This felt like a really, really long book. It was interesting, but for some reason, very difficult to keep straight the three women of the three time periods. I almost wish I’d read the authors notes at the end before I read the book, as it outlined each woman separately, giving some chronology to their experiences, rather than flipping back and forth between women and time periods constantly.

I was most interested in Adrienne LaFayette., and, as mentioned, the author’s notes really filled her in nicely.

I’m not sure if it was my frame of mind at the time of reading, or if this truly is a rather slow moving book. I may pick it up again in the future and see how it feels.

Actual rating 3.5; since I can only give whole stars, unfortunately I’m going to round down to three - can’t quite push it to four.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

Strong female leads, revolution and intrigue, impending danger lurking around every corner- this book has everything. The connections between the three female protagonists immediately pull the reader into their stories. Honestly, I could have read three separate books on these women. They're all fascinating, compelling, and capable of enthralling the reader.

In 1774, Adrienne Lafayette is a tour de force equal to that of her husband. Fans of Hamilton will enjoy learning more about the wife of America's favorite fighting Frenchman, a women who is as captivating as the Schuyler sisters and even more involved in the politics and machinations of the French court than her American counterparts. Adrienne finds herself at the center of the French Revolution, torn between her aristocratic family and her desire for personal liberties. She is a strong character, full of dedication and tenacity that gripped me from page one. I spent the entire book wanting to know more about Adrienne, entirely in awe of her devotion to her ideals and her husband's legacy.

In 1914, Beatrice Astor Chanler emerges from her broken marriage to find her own purpose in a world at war. Throughout the novel, she works to facilitate America's entrance into WWI while also searching for a way in which she herself can alleviate some of the suffering of the French people. This mission leads her to Chavaniac, the ancestral home of the Lafayettes, whose legacy Beatrice employs to galvanize people to her cause. She is such a compelling character that I was thrilled to discover she was a real person. Her backstory and her accomplishments, the sheer will power she displayed throughout the novel, captivated me. I was always impatient to get to the next Beatrice chapter, eager to see what she would get up to next.

In 1940, Marthe Simone finds herself living in Vichy France under an increasingly dangerous regime. As an orphan raised at Chavaniac, Marthe struggles with her own legacy and her connection to Adrienne Lafayette, the legendary mistress of the house. Inspired by this heroine, Marthe becomes involved in the resistance movement, using her artistic talents to undermine the Nazi regime in her country. Though she is a fictional character, Marthe is no less compelling that the other two narrators in this book. She is spirited and confident, determined to do what she believes is right. It is through Marthe's story that the other narratives converge into one overarching story of hope, resistance, and the call to reject injustice in the world.

Stephanie Dray weaves the three narratives of Adrienne, Beatrice, and Marthe together with aplomb. Each character is a vibrant personality in their own right, capable of carrying their stories while also bolstering the other heroines. That Adrienne and Beatrice were real women made this book all the more interesting. I am in awe of what they accomplished despite the respective conflicts in which they were embroiled. Overall this was a fascinating read, an example of historical fiction at its finest.

A sweeping novel of three women linked by a passion for freedom and the ancestral home of the Marquis de Lafayette. Adrienne, la femme Lafayette fiercely supports her husband through the American and French Revolutions; Beatrice Astor Chanler uses her fortune and social standing to support French troops and those displaced by World War I, founding an orphanage and preventorium at Lafayette's Chateau de Chavaniac. Marthe, a former resident and current teacher at Chavaniac resists the Nazi Occupation during World War II. An ode to strong women standing up to oppression and finding love. Recommended to fans of The Book of Lost Names and The Whispers of War.

An Epic novel that follows three different generations of women connected to LaFayette in some way. Usually, in a story with multiple characters, I am drawn to one character and quickly read through the accounts of others to get to that character. Not in this case, each character was equally mesmerizing.

