I loved this book so much. It is told New York socialite Beatrice Chanler in 3 timelines from the female main characters' points of view. New York socialite Beatrice Chanler during WWII and French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone. All have strong ties to Chateau Lafayette.
Full of historical facts and exciting details of these lives of these amazing women. I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a great saga, exciting locations and stories of remarkable women.

I jumped at the chance to read this book! Any historical fiction set in France interests me, and my recent obsession with Hamilton made anything tied to Lafayette automatically on my list as well. Sadly, I knew very little about Lafayette before watching Hamilton, and I was excited to learn more, especially since this novel focused on the women and their roles in history. I read Dray's My Dear Hamilton (co written with Lauren Kamoie) earlier this year and absolutely loved it--so I definitely had high expectations for this book. I am happy to say that this book was everything I hoped it would be and more!!

This book was beautifully written, spanning centuries and continents. It centered around Lafayette's wife Adrienne (late 1700's) Beatrice (during WW1) and Marthe (WW2). Initially I was most interested in Adrienne's story--but as the book went on I loved each one of these women and their stories. Dray expertly wove these stories together and I alternated between wanting to finish the book to know how everything wrapped up, and never wanting the book to end because it was THAT GOOD. I had this both on my kindle (thanks NetGalley) and on audio (used an Audible credit). The narration was fantastic.

Can we also take a moment to appreciate the immense amount of research Stephanie Dray did for this book? Any one of these three time periods requires a lot of research, but all three? Dray is amazing at what she does and I will automatically read any and all of her future books. Make sure to read her author's note at the end of this one--it outlines her research and any choices she made that were different from history.

If you love historical fiction, this is an absolute must read!! It will absolutely be one of my favorites of 2021. ALL THE STARS!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow. This novel. I read a lot of historical fiction, and I don't think I've ever learned so much from a single book. Dray's THE WOMEN OF CHATEAU LAFAYETTE is one of the best things I've read in a long time.

Dray's research efforts are evident. And while the three story lines are only loosely connected, each woman's story is fascinating in its own right. In fact, this really is three novels in one. But I didn't care. I was invested. Adrienne Lafayette was a fierce woman, and I had no idea just how much the U.S. and France owe to her. Beatrice Chanler traded on her name and wealth to help and protect immense numbers of men, women, and children through two world wars; her use of her family's status is even more interesting given what Dray uncovered about her humble beginnings. Marthe Simone embodied the strong-willed, righteous women of occupied France who fought in large and small ways against the inhuman Nazi regime; her story was the most familiar to me, but I still couldn't wait to learn her fate. While the links between these women are tenuous (and I wouldn't disagree with critics who say Dray tried too hard to put them in the same novel), I think their stories echo each other, and certainly the strength and resilience of these women is an abiding theme throughout the novel. Of course, the other link is a place: Chavaniac, the Chateau Lafayette. I would have liked a bit more detail about the chateau itself (I'm a sucker for old buildings); maybe I'll have to take a trip to France post-pandemic.

This is a long novel, so plan accordingly. But don't miss THE WOMEN OF CHATEAU LAFAYETTE if you're a fan of historical fiction, WWI/WWII novels, or the French Revolution. Five glorious stars.

Three women, three wars, and one castle’s storied walls that prevailed through it all. The Women of Chateau Lafayette is an ambitious novel based on a true story of the courageous heroines who shaped the Lafayette legacy. This is a juggernaut work of historical fiction you won’t want to miss.

Spanning continents and centuries, this sweeping saga is told from the point of view of three women who all have ties to Chateau de Chavaniac. Adrienne Lafayette, wife to the infamous Marquis de Lafayette, is a historical figure who was pivotal in the American Revolution. Beatrice Chanler, also a historical figure, is a social maven turned plucky philanthropist. During The Great War she rallied American troops and repurposed the imposing chateau as an orphanage. Finally, fictional character Marthe Simone, is an orphan who grew up in the Chateau. She risks everything to hide Jewish children within the castle during WWII.

I admit that my knowledge of Lafayette, America’s favorite fighting Frenchman, was limited to the Hamilton musical. Learning about Adrienne’s fierce loyalty and how she supported her husband during his fight for democracy was fascinating. Adrienne’s raw bravery profoundly impacted her husband’s life and shaped the way our democracy functions today.

