In her author's note and throughout the book, Dray talks about the "Spirit of Lafayette," which, even as an American history major, I'm ashamed to know I knew very little about until reading this book. Now, I know a lot more, and am inspired to continue my learning with non-fiction (to me, this is a mark of good historical fiction). Dray's research is exacting, but she avoids the well-researched novelist's abyss of needing to share everything she's learned. Instead, this is a deep and rich portrait of three women, each of whom embody the "Spirit of Lafayette" throughout three different wars.

Dray bit off a lot with this book, which weaves together three separate stories, that of Adrienne de Lafeyette during the American and French Revolutions, Beatrice Chanler during WWI, and the fictional Marthe Simone during WWII. Each could have sustained a story on their own. And it might have been less confusing if Dray had made this into a trilogy, rather than a single, interweaving story. In fact, my only teeny complaint about this book is that I sometimes forgot which war we were in. (My actual thoughts several times during the book: "You can't go to Paris now, the Nazis will get you! Oh wait, this is WWI...") I can only imagine that people who lived through both wars might have felt the same way. But I understand that each story gained power from being told alongside the others.

To say that this book moves slowly doesn't do it justice. Think of it like a lazy, meandering river. It'll take you a long time to get from one end to the other, but the journey is more than worth it.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel telling the story of three different women in three different eras of history all connected by similar threads.

The first story we get is of Adrienne, the wife of Gilbert, the Marquis de Lafayette ("America's favorite fighting Frenchman"). This storyline was a fascinating story to read. Readers follow Adrienne from her very young wedding to the Marquis, all the way through her life supporting him until her death. In all the history classes I've been in I have never learned anything about Adrienne, and really haven't learned *all* that much about Gilbert honestly and I loved getting this peak into her life. Lafayette is the historical figure famous for rallying and helping America get their freedom, but Adrienne did a lot behind the scenes as well in her unwavering support of her husband, and reading about her story and Lafayette's story through her eyes was really an inspiring read. And in addition, I really liked how the author took Adrienne's story and used it as some of the inspiration that spurred on our other two heroines.

The next storyline in this novel takes place during the first World War and follows Beatrice Chanler. A chorus girl who married into wealth, became a socialite, and uses her status and wealth as a force of good for the world. Most importantly for this book, she helped found the preventorium at Lafayette's childhood home, the Chateau de Chavaniac. World War I is not an era I end up reading a ton of in historical fiction and I quite enjoyed diving into a story set during that time. I also was pleasantly surprised to discover Beatrice was also based on a real woman and her real story, so I'm very glad I was able to be exposed to a story I had never heard about before.

The last story was set during WW2 and follows Marthe, the one completely fictional character and story in this novel. Marthe is a teacher and former resident/student at the preventorium at Chateau de Chavaniac who starts researching Adrienne and is inspired by Adrienne's story in her own life as she starts to help foster and saved Jewish children. Marthe's story was my favorite to read of the three presented. I'm honestly just a sucker for WW2 settings, and thought her story was the most gripping of the three. One thing I really enjoyed as well was the setting of Vichy France. Usually the historical books I read that are set in France during this time period are set in the northern occupied France and getting to see what life was like in the other half of France was quite intriguing for me.

Overall, Stephanie Dray did a wonderful job with this novel. She presented an emotional and inspiring historical novel full of well developed main characters. It was very clear to me Dray had put a ton of effort into researching for this novel, and it really paid off. This book constantly had me pausing reading to look up more facts on the different events, locations, and people mentioned in this book; which for me is a mark of a successful historical novel. I actively want to read a novel that inspires me to do more research, because you can only cover so much.

I do however think this novel could have been shorter. It's almost 600 pages, which is a page count I don't usually encounter outside of fantasy, and sometimes the plot felt like it would meander a little bit in ways I didn't want it to and in ways that definitely could have been cut out and still had a good length novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an eARC for review!

3 women. 3 very different periods in time. 1 chateau.

