What more can I say, I absolutely loved this book! Stephanie Dray is a phenomenal at what she does... writing strong, well-researched historical fiction with storylines that keep you turning pages. I was a bit nervous going in looking at the lengthy size of the book, but I was blown away by how fast it read. That's all owed to the wonderful writing and plot here.

This is a triple timeline story and oh, it was woven together so seamlessly. The story spans centuries and important historical events, and we get to experience it all through the lens of our three heroines, all connected by the Chateau de Chavaniac. I came to love each viewpoint and I think it was the perfect pacing of the three that kept me so engrossed here. Though I will say, something about Arienne's story stood out the most, almost as if I could have read an entire book just about her!

This story was truly fascinating and unique all it's own amongst the historical fiction genre. It made me think and I loved that about it. I highly recommend especially for existing fans of the genre but are looking for something fresh and ambitious!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the gifted e-copy.

Yeah this one is a solid 4 stars. We have 3 POVs and 3 timelines we're following, and if you can stay focused enough to keep track of each, maybe you'll rate it a 5. But I'm going with a 4 because the story was entertaining and the character development was great. I personally feel like it could have used some editing... like a lot of different spots things kinda just dragged on. There were definitely some scenes and a few pages of internal monologue we didn't need. A term I'd use here is "cut the fat off". But overall it's a good book.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the PDF so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

Definitely a 5 star historical fiction. Three women, two real, one fictional, two wars, and two revolutions, all tied to one very special castle and the ideals it represents. Themes of liberty, equality, and feminism are obvious across the storyline of each heroine as they responded to the many crisis in their lives. This had to be one of the best historical fiction titles I read in 2021. Thank you to netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this arc.

Beautifully written, this book was hard to put down. It was refreshingly different than most historical novels on the market. My one qualm however, is that the book could have been substantially shorter with some editing. At times I felt the story went off on tangents.

A fascinating look at background figures from the French Revolution and first and second world wars. I love books like this that take real figures and events and build stories around them.

A beautiful, inspiring read about three generations of women connected through location - but sharing courage, resistance, loyalty, and love. A tribute to the women who came before, Marthe Simone draws on the strength of Adrienne Lafayette during the Nazi occupation to figure out what she must do. Beatrice Chandler likewise, is inspired by Adrienne during the first world war. All three women are connected by the Chateau in times of peril and are forced to question what they are willing to sacrifice for what they believe to be right. Spanning two centuries and three wars, the stories of these three unbelievably brave women are mesmerizingly woven and interconnected.

Masterfully written, it is a book I want to read over and over again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley and Stephanie Dray for free e-ARC of The Women of Chateau Lafayette in return of my honest review.

Three remarkable women through centuries in the same castle in the heart of France bound by its legacy. Life, love and struggle through many years and how women did struggle throughout the ages and came winners.

I quite enjoyed the story about all three women, I think Marthe Simone was my favourite. At the same time, all three were wonderfully developed.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Stephanie Dray's writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!

This was a DNF for me unfortunately. I'm really sorry to say it because I was so excited for this book. It just felt too....much. like it wasn't go anywhere fast enough. There is SO much histfic these days and it really has to be phenomenal to catch my attention.

I love a good historical fiction novel, and this book fit the bill for me. It was full of facts about the two women from history that were connected to Chateau Chavaniac, Adrienne Lafayette and Beatrice Chanler. The third character was Marthe, created for the novel and living amidst World War II Nazi-occupied France. The story revolves around the viewpoint of each of these three women who are connected to the birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette. Adrienne’s story takes place at the end of the 18th century and into the early 19th century. Beatrice’s story revolves more around World War I. I found myself Googling these 2 personages to see if the story was partly taken from history, and I was pleased to find out it was. Because Marthe was a fictional character, we do not know (and cannot find out except by reading this novel) how she will survive in the story or what will happen to her.

I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel as well as grow in knowledge of two different historical women and their times.

Good story, lots of interesting history here. I liked that it referred to actual historical events in the life of Lafayette, although I'm sure some parts were fictionalized for effect. I felt like I was taking part in the struggle and could feel their fear. I would definitely recommend this book, but be aware that it is rather lengthy.

Stephanie Dray does it again. The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a must read for Historical Fiction lovers, and Women's History lovers alike.

I love historical fiction and no one does it better than Stephanie Dray. This book tells the stories of three remarkable women who guard the Chavaniac castle at different, turbulent times in history.

It is such an immersive book and Dray's research brings the times and places vividly to life. I almost felt like I was reading three books in one with the amount of plot and detail she includes. I love how creatively she interwove their stories, showing how Lafayette's spirit and legacy affected them all. This is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy to review.