Historical fiction. So well researched and very well written. From beginning to end three strong women help build the life of the chateau CHAVANIAC-LAFAYETTE. From the late 1700's, World War I and World War II. Adrienne, 1700's, who starts the story, married to Frenchman Lafayette, makes it their home; Beatrice, WWI, who buys the CHAVANIAC and refurbishes it to use as an orphanage and hospital; Marthe, WWII, who saves Jewish children and takes them to Chavaniac. The story is full of love, kindness, secrets and horror. It is a page turner and one you cannot put down.

Such a good book. Based on Lafayette’s castle (yes, THAT Lafayette) and told through the stories of three women during three wars. Adrienne, The Marquis de Lafayette’s wife; Beatrice, who helped establish the castle into a home for orphans; and Marthe, who grew up in the castle as an orphan herself. Together these three women are representative of the Lafayette’s legacy.

This book is a perfect example of why I love historical fiction.

Three stories of three women across three different eras are tied together by the history of one castle: Chateau Lafayette, once home to a hero of two revolutions. Adrienne, Beatrice, and Marthe each find themselves in the midst of social upheavals, but the same spirit of rebellion, courage, and loyalty ties them together. It's the kind of multi-thread book that doesn't rely on shocking twists or deus ex machina plot connections to tie its heroine together - instead, it tells three distinct stories that nonetheless fit perfectly together and create a place's history.

What's especially magical about this book is that no one of the three heroines outshines the rest (or, to put it another way, there's not one thread of the story that feels less-than). Dray excels at making every detail pop, so that you really feel like you're walking next to Adrienne at Versailles or sitting in a makeshift artist's studio with Marthe. The love stories are compelling, but never overshadow the rest of the plot; likewise, each woman's love interest(s) are three-dimensional and intriuging, not just plot devices.

Most importantly, it strikes the kind of balance that, I find, is sometimes hard to come by in historical fiction, especially fiction about and around real people and events. Without skirting the harsh realities of dark periods in history, the book still manages to be about courage and human decency, making it an uplifting read without feeling false.

This was a fantastic historical fiction novel! I know of this author, and her previous novels so I did expect greatness from her, and she did not disappoint. I am truly amazed at the amount of work it must have taken the author to weave the stories of these three women together, while also incorporating as much historical information into the story as possible. It was a long book, however there was never a time where I felt bored with the story. It pulled at a lot of different emotions as well, and that made the story more involving and personal for me.
The book follows the story of three main women who were involved at the Chateau Lafayette at different times throughout history. Adrienne is the wife of one of the original members of the Lafayette family in the 1700's, Gilbert Lafayette. He becomes one of the most well-known men in history during the time of the rise of the Jacobans and the French Revolution. He is also famous for trying to liberate others, and was fundemental during the fighting for the establishment of a Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Adrienne was working behind the scenes at home to help her husband with his work, and also helping everyone around her, no matter the opposition she faced.
The next time period is during the period of World War I, where a woman named Beatrice Chanler comes upon the purchase of the Chateau, and is able to restore it for the use of the facilities for serving children who have been displaced or become ill during the time of the war. She is also busy helping soldiers at the front, and from home, by providing whatever comfort and essentials they were in need of. There fact that the author corresponded with Beatrice's grandson to investigate all of her achievements really made the author's telling of her story more authentic.
The third time period is during World War II, where we meet Marthe, who is one of the first orphans that Beatrice saved and brought to the Chateau, and who has basically lived there her whole life. Marthe becomes involved in her own fight to save as many Jews as possible by providing fake identification paperwork to the Resistance fighters, and also tried to hide as many Jewish children in the Chateau as she could.
As I stated in the beginning of my review, I loved the way the author weaved these stories together, and I truly am impressed with her use of historical information to do it. Definitely a book worth reading!

Oh my goodness... I have read many historical fiction books set within the WWII time period, however, I have to say I was most impressed with Stephanie Dray and how she weaved this historical novel with the pieces of these women's stories to create The Women of Chateau Lafayette. The book follows three women, Adrienne Lafayette in the late 1700s; Beatrice Astor Chanler in the late 1910s; and Marthe Simone in the 1940s.