I loved this inside look into the lives of these strong women. Fighting against the issues of the times, changing and adapting. I liked Marthe the best if for no reason other than I enjoyed her story and time period better than that of Beatrice and Adrienne.

With this 1 book, I felt like I was able to read 3 very different kinds of historical fiction - and I loved it! Kudos to Stephanie Dray!

Thank you for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette chronicles the stories of three strong women who made courageous decisions in support of ideals, beliefs and family. I enjoyed learning more about Lafayette, who I became enamored with in Hamilton , and his extraordinary impact on freedom and justice in both America and France. and to learn about his wife's influential role in both those efforts as well. The three women who are followed are all strong and resilient despite the variations in their backgrounds ranging from nobility through orphan. This book crosses 200 years and three wars, demonstrating how history repeats itself and generations impact each other. The characters and their relationships are interested and engaging .

I was pleasantly surprised by The Women of Chateau Lafayette. What felt like yet another alternating timeline book set a war torn France turned out to be SO much more. It tells the story of three women, bound by their beliefs in liberty, fighting injustices, and their love for the same Chateau, but separated across generations and hundreds of years. For fans of Hamilton, you'll recognize many of the characters as Lafayette's wife is one of our main characters, I had no idea what a crucial role she played in the fight for both France and America's liberty. The next two characters, Beatrice and Marthe, we meet during WW1 and WW2 respectively, though their stories intertwine in unexpected ways. The Chateau becomes a home for orphaned and sick children, and a special place to both women.

I found the characters to be well-developed and the alternating storylines wove together seamlessly, without it ever feeling as if Dray was trying too hard to tie these three women together. I'm eager to learn more about Madame Lafayette as she was a woman ahead of her time and a clear inspiration for future generations of women as they sought to emulate her in her staunch belief in fighting for liberty for ALL.

In this novel we have the story of 3 different women who have sworn to protect the Castle Lafayette.  Normally in the 1700's men would soldier in to protect this castle with their lives. This castle is special and can only be protected by warrior women. 

This book was a very inspiring and insightful look into the role of women during war. The lengths these women went to protect their beloved castle is admirable.  I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers

This historical saga crosses the years from 1774 to 1914 to 1940, following the story of Chateau Lafayette, which in 1774 was the home of Adrienne Lafayette and her husband, the Marquis deLafayette, who played a big part in the fight for American independence.
Of course, I am well aware of Lafayette’s involvement in our Revolutionary War, but I learned a lot about him and his wife, who, like her husband, was courageous.
Beatrice Chanler, a New York socialite visits France, where she sees the devastation already wrought by World War I. She tries to convince the powers-that-be in America that the U.S. needs to get in the war.
In 1940, World War II finds Marthe Simone acting as a French teacher at the castle, which is now an orphanage.
Although, I enjoyed the history behind the story, parts of it moved a little slowly. If you are a history buff, you’ll find that part intriguing.

I cannot say enough good things about The Women of Chateau Lafayette. I love historical fiction, and this book was everything that I hope a good historical fiction novel will be when I dive in. It has love, loss, war, and strong and resourceful women who overcome incredible odds to improve the lives of others. Best of all, after finishing the novel I read the afterword by the author who describes in detail just how much of the book is based on fact- almost all of it! Of course there are some characters and details that are fictionalized, but the bulk of the book is based on real-life people and their amazing stories. Learning history through a great historical fiction novel is more interesting than a dry textbook!

I was immediate drawn into the stories of the three leading ladies of this book. The story is called Women of Chateau Lafayette and describes three women who lived in extraordinary circumstances at the home of the famed Frenchman Lafayette. The author switches between perspectives throughout the book, but each lady is so unique and is living in a different time that it adds to the story. The first is Adrienne Lafayette, wife of the famous Lafayette who helped America win freedom in the Revolutionary War. She is married at a very young age and has to survive during the French Revolution. Her actions are as heroic as those of her famed husband. The next woman is Beatrice, a former chorus girl who had a rough start and eventually married a man with the ability to give her a good life. Despite having kids, Beatrice still feels compelled to help others during WWI and WWII. She is always working to raise money and send supplies to support France and later US soldiers. The third woman is Marthe, an orphan raised at Chateau Lafayette. She grew up without knowing any blood relatives and had to develop her sense of self in an unusual place. Marthe is young, but she is determined to fight the injustices of the Nazis in any way she can during WWII.