I love grand, sweeping historical fiction novels and this epic did not disappoint. Not only entertaining, this book taught me more about the multiple time periods and perspectives included in this tale.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. I loved the concept of 3 time periods with 3 exceptional women who made a place in history. A fiction story that could read as a Biography.. it was really a very good book. First we meet Lafayette’s wife, Adrienne, who must take control of her family.. while Lafayette traveled around France (Paris) and the colonies to help the Colonies become a country, against England. Adrienne, is a strong woman in often very hard circumstances. She was able to keep a home and be supportive of her husbands priorities. Poverty, riches and jail were all situations Adrienne handled all of these situations and more.. because she had too.
Then we meet Beatrice Chanler, an American socialite, who during WWI, finds she is very capable of handling house and family and creating an organization that helps soldiers with boxes filled with amazing things from home, while they are on the battlefield. Her life and her marriage are up in the air. Her husband is recovering in Paris and he has little contact with his wife and boys. He is supportive of Beatrice’s humanitarian work and he gives funds so that if can grow. Even buying the historic Lafayette’s castle, to run her organization from.
Then we meet a French school teacher and resistor of the German’s and WWII. She lives in Lafayette’s castle, which is now a school. Martha is an artist and yet during the war she finds herself compelled to help the local Jewish children. She knows her art abilities are a huge attribute to helping the Jewish children. She is always under the radar of the gestapo. After her husband dies during the war. Martha does the unthinkable and marries a French Police man they helps the German’s.. together can they help the resistance or does he turn on them?
Each chapter covers each woman and the writing was excellent. I liked the characters and how their struggles and strength kept people alive. They protected the innocent and rallied for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. My only complaint is that I really felt like it was a very long book. It could have been a little shorter. Otherwise is was very good.

This was not as good as the author’s other books. The story mostly dragged. My favorite parts were Adrienne Lafayette. I would have liked it better had it focused on her.

This book was amazing from beginning to end. The author captivates you with her storytelling and engaging characters. I could not put down.

This book ended up being a DNF for me, which of course means I did not finish. I made it 144 pages in, which is I think a fair amount of time to give a book. More then. I absolutely hated Marthe Simone and found her absolutely appalling, selfish and unrealistic. Like yes, please take today’s commonplace themes and overlay it on another time period. She just seemed all out of sorts to me and didn’t make any sense to me in this book. I was not at all surprised to find out that Marthe was the one fictional character of the three women in this book. Unfortunately for me, Beatrice also fell flat. I was completely indifferent to her storyline. Adrienne, however, I absolutely adored. She was the saving grace of this book and I would’ve loved it to be solely focused on her. I actually did make it a bit further ahead then mentioned above. At 144 pages in, I started skipping Marthe and Beatrice chapters and I made it two more chapters with Adrienne before I realized that…there are too many other books that don’t require me to skip long chunks to enjoy and so I shouldn’t waste any more time on one that makes me do that.

💫 The Women of Chateau Lafayette 💫
By Stephanie Dray
Published by: Berkeley Books (March 2021)

Disclaimer that you need to give this book the attention it deserves. It’s not a quick read at almost 600 pages and yet, it was never boring at all. I found that each of the three characters taught me a little bit more about time periods I have always had an interest in. But Dray did it with women who were very different from each other and yet had a connection and a voice that added to the world around them.
Honestly this book reminds me of the same feeling of the Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Both so rich in history but definitely daunting if you aren’t a historical fiction lover.

Quick synopsis: Three Women during 3 periods in history:

Adrienne (1770’s) who marries at 14 yrs old into the layfette family. She’s our founding heroine.
Beatrice (1914’s) a show gal with a voice that demands to be heard. She fights for what she knows deep in her gut is right. She’s also the one whose husband purchased the Chateau in France.
Marthe (1940’s). Marthe was my favourite character because she was that gentle soul that just wanted to live her life quietly with a focus on her creative side. Her orphaned status is what probably cemented the fact that she would become a teacher at the Chateau during the war and keep those young kids in her care, with as much protection to the world falling apart around them as she could.

All 3 voices intrigued me. I found the writing smooth and easy to get into. But I do 💯 believe that it’ll be daunting to many readers unless they have the time and love of our past generational connections that I adore.

There’s a reason why Oprah had it on her summer book list for Historical Fiction.

Most castles are defended by heroic men. Remote Château de Chavaniac, birthplace of the both popular and vilified Marquis de Lafayette, is protected by women. Unbearable decisions face Lafayette’s spirited nobly born wife Adrienne during the widespread discontent and bloodbath that defined the French Revolution. Visionary philanthropist, Beatrice Astor Chanler, who determinedly rose from rags to riches, uses wealth and influence to ease the plight of French soldiers and creates an orphanage in the face of devastating carnage in the first world war. In the second world war, Marthe, teacher and sculptor, bravely applies her art to saving Jewish children in Nazi-occupied France. Chavaniac, symbol of steadfastness, with its hidden tunnels creates a dramatic stage for resistance. Defiant, each of these inspiring women shelters children and changes the political landscape using resources unique to them. Love, strength and wrenching loss spurs each woman to examine what she can do in the face of horrific straits.

Dray (My Dear Hamilton) uses lavish historical detail in this extensively researched, sweeping biographical novel. This multigenerational saga establishes a subdued steady tension that never releases its captivating grip.