Each woman's story follows war and the painstaking resolve each woman endured as she fought for her family, her friends, and loved ones as terror, heartbreak, and insurmountable challenges were constant around every turn. The love that they shared with those they loved and the relationships they forged as they were forced to handle what they could while the world was, at times, blowing up around them. I was gripped by their stories and cried right along with them, gasped as events carried on and a twist was revealed in their story, and cheered them on as each woman's story intertwined with the next within the Chateau Lafayette.

With all that is happening in our world even now, I think this was a perfect time to read this book and feel the hope within their struggles, the love behind their pain, and the utter resolve to never surrender. I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to take part in their journey and wish that I had the chance to read this book for the first time all over again. A must-read for the historical fiction fan!

In the author's note she stated that she wanted to tell the story of Adrienne Lafayette. In her research she learned interesting information about Lafayette's house and how it was later used as a children's hospital / orphanage, so the author added two more story lines to this novel. In my opinion, she should have focused only on Lafayette. I enjoyed Adrienne's story which unfortunately became muddled by the other extraneous plots.
I did not like either of the other two story lines, one of which took place during World War I and the other during World War II. The author tried to pack too much into one novel and it became ponderous.
I read this book on my phone and it amounted to a whopping 1500 + pages. I am not opposed to long reads if they are good. However this set of three stories was not good enough to fill that many pages. The level of detail was excruciating, at least in the WWI and WWII plots, as they were not intriguing enough to support it. I could not help but skim what seemed like filler. Some people may enjoy this level of detail, but I did not find any of it compelling. I honestly did not care about the other two characters. Had the author stuck to her original plan and written a historical fiction novel about Adrienne Lafayette, she probably would have had a winner. I could have happily skipped the chapters about the other characters and just read about Adrienne.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have always loved historical fiction. I think being able to learn about history while reading a novel is precious and a gift. This particular novel, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, was written beautifully. I very much appreciated learning about France's history. It is an Epic saga taking place across three time periods. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about France's history while also reading a very well done book.

I love to read historical fiction and specially about women and their lives in different periods of history.
If you are like me you will definitely love this book and learn a lot from it.

The story is told thru the voices of three different women connected to the Marquis Lafayette and his home estate, the Castle of Chavaniac. His wife Adrienne Lafayette during the turbulent times right before the French Revolution, during it and their few years together after it.

Beatrice Chanler, the Broadway actress and wife of William Astor Chanler, who established the Lafayette fund to help the French soldiers in World War I and later establishes an orphanage in Lafayette's chateau.

And lastly Marthe, an orphaned who grew up at Chavaniac and helped saved the lives of Jewish children by hiding them in the Chateau and falsifying documents to give them new identities. She's the only fictional character of the three main characters, but she's based on an actual teacher working and living at Chavaniac during WWII.

This is an extremely well researched book making history come alive with the extraordinary lives of these three amazing women.

Thank you to Berkley Books/Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of The Women of Chateau Lafayette in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout the years women have been mostly a footnote to men’s history. In The Women of Chateau Lafayette, the women have shaped the history of France (and America) during and after the French Revolution, World War I and World War II. Told in alternating voices, each of the women have an intriguing story, at times their stories can be a bit disjointed because of the back and forth; most of the time it works. The historical detail to the stories was fascinating and educational, especially the French Revolution period. While The Women are all likable characters, the former actress socialite, Beatrice was the standout, just as she would have preferred! Would recommend this book to historical fiction fans.

I loved this story of the women throughout history who have worked to preserve the home of Lafayette, both as a means of preserving history and also as a useful shelter for those in need. Adrienne's courage in holding her family together through the terror of the French Revolution was remarkable, and her journey was harrowing. Beatrice's daring plans and take-charge personality were a force to be reckoned with as she established the Lafayette fund to help soldiers in World War I and then opened an orphanage in the crumbling chateau. Marthe seems to be the most pragmatic--loving her home and friends at the chateau, but just wanting to get out into the world and to keep her head down and survive World War II. However, she has a hard choice to make when confronted with the Nazi abuses of those around her.