I loved how Dray united the stories of the women throughout the book but especially in the concluding chapters. They all had one major thing in common: Chateau Lafayette was a home to them. But they had so much more in common even though their stories are decades and centuries apart. The characters and events are so well written that I could imagine them clearly and felt invested in their stories.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything this good in a while! It is very good historical fiction and Dray did an amazing job at researching events and characters through three wars. Amazing!!

The Women of Chateau Lafayette was an interesting story with a triple timeline. The book was written during the American Revolution and the French Revolution, during World War I and then during World War II. With all the different characters and talking about the same places it became difficult to keep up with the characters and what eras they belonged in and who was who. As the book progressed this became less of an issue. There was a lot of information and even though it was interesting it was overly long, thus the 4 star rating. I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction and have the time to read it.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a historical fiction gem. My knowledge of Lafayette, the Frenchman who helped secure America’s freedom in the American Revolution, is pretty limited to what I remember about him from the musical Hamilton. Sad, I know. I was keen to delve into Dray’s newest historical fiction book that follows the three women who helped keep Lafayette’s legacy alive, all connected to Lafayette’s ancestral home of Chavaniac (later called Chateau-Lafayette, a home for orphaned children).

The story is told through the point of view of three extraordinary women, through three wars. Adrienne, Lafayette’s wife; Beatrice, the American socialite who helped restore the castle and turn it into a home for orphans; and Marthe, a teacher at the castle who grew up there as an orphan herself. Oftentimes, when a story has multiple narrators, a reader tends to enjoy one more than the other, but honestly, I loved each heroine as each of them had a compelling voice and story. For those of you fearing the commitment to such a long book, don’t let it stop you. I will admit, the beginning was a bit slow as the bones of the story were being to be set, but soon after I was lost in the pages of this enchanting tale.

Dray remarkably wove these women’s stories together through the connection of the Chateau, despite the vast differences in time. The depth of research that Dray put into this book is abundantly clear as the reader is effortlessly able to transport themselves into the French Revolution, World War I and World War II. As a historical fiction lover, this book checked a lot of boxes. It was a long book, but I never felt bored or as though I was getting a history lecture. I was constantly learning and discovering more about the history surrounding the Chateau, the wars and these impressive women.

Adrienne Lafayette's well-researched and brilliantly told story would have been enough to make this book worth reading, but Beatrice and Marthe's stories added so much more by showing how Lafayette's legacy of liberty, bravery, and defending others no matter what it costs inspired future generations. I usually read multiple books at once but I found myself so engrossed in The Women of Chateau Lafayette that I didn't feel the need to pick up anything else. This is the first book I've read by Stephanie Dray alone, but I enjoyed Ribbons of Scarlet, another book about the French Revolution, which she wrote with 5 other amazing authors. I would definitely recommend both books to readers who enjoy historical fiction, and I look forward to reading more by Stephanie Dray!

Stephanie Dray provides a three-way split-time novel incorporating World War I, World War II, and the time of the American and French revolutions all connected through Lafayette's childhood home in her new work The Women of Chateau Lafayette.

While the name Lafayette is not unfamiliar, I had not read or studied much about his life beyond his service in the American Revolution. While his wife, Adrienne, has a more prominent role in this book, reading about their family and their contributions to French history have increased my desire to learn more about him. The characters featured in the World War I and World War II sections, who are fascinating characters many of whom also are based on historical figures, look to Adrienne Lafayette as a role model and for inspiration. There is almost a sense of "What would Adrienne do?" among the women in the later sections. In addition to the typical tension that occurs in a war novel, particularly one which involves World War II and the danger involved in hiding Jewish children, there is also a bit of mystery involving one of the main characters, Marthe, and her origins.