As in Stephanie Dray’s previous books such as My Dear Hamilton and America’s First Daughter, intrepid women from history are highlighted. This novel was seven years in the making and the research to weave these authentic narratives together is staggering. Each woman could easily have a book of their own.

Ultimately, the novel is a poignant reminder that the struggle for democracy never ends. Each generation must revisit and defend the cause. If you are looking for a historically-rooted novel with timeless themes, this is it.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for providing me with an electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4.5/5 stars rounded up

Lafayette is one of those names with almost mythical status. But behind the Marquis was his wife Adrienne who was politically savvy, beautiful and infinitely kind. I was completely smitten with her by the end of the book and am looking forward to finding more to read about the Lafayettes. This book is a beautifully written, sweeping novel that spans from the time of the American and French Revolutions to the Great War and World War II. It tells of the women who wanted to preserve the legacy of the Lafayettes and maintain the chateau and Adrienne’s giving spirit.
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Trigger warnings: war, antisemitism, executions, violence

Adrienne de Naoilles is an aristocratic teenager in the late 1700s who is married to the wealthy and influential Marquis de Layfayette. The new Marquise de Lafayette travels to Versailles with her family. Her fortunes change when the French begin to revolt against royalty and the aristocracy. Adrienne hopes she will be safe in the country at the Chateau Lafayette. She reaches out to Americans for help since Lafayette helped the Americans win their freedom.

Marthe Simone works as a teacher at the Chateau Lafayette during World War II. She receives a commission to create artwork of Adrienne Lafayette to distance the castle's collections from the Revolutionary marquis. Marthe's studio is a room formerly occupied by the marquise. Her fiancé Henri is being held in a POW camp and she hopes for his safe return.

New Yorker Beatrice Astor Chanler's husband is injured in France in 1914 and she decides to visit in order to save their marriage. When she witnesses the horrors of the war on a train journey, she pledges to sway Americans that the French need their help. They name their fund the Lafayette Fund to invoke the aristocracy's sense of patriotism and open their purses. Eventually, she endeavors to purchase the Chateau Lafayette and turn it into a museum and community resource.

Adrienne's story is the most historically significant, yet I found the stories during the world wars more interesting. Beatrice and Marthe's stories are more connected as well, as they're both alive in the early 1900s.

Recommended for Francophiles and readers of wartime historical fiction

Synopsis: Three women, three eras, three wars. One castle.

Adrienne Noailles is the daughter of one of the most prominent French noble families and marries the Marquis de Lafayette, who will eventually become the famous American/French hero. She holds her family together while her husband fights in the American Revolution and when he is later imprisoned during the French Revolution.

Beatrice Astor Chanler is an American socialite living during WWI with humble beginnings who marries into one of the richest families in the US. She has a rocky marriage but her husband offers to buy her Lafeyette’s old castle, the Chateau de Chavaniac, which she turns into a charitable organization to help children who were victims of the war.

Marthe Simone is a French orphan who grows up in the castle after being rescued in WWI. As a teacher and artist at Chavaniac, she has to try to save herself and the Jewish children around her in WWII while discovering the truth behind her own identity.

Wow, if you’re a historical fiction fan like I am, you NEED to pick up this book! I loved the history behind the castle during three wars, the strong female characters, and how well the author wove their stories together through different timelines. You can tell that this book was very well researched.

I have never heard about Adrienne’s story before reading this book despite her husband being such an important figure and ended up doing more research after finishing this book since I found her so fascinating. Beatrice was also a real person and received awards and honors for her contributions to both WWI and WWII. However, Marthe, who is a fictional character, ended up being my favorite of the three. I felt like it was great how the author added a character like her because there were a lot of everyday women who contributed to war efforts but whose names will not be remembered like those of Adrienne and Beatrice.

At almost 600 pages, this book did take me quite a while to finish but it was 100% worth it.