The descriptions of all three time periods and the major personalities involved were so good. I could tell the author had researched everything down to the last detail. Yet, it wasn't a dry history lesson. Each character's story was fraught with danger, uncertainty, love, and heartbreak so it kept me turning the page to see what would happen next. The home of Lafayette is definitely a special place, and the women who have sustained it are a special kind of people.

With over 500 pages, this historical fiction is a hefty read. Each of the three timelines could easily have had their own book -- there is such a large amount of material there. The author has clearly done in-depth research and while it was a bit of a slow read for me, it was still engaging and interesting.

Stephanie Dray portrayed each of these characters in a way that felt honest and real -- demonstrating their flaws as well as their strength and determination. Although fictionalized, it still felt as if Dray was able to capture the heart of each woman's motivation. Not having heard of either Adrienne Lafayette or Beatrice Chanler before, this book was an intriguing glimpse into the lives of two, remarkable women and their enduring legacy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stephanie Dray's "Women of Chateau Lafayette" is ambitious - three intertwined storylines of women who lived in or cared for the castle at Chavaniac, home of the Marquis de Lafayette - of American and French Revolutionary fame. From the French Revolution and the Terror, to WWI and WWII, this story cleverly weaves three strands of French history together, with lives and stories that intersect in a way that never feels overly tidy. The settings are familiar, but the perspectives are fresh and different. Our three heroines: Adrienne, Beatrice, and Marthe are all tenacious and brave, with compelling stories; no one plot line overshadows the rest. Another hit from Stephanie Dray for historical fiction fans!

The Women of Chateau Lafayette is an epic portrait of strong women who perpetuated live altering change throughout multiple generations. Told on multiple timelines, through multiple characters who are endearing, intensely dedicated and extremely courageous. I LOVED this book and fans of Fiona Davis and Marie Benedict will too.

To be perfectly honest if I hadn't recieved this book as an ARC I'm not sure I would have finished it. And it is a really great historical fiction/ biography of a couple of women from history. Unfortunately more often than not the historical stories that people are intrigued by and want to read about involve scandal. Two of the three storylines involve infidelity and the third story (the only one that was true fiction and could have been anything the author wanted) was the worst: an engaged woman has "feelings" for a married woman. And before you get on your high horse and accuse me of prejudice it had nothing to do with prejudice. I simply don't want to read about homosexual feelings. Luckily it was very few and as the feelings weren't reciprocated nothing ever came of it.

On to the actual story. It was truly well written and a fascinating look into history. I didn't know much about Lafayette before reading this book and nothing about his wife. I also thought it was amazing that someone who fought so hard for liberty would have his ancestral home someday used as an orphanage and a place to help rescue Jewish children during WWII. I think he would have been proud.

Adrienne was truly a woman of great faith and principle. To go through all that she went through and still stick by her husband's side to the very end! Amazing!

Beatrice was a very colorful woman. Full of life and courage. She was probably my favorite storyline to read of the three.

I've also read Stephanie Dray's novel America's First Daughter. I liked it better than this one and would recommend it if you like historical biography fiction. This one was good too if you don't mind reading about the above mentioned scandals.

Some swearing, infidelity, and violence.

Stephanie Dray has written a master piece , truly epic !!! Historical , educating , mesmerizing .. a gift written in what reminds of ken Follett.. .. could not stop reading about the 3 women and the fascinating lives .. bravo

Stephanie Dray has done it again. I cant love this book enough. If I could give it 10 stars I would.
When it says Epic as a description, its the truth. I have read Ms Drays other book entitled America's First Daughter and fell in lovw with her writing. The Women of Chateau Lafayette is no different. If you enjoy books on heroism and historical fiction, it's time to dig into this beauty.
For me, this is truly an unforgettable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.