Dray does a marvelous job of intertwining the characters and the story particularly from World War I and World War II. As the reader jumps between time periods, Dray provides connecting points to help see where the characters and events intersect. These connections made the relatively brief time period between the two wars seem become even more apparent. The Women of Chateau Lafayette is very well-researched as evidenced by the remarkable details Dray includes as well as the extremely detailed Author's Note. Overall an excellent novel

I received a complementary copy of The Women of Chateau Lafayette from Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.

Stephanie Dray writes thrilling historical fiction and The Women of Chateau Lafayette is no exception. Readers get a look at life in what Dray calls Lafayette’s “fortress of freedom” during three gripping eras: the French Revolution, WWI and WWII, focusing on courageous women from each period and their stirring legacies. Immensely enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of Lafayette. I always love the way the author focuses on the women behind the famous men. It's more like HERstorical fiction. :)

*Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel.

Adrienne and Gilbert were definitely my favorite. I just loved Adrienne so much. The humanity and life Lin-Manuel Miranda brought to Hamilton came through here too. There's something about the 1700s that requires a special touch to invigorate the story, and Day definitely got it right. Adrienne had to be so self aware without being unfeeling and her strength was raw and full of emotion.
I was not a big fan of Beatrice, for whatever reason her voice just didn't come through for me. Her superiority got to me and I felt like her story was the least supported. Her good work was only mentioned in terms of numbers so I never felt the actual impact of her work. Logically, I know she helped war efforts, but her relationship issues far overshadowed her progress in a way the other two women were able to avoid. Especially with her superiority complex and need to prove she rose above. When her actions turned selfish at times, I cared less about how much they helped the soldiers.
Marthe's story I found to be the most exciting and developed. She had such a journey and I was happy to ride it out with her. I also want to bring attention to this being a story about a Frenchwoman in WWII. There's a WWII genre subset of American and English female spies, even going so far as to have British/American women that grew up with a French grandmother so they have the accent. Not so much actual Frenchwomen getting the starring role in the novel. I loved this perspective and hope to find more of it, now that I know to look. My biggest gripe is her origin story, and the inevitable connection to Beatrice (this was my main sticking point with Beatrice's story too). It was weak and then only mentioned when convenient such that it was a disservice to Marthe's character.
I also loved the variety of men in these stories. They complimented the individual women well and held their own, all in admirable ways. Shout out to my main man Yves.

Unfortunately, the novel was a bit dull. The arcs were interesting and the character development was thoughtful, but there were entire chapters of frivolous conversation. I enjoyed Beatrice's friendship and Adrienne's interactions with royalty, but I don't think we needed quite as much as was there for the story. It brought the characters down a bit and made them feel more flippant than I felt warranted. It provided a good arc to the intricacies of the lives the women led, there just might be shorter ways to show it as opposed to telling it.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was 3 stars during most of it, solely because it really slowed down in the middle, but the endings wrapped up well and that got me to 3.5. What pushed it to a 4 for me was the short bit at the end where Dray talked about where fact met fiction. It showed such a depth and attention to detail that I appreciated the whole book so much more for it. I would definitely recommend it with a disclaimer that it might take a bit to get through, but these women are definitely worth it in the end.

Three strong women survive the horrors of three wars all amidst the home of the famed Layfayette. In 1774, Adrienne Lafayette stands up for her husband against her father and even royalty, as he leaves her to fight for American independence, and hopefully one day, France as well. But what will happen when her once beloved husband because an enemy to many? In 1914, Beatrice Chanler's failing marriage and the beginning of World War I cause her to rethink her socialite life and decide to aid in France, eventually setting up the Lafayette Fund, trying to entice America to help. In 1940, Marthe is living in occupied France, an orphan and now a school teacher and artist. Commissioned to make portraits of Adrienne, she begins to question what is going on around her but also who she is as well.