I was captivated from start to finish with Stephanie Dray’s masterful storytelling. The Women of Chatea Lafayette was epic in scope, celebrating three inspiring, independent and courageous women across three different historical time periods, interlinked by location and fight for democracy & freedom.⁣
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At approx 600 pages, this novel read quick and was the quite the page-turner! Dray seamlessly wove wonderful research into heart racing stories of heroism, duty, love, loss & hope and ⁣
I loved reading about Adrienne, Beatrice and Marthe.⁣
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Multiple timelines can be quite tricky with one period or POV overshadowing others, but this wasn't the case here. Each narrator was equally commanding and I devoured their stories and enjoyed reading about French & American relations at pivotal points in history.⁣

If you enjoy historical fiction or reading about strong women, I highly recommend #TheWomenOfChateauLafayette it's a brilliant read!⁣

Huge thanks Berkley Publishing for providing this gifted e-ARC.⁣

Three women during three wartimes all are protecting the Chateau Lafayette. Well researched and beautifully portrayed time periods all with the backdrop of the Chateau, this is war-time historical fiction you will NOT want to miss!

I know nothing of Lafayette’s role in world history prior to reading this, but after finishing the book and googling the facts, I learned a lot about him and his wife Adrienne as well as Beatrice Chanler. I also got a refresher on WWI and WWII! Even though Marthe’s a fictional character, her story is based on events that happened during that time. You’d think this book would be dull and boring, but it was quite the opposite! I found myself enlightened and appreciative of these strong and fearless characters, and how as women, they contributed so much during the war in their own ingenious ways! I am so in awe of Adrienne, Beatrice and Marthe! Though they lived in different times, their connections with each other were brilliantly intertwined. Each character had distinct personality that’s really admirable and endearing. I can’t say which story I liked the best because it would be like choosing your favorite child. But I must say, Adrienne’s story is proof that behind every successful man, is a kickass woman who quietly moves the chess pieces. Fans of historical fiction will truly enjoy this one. By the end of the book, I was cheering and jumping for joy as if the war had just ended! Not only was this novel written so well, but I must commend the author for the amount of research she made in writing this! Please don’t forget to read the author’s notes after. You’ll appreciate the story all the more. Hands down a solid 🔖🔖🔖🔖🔖/5 from me!

A huge thanks to berkleypub, netgalley and author Stephanie Dray for my complementary digital copy of this book.

Courtesy of Netgalley, I was privileged to receive the ARC of The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray. This amazing triple timeline novel starts in Paris with Adrienne Lafayette during the time of the American Revolution, then proceeds to encompass WWI and WWII. Mrs. Beatrice Chanler acquires Lafayette's childhood chateau at Chavaniac and shelters displaced children during WWI. This mission continues during the Nazi occupation of WWII. The strong women portrayed in this book are woven together perfectly. My admiration to the author for telling their captivating stories!

The Women of Château Lafayette is an amazing multi-period historical novel by Stephanie Dray, featuring three courageous heroines in three eras: the French Revolution, World War I, and World War II. What links all three heroines is the Château de Chavaniac in southern France, the home of Lafayette, which later became a combined orphanage, school, and children's hospital during the World Wars.

Adrienne de Noailles is a girl of fourteen, the daughter of one of France's wealthiest and most powerful noblemen, when she is married to the sixteen-year-old Marquis de Lafayette. He is an orphan who unexpectedly inherited a title, and his fortune is inferior to hers, so he depends on her family for support. His inheritance consists of the Château de Chavaniac, the land around it, and little else. The two young people fall deeply in love with each other, and Adrienne comes to share her husband's ideals and love of liberty. They go about improving the lives of the people on their estate of Chavaniac, abolishing feudal dues and making sure everyone has enough grain. They purchase plantations for the purpose of freeing the slaves. Lafayette is considered something of a laughingstock at the court of Versailles because of his awkwardness and because he is faithful to his wife for the first seven years of their marriage. The reader feels Adrienne's heartbreak when she learns that Lafayette has taken a mistress. Defying the will of the king and his father-in-law, Lafayette goes to America to fight in the American Revolution, and becomes like an adopted son to George Washington. Adrienne fully supports the cause of the American colonists, and she is instrumental in gaining Louis XVIs support for her husband and the American revolutionaries.

Later, during the French Revolution, Lafayette and Adrienne support the early, idealistic part of the revolution, and Lafayette becomes the principal author of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which was modeled on the American Declaration of Independence. As the revolution becomes more radical and the Jacobins take over, Lafayette falls out of favor, and the same people who worshipped him as a hero at first now condemn him after he saves the king's life after the royal family's attempt to flee the country. Eventually he is captured by the Austrians while fighting on the frontier and sent to prison. Adrienne finds her life, and that of her children, in danger, and she bravely leads her children to safety while she turns herself in. When given a choice between divorcing Lafayette, which would save her life, and staying loyal to him, she decides to stay married to Lafayette. Adrienne ends up imprisoned in Paris, where several members of her family are guillotined, and she escapes by pure luck. Her name was going to be called to go to the guillotine on the day of Robespierre's fall. Later, the American ambassador, James Monroe, is instrumental in securing her release. Adrienne's freedom would not last long, though. She goes to Austria, determined to rescue her husband from prison, and, when that fails, she and her daughters decide to join him. Their imprisonment lasts two years, and takes a toll on her health. She would never fully recover.

The novel's second heroine is Beatrice Astor Chanler, a New York socialite at the time of the First World War, who lent her aid to many charitable causes. She is married to William "Willie" Astor Chanler, a member of one of New York's most prominent families. Willie is a larger-than-life figure, a soldier, politician, adventurer, and game hunter., and a friend of Theodore Roosevelt. As it turns out--and this is gradually revealed throughout the novel--Beatrice comes from humble origins, an orphan from Boston, who lost her mother very young and whose "father" turned out not to be her real father. She uses her talents as an actress to make her way in the world, eventually catching Willie's eye. Even her name, Beatrice, is not her real name. She took it from Much Ado About Nothing while starting a new life with Willie.

At the time we meet her in the novel, Beatrice is the mother of two sons, and she has been separated from Willie for several years. When she hears that Willie's leg has been injured--we never learn how--she goes to France to try to rescue her marriage. Her attempt fails, but the couple have several brief periods of reconciliation, which Willie spoils by his hot temper. Eventually, Willie's leg needs to be amputated, and Beatrice decides to stay married to him. When Beatrice is in France with Willie, World War I breaks out, and when she sees the devastation caused by the war, Beatrice is determined to do what she can to help the French cause. Willie's nephew enlists in the French Foreign Legion and becomes one of the first Americans to be killed in the war. Beatrice eventually goes back to America to try to convince the government to end their position of neutrality and join the Allies. She makes seven ocean crossings in wartime on behalf of her cause, and in various attempts to save her marriage.

In one of their periods of reconciliation, Willie offers to buy Lafayette's home, the Château de Chavaniac. Beatrice, who has always been a great admirer of Lafayette, decides to turn it into a charitable organization to help the victims of the war., and turns it into a hospital and home for orphaned children. Chavaniac thrives under her direction, but her life becomes complicated when she falls in love with Maxime Furlaud, a French banker turned army officer. Beatrice is happier with Maxime than she has ever been with Willie, except possibly at the beginning of their marriage, but she knows that if she divorces Willie, she will lose her wealth and important connections in society, which enable her to be the director of Chavaniac. Beatrice, always determined to make her way in the world, will not let anything stop her.

The third heroine of the novel, and the only fictitious one, is Marthe Simone, an orphan who was one of the first children Beatrice brought to Chavaniac. At the beginning of World War II, Marthe is a schoolteacher at Chavaniac and an aspiring sculptor. Beatrice had also had a talent for sculpture. Marthe is in her early twenties and engaged to Henri, another orphan at Chavaniac, who enlists in the army and becomes a prisoner of war. Marthe is given a commision to make a sculpture of Adrienne de Lafayette. At the same time, she discovers she has feelings for Anna, a married woman who is the daughter of the baron and baroness who run the château, but she is afraid to admit her feelings because she doesn't think Anna feels the same way, and she still has feelings for Henri. Marthe also finds a clue about who her parents might have been, even though no one at Chavaniac wants to tell her anything.

Marthe is determined to survive as best she can during the Nazi occupation of France, but when she discovers that Henri's mother is hiding a Jewish family, she decides to do more. She has the ailing daughter of the family admitted to the hospital at Chavaniac under a false name. Later, she lends her aid to the French Resistance, using her artist's skills to create forged identity papers for Jewish children and helping them to escape from the Nazis. When she hears of Henri's death, she marries a secretly anti-Nazi policeman, who helps her with her work. In a harrowing scene, the Gestapo come for the Jewish children, and Marthe helps them escape through the hidden tunnels at Chavanic--the same tunnels through which Adrienne had helped her son escape during the French Revolution.

The Women of Château Lafayette is a thoroughly captivating, absorbing novel. All three heroines are very strong characters, and as I was reading, I didn't want to leave the heroine I was reading about--only to get completely absorbed by another heroine's story in the next chapter. The chapters alternate, more or less evenly, among all three heroines. Marthe's story is written in the present tense, while Adrienne's and Beatrice's are written in the past tense. I wondered about that choice, because I usually dislike the present tense, but this time I think it worked. Marthe's story is the one set closest to our own time, so that could possibly be the reason for it. All three heroines are admirable people. Adrienne is quietly courageous, defending her husband's ideals of liberty at the time of the Terror. She is also a deeply religious woman, in spite of early religious skepticism. Adrienne seems to have had a conversion at some point, even though it is not made entirely clear exactly what happened. Beatrice is an amazing woman who built her life up from the poorest of origins, and she shows great courage and devotion to her cause. Marthe is the most difficult to get to like at first, because she seems prickly, but she has had a hard childhood, and in the end she is every bit as courageous as her predecessors. I highly recommend The Women of Château Lafayette to anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction,

I was given an advance copy of The Women of Château Lafayette by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book - I requested it for background reading for a review on BookBrowse, which was posted a few weeks ago:

Review:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/kz271616/the-women-of-chateau-lafayette#reviews
Beyond the Book:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/kz271616/the-women-of-chateau-lafayette#btb

Based on the true story of a French castle filled with different generations of women who will impact history in unseen ways. From the time of Lafayette through WWII, the women connected to the castle have transformed history through their brave actions.

I tried with this one I really did. I got about 48% through but it just wasn’t pulling me in. This book was incredibly long and although that wasn’t too off putting it was the fact that at halfway through the book I still wasn’t excited to read it.
This book has been given wonderful reviews but It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, you really need to read The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray. It was so much more than I was expecting. Seriously, I don't know why I haven't been hearing more about this book. I learned so much about places, people, and time periods that I knew little about.

I'll try not to gush through this entire review, but really it was just such a great read.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette spans centuries and the story is told from the perspective of three main characters during distinctive periods in time. It opens with Marthe, who is a teacher at the children's preventorium during World War II. You know I love a good WWII story, but I wouldn't really say this is a WWII story. It is about the history of Chavaniac-Lafayette and the legacy of Lafayette carried on by the charitable Lafayette Foundation, which was founded by our second protagonist Beatrice Astor Chanler.

While we don't meet her until chapter 4, the opening line makes quite the impression.

"When going to war, one should begin with a new hat."

In July 1914, when her story begins, it wasn't The Great War that she was needing a hat for, but the fight with her often-absent husband. It wasn't just the fact that I love hates that drew me to this character. This line would make you think she is the shrinking socialite that women seemed to be during this time. But she wasn't always a socialite; actually, it is pretty miraculous that she moves in the circles she does given her past - but that is what a good marriage could get a woman in that time. We quickly see her steely grit as she confronts her husband. It is this grit (and definitely a good deal of stubbornness) that she founds the Lafayette Society that helps send care packages to French soldiers even though the U.S. has turned its back on a country that once helped defend our own liberty. And that is where the third protagonist comes in.

A story about the legacy of Lafayette would not be complete without hearing how that legacy started. Adrienne, wife of the famous Marquis de Lafayette, definitely embodies the saying, "behind every great man, is a great woman". While it might have been the Marquis de Lafayette who memory the foundation was created, it is the spirit of his wife that embolden both Beatrice and Marthe to fight for what was right regardless of the obstacles in their way.

At first, Adrienne's chapters were my least favorite. While I vaguely remember Lafayette from long ago American Revolution history lessons, I didn't even know that Adrienne even existed. But as we learn more about her and she bares her soul, I had to know what happened to her and her family. I mean she was an aristocrat who lived during the French Revolution which sent the king, queen, their servants, and anyone with a whiff of nobility about them to the guillotine - such was the bloodthirst of the citizens. It wouldn't matter to them that Lafayette and his wife were on the side of liberty - having fed the poor from their own food stores, purchased plantations with the sole purpose to free the slaves that worked on those plantations, fought for a constitutional monarchy, and provided the very spark that ignited the Revolution. I actually become so impatient to know what happened that I couldn't wait for the end of the book and headed to Wikipedia.

The best line of the book might belong to one of Adrienne's chapters.

"'I like your sleepy bedroom eyes,' he said, leering. 'Though someone should have told you to pluck those brows... it makes a man worry the hedges are not trimmed below.'"

In that one line the depravity of 18th-century French nobility (well, it might have been all of the European courts). I mean, even today I would be shocked to hear such a statement in polite company. The line also stands in stark contrast to who the Lafayettes were.

I encourage you to read the author's note at the end of the book to get more historical facts about Adrienne and Beatrice (yes, she was a real person) and Marthe, who was created for this novel but stands in place of countless women who aided the resistance but whose names have been lost to history.

I love how these stories about women are finally being told when for so long they have been hidden in the shadows of the great male heroes of the time. These women and their stories will forever be in my head and I hope that should I ever find myself in such perilous conditions that their strength will inspire me.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/04/the-women-of-chateau-lafayette-by.html

This book took me an unusually long time to read even given that it is almost 600 pages long. I enjoyed the writing, connected with the characters, found much of the French history educational and thoroughly enjoyed the concluding scenes. Yet somehow I wasn’t always interested in continuing to read it. I believe shortening the historical narrative and reducing the overall length of the novel would have made it a more enjoyable read. However I do still recommend it as it overall is a good pieces of historical fiction. If I could I would have given it 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for an honest review.

This is the epic saga of the lives lived within the Chateau Lafayette, an impressive building located in Chavaniac, France. The Chateau’s tumultuous history as it changes from family home to refuge to museum, hospital and school is told through the lives of three of it’s most beloved daughters Adrienne, Beatrice and Marthe. Although decades apart and spanning periods of great historical importance, these women’s stories are interwoven with not only history and the building itself, but with each other. This is a story of strength, love, bravery and what it ultimately means to be a woman fighting for your place in the world.

An ambitious, sweeping historical work of fiction that spans the birth of the French Republic, WWI and WWII, The Women of Chateau Lafayette brings together some truly memorable characters. Based in real events, the stories of all these women cannot fail to touch your heart and profoundly move the reader to a deeper understanding of what life could have been like for women through the ages. Well rounded characters facing truly remarkable situations, all described beautifully by the author. I recommend this to anyone who loves strong characters and doesn’t mind a longer read filled with history described in great detail.

Just finished this book....all 600 pages of it 😲. That is the thing with Kindle, you can't tell how thick the book is! This book is written in 3 time periods - The French Revolution, WWI and WWII, one important women in each of these time periods and how they all have a life in the Chateau Lafeyette. Based on a true story, Lafayette, a frenchman who helped fight with George Washington and write the Declaration of Independence just because he thought it was "right" while his wife stood for his values and convictions back in France in the family home of Chateau Lafayette. Flash to Beatrice who married an Astor and whom purchased this decrepit Chateau to turn it into a Children's hospital and museum during WWI. Flash again to Marthe who was an orphan during WWI and found love and solace in this castle to become a teacher during WWII. It is obvious the amount of time and research the author took to write this book! Worth a read! #thewomenofchateaulafayette #stephaniedray

The Women of Chateau Lafayette is an excellent, enjoyable historical fiction book! It tells the story of three women across history - Adrienne de Lafayette in the late 1700s, Beatrice Chanler during World War I, and Marthe during World War II. These women's stories are separate but marked by their strength, courage during war, and love for family. They are also linked by the chateau in the title -- Chavaniac, I was initially interested in this book because my hometown (West Lafayette, Indiana!) is named for General Lafayette, so I was familiar with him but not with his wife. Yet by the end, I was enthralled with each woman's story and her legacy. This is a long book but easy to follow and well worth the read!