit it had been awhile since I last read “Cleopatra's Daughter”. I think I needed a Moran refresher and “Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution” worked wonders for me. One thing I love about Moran is her attention to the key details because it seems like many authors gloss over the things we really want to read about like clothing, and real relevant quotes of the featured characters in the novel. I was a bit skeptical on this one because Michelle has left her normal setting of ancient Egypt for Revolutionary France. Two places really could not be more different as far as historically. But “Madame Tussaud” proved to me that it was not the locations or people of Michelle’s previous novels I loved but her creative writing style because Michelle really has a gift for making you live and breathe her characters’ lives.

Madame Tussaud even today is household name known around the world for her exhibits. She is still known for her realistic wax work figures because in reality no one did the models like Tussaud did them. One part of this read I really enjoyed is this novels soul focus is Madame’s years right before The French Revolution and throughout it. I can honestly say that even though I knew a few fragments about Madame Tussaud I really had no inclination of how much I did not know about her. It was a nice change of pace to read an old story from a new prospective.

Marie Grosholtz “niece” of famous wax worker Philippe Curtis. “Uncle” Curtis got his big start in Paris by doing a model for King Louis XV of his favorite concubine Madame Du Barry and just in case you are wondering Du Berry is still on exhibit today in London. Philippe Curtis ran what we would today call a museum of wax models. What made them so famous was not the person who made them but who they were modeled after. Marie and Curtis worked hard in the exhibits and shared the same talent for making extremely realistic figures of people in wax. Their exhibit would become famous for modeling famous French aristocrats like the Queen Marie Antoinette, the “most beautiful woman in France” Emilie Sainte-Amaranthe, and the most vile, creepy man who the term sadist is derived from the villainous Marquis de Sade. With figures of people who have what we can only now amount to as celebrity status filling her museum it is no wonder that even in hard times people still lined up in droves to see the exhibits.

Prior to the revolution the Queen Marie Antoinette visited the salon and gave her approval of her likeness that Marie had previously created from looking at paintings at the palace. It was during this visit that Marie met the king’s sister devout Princess Elisabeth. Marie and Elisabeth became quick friends and the princess inquired into Marie coming to the palace to give her art lessons. Princess Elisabeth wanted to expand her art horizons and focus on anything besides the current turmoil France was in and wax working was the perfect way to escape. Since the crowds at Marie’s salon never really dwindled down it is only natural that the exhibit took on more of coffee house atmosphere which was all the rage at the time in France. It was where well known influential people of the forth coming revolution would come and call upon Marie’s “uncle” Curtis as their friend. It would happen to be that the salon of wax works would hold friendships with some of the grizzliest men of the revolution. Only they would not find out until it was too late to turn back the clock to a time when Marie still was able to call the royals who had once visited the salon her friends. By day Marie worked with the princess on her art and by night she would host the exhibit slash salon to people like Jean-Paul Murat, Camille Desmoulins, Thomas Jefferson, and Maximilien Robespierre. Marie would walk a fine line between the two worlds until they both came down upon each other in what is hailed as the glorious French Revolution.

5/5 I had no idea Marie was so interlinked with so many influential people of her time. It really surprised me but I think one point or another it surprised her too that people she had come to call friends could have been so ruthless and blood thirsty during the reign of terror. I must mention for you all that this novel could have been bloodier and gorier than it actually was. I respect the fact that Michelle chose to keep the blood and guts at a lower level with class and dignity. I know I say this because the real revolution was scary and bloody as heck and for my sake since I am one of those people that do not sit well with gore that I am glad Michelle was able to find the perfect harmony for Madame Tussaud. I highly recommend this novel for French Revolution enthusiasts because Madame Tussaud was a part of it even if she chose it or not.

• R-Rating for Revolutionary violence aka mob mentality
• FTC-Sent to me by Author

Amazon

Michelle Moran's Madame Tussaud Giveaway

Giveaway time GIVEAWAY time!!! Yes Michelle Moran has offered up to one lucky winner a beautiful pair of Marie Antionette earrings that are to die for along with one finished signed hardback copy of her new release "Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution" which hits bookstores everywhere February 15th 2011.

The Giveaway Rules

Up for grabs is ONE hardback SIGNED copy

The giveaway is open to the ENTIRE WORLD, YAY!

For ONE entry enter your name and email on the form below.

For TWO entries follow my blog. If you already are following me through Google Friend Connect or Facebook thank you for following my blog. Just let me know in form by answering the optional question three.

For THREE entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word. In other words post your web address to where you shared this giveaway info at in optional Question four on the form.

Giveaway will end on February 22nd 2011 at midnight.

I will draw one winner using Random.org on February 23rd 2011

To be entered no entries by comments.
YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM OR IT WILL NOT COUNT.

"The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away
from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her
friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom".

Amazon

Madame Tussaud: The Woman, A Guest Post by Michelle Moran

It is Michelle Moran time YAY, I hope you all are as excited as me. This has been a long time coming and February has sure turned out to be the month for hot historical fiction releases. Michelle being the proactive author that she is would like to offer a FREE book plate to any reader who would like one. Check out the link here.