Three portraits are painted of three strong, independent women ready to fight for what they believe in during this story. Readers will be drawn in by the characters and the courage they show as well as the historic background and stories of the three time periods.

A beautifully woven story with strong female characters making their mark in a tumultuous world. I enjoyed the three storylines that examined life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness across the three distinct timelines.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray is, simply put, a tour de force! Reading a book (and, I expect, writing a book) with two timelines is hard enough sometimes but three eras, three women, and three wars?! I cannot imagine the hair pulling involved in getting it right. But boy, did she ever. There was never a time when I was reading about Adrienne, The Marquis de Lafayette’s wife, or New York socialite, Beatrice, or Marthe, the school teacher and artist, where I was confused about who I was reading. Several try writing this type of book, but few have ever done it as seamlessly as Stephanie has here.

Reasons I like this book:

French history — I will never get tired of reading it and it comes to dazzling life in this book

I love that the central theme, and what brings the three women together, is a place — Lafayette’s castle

Often, history only tells the story from the male point of view. Much more often, the women behind the men have as interesting a story and this book brings them to the forefront

The development of the fictional character, Marthe, is as strong as the two others and she became real to me

Book Quotes: “As my fingertips slipped over the gold hilt of the (sword) from America — a gift from a grateful new nation — I wished to stand and fight, wielding it in protection of everything and everyone I loved.” (Adrienne)

“How long we clasped each other under that tree, I couldn’t say, for the clock of the universe now ticked to the time of our beating hearts.” (Beatrice)

“I think that if I ever carved him, I’d use a hard wood, with rough cuts, leaving some bark to show the texture of the soul.” (Marthe)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Similar books you’ll enjoy: Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

#indigoemployee #TheWomenofChateauLafayette #NetGalley

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ebook copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.

I was overjoyed when I received an advance copy of Dray’s stunning new novel. Three different, but terrifying times are showcased,beside,each other: the French Revolution, World War I, and World War II. I was completely engrossed while reading. I learned so much about real people, although it’s historical fiction. I never gave much thought to Adrienne Lafayette, but what a woman. I loved how,Dray intertwined the Lafayette story into three separate seams but it appears as one complete story. I poured over the historical note in the back and eagerly read how the author found some unknown nuggets about one character and included it in the story. I’ve read Dray’s books with writing partner Laura Kemoie, but she is an excellent author on her own.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray is an excellent example of what historical fiction can be: impeccably researched and beautifully written, while filled with real historical figures and fictional characters who leaped off the page bringing history to life. I was eager to read this, since I have read Dray's My Dear Hamilton, which was also thoroughly researched and well-told.

With the Chateau itself as the common thread of the book, the story is told from three perspectives, which was a little challenging to keep track of but was ultimately worth it. As explained in the author's note, Adrienne Lafayette was the original intended subject of book. As Ms. Dray delved into the research, she realized she needed to include a few other timelines and perspectives in order to properly tell the tale of Adrienne Lafayette's legacy. I am glad she included the perspectives of Beatrice Astor Chanler during the first World War and Marthe, the fictional protagonist, during the second World War. The way their lives intersected one another was the shining point of the book.

I am extremely impressed with the amount of research Ms. Dray must have done to explain all of the history from all three timelines that went into the story. I love to learn some history in historical fiction, and this is one of the most researched historical novels I have read. I also loved the way the characters were presented. They felt realistic as they grew and developed throughout the book. I continue to be amazed at the many stories of heroic women throughout history that are just now being told.

As the book was told through the three perspectives, the chapters mostly rotated among the three, with each chapter ending in a bit of a cliffhanger so that I was eager to get back to each timeline.

If there was any flaw with this book, it may be that it takes a little while to learn the many characters in each timeline, but with more than 500 pages to sink into, it comes together pretty quickly.

I will recommend this book to fans of historical fiction who are willing to dig into an epic saga of inspiring women's stories that are just coming to light.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sweeping, epic, biographical fiction beautifully done -three wars which consume France, two women who move mountains, and one chateau that houses their history.