Michelle has graciously written up a guest post for Historically Obsessed on her new leading lady Madame Tussaud. Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is due to hit bookstore everywhere on February 15th 2011. It is my pleasure and honor to welcome the fascinating Michelle Moran to Historically Obsessed! Michelle the stage is yours, take it away.

MADAME TUSSAUD: The Woman

When most people hear the name Madame Tussaud, the first thing that comes to mind are the eerily lifelike waxworks which crowd her museums throughout the world. But who was the woman behind the name, and what was she like in the flesh?

Madame Tussaud’s story actually began in 18th century Paris. While most people know her from her famous museum in London, it was in France, on the humble Boulevard du Temple, where Marie first got her start as an apprentice in her uncle’s wax museum, the Salon de Cire. At the time, the Boulevard du Temple was crowded with exhibits of every kind. For just a few sous a passerby might attend the opera, watch a puppet show, or visit Henri Charles’ mystifying exhibition The Invisible Girl. The Boulevard was a difficult place to distinguish yourself as an artist, but as Marie’s talent grew for both sculpting and public relations, the Salon de Cire became one of the most popular attractions around. Suddenly, no one could compete with Marie or her uncle for ingenious publicity stunts, and when the royal family supposedly visited their museum, this only solidified what most showmen in Paris already knew — the Salon was an exhibition to watch out for.

But as the Salon’s popularity grew, so did the unusual requests. Noblemen came asking for wax sculptures of their mistresses, women wanted models of their newborn infants, and – most importantly – the king’s sister herself wanted Marie to come to Versailles to be her wax tutor. While this was, in many ways, a dream come true for Marie, it was also a dangerous time to be associated with the royal family. Men like Robespierre, Marat, and Desmoulins were meeting at Marie’s house to discuss the future of the monarchy, and when the Revolution began, Marie found herself in a precarious position. Ultimately, she was given a choice by France’s new leaders: to preserve the famous victims of Madame Guillotine in wax, or be guillotined herself.

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution is the story of Marie’s life during one of the most tumultuous times in human history. Her survival was nothing less than astonishing, and how she survived makes for what I hope is a compelling read.

For more on Michelle Moran,
Check out her website
Her Blog: History Buff
Facebook

Official Book Trailer For Madame Tussaud

Thank you Michelle for sharing with us some of the details of Madame Tussaud's interesting life. Be sure to stay tuned for more from Michelle Moran. As always of course there will be a review from me but in case you are dying to find out, see that lovely graphic up to the right? Yes I know you saw it. Historically Obsessed will be hosting a very very special Marie Antoinette jewelry giveaway in the very near future. I know it is so exciting but you will have to wait to check it out.

Amazon

Late or Early Edition of Mailbox Mondays

In stores February 15th 2011

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran: signed hardback copy.

"The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away
from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her
friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom".

From Arleigh at Jean Plaidy Royal Intrigue
Castile for Isabella by Jean Plaidy

"With fifteen-century Spain rent with intrigue and threatened by civil war, Isabella became the pawn of her ambitious, half-crazed mother and a virtual prisoner at the licentious court of her half-brother, Henry IV.

Was she, at sixteen, fated to be the victim of the Queen's revenge, the Archbishop's ambition and the lust of Don Pedro Giron, one of the most notorious lechers in Castile?

Numbed with grief and fear, Isabella yet remained steadfast in her determination to marry Ferdinand, the handsome young Prince of Aragon, her only true betrothed ..."

Spain for the Sovereigns by Jean Plaidy

"Married to Ferdinand after continual fears and disappointments, Isabella triumphed over every danger, convinced of her true destiny.
With the might of Portugal humbled, the Court of the Sovereigns saw the rise of Torquemada, the establishment of the dreaded Inquisition, and the coming of Columbus who left the woman he loved to make a dream reality.
Ambitious and unfaithful, Ferdinand longed to lead his troops against the Moorish strongholds. Isabella knew a united Spain and a glorious future could be theirs, but they must only share it together..."

Daughters of Spain by Jean Plaidy

"With Spain now united, Ferdinand looked to his daughters to further his ambitions. All too often, Isabella found herself torn between his brilliant plans and her love for her children. During the last years of Isabella's reign it seemed there was a curse on the Royal House which struck at the children of the Sovereigns.
Tragedy followed tragedy - the infanta Isabella, a brokenhearted widow; Juana, driven to madness by her husband's philandering; and the sorrow of parting with young Catalina, destined to become Katharine of Aragon, wife to Henry VIII and Queen of England..."

Best of all Arleigh sent me the one book I needed to complete my Plaidy Tudor series! Thank you Arleigh I love it! To find the cover art below is very hard ever since the most recent re-print was released with the mocha colored gown.

Murder Most Royal: The Story of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard by Jean Plaidy

"One powerful king. Two tragic queens.

In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.

Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.

Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII".