Love, love, LOVE! I love the opportunities to learn more about things I would never have known about otherwise. I found this very riveting and interesting!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but it has been three years and I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

I knew little if anything about the revolutions in Haiti and France in the late 1700's, so I looked at this book as a was to learn. I definitely learned a lot but it was chilling and very sad.

Sylvie is biracial with a white plantation owner father and a mother who was a slave who died in childbirth. Sylvie deals with being Mulatto growing up but when she flees Haiti for first South Carolina and then Paris she has to also deal with the fact that she grew up with a lot of the privileges of being a slaveowners child. The horror of the riots in Haiti follow her as she has to deal with the killings in Paris as part of their revolution.

All Sylvie wants is to feel safe, but that is illusive in a revolution where allegiances are always changing. This was a long and informative book, certainly not an easy or enjoyable read.

This historical fiction novel was such a riveting read. I adored the main characters and learned a lot. Highly recommend!

What an incredible work of historical fiction! MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION by Zoe Sivak is an absolute must-read for fans of the genre -- I haven't read such a great work of historical fiction in a long time!

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak is a gripping and stimulating novel that will captivate readers who are drawn to historical fiction, particularly those interested in the French Revolution, slavery, and the struggles of marginalized communities, as it masterfully weaves together themes of identity, power, and social justice in a richly detailed and emotionally charged narrative.

Mademoiselle Revolution, in one sense, is easy to read, easy to see the Revolutions through new eyes, though—true to the pov of the main character, Sylvia—the Haitian Revolution is still much more murky. I’ve read A Place of Greater Safety twice and taken a course on it, as well as reading Ribbons of Scarlet, so it was very interesting to see a number of characters in the French Revolution through a different viewpoint. But on top of that, this novel wraps one up in the intimate details of a life, a family, an idealistic group. Excellent, and here’s to more from the author.

Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she was never fully accepted by the elite due to her skin color and other forms of classism

.After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly to Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes passionate about the goals of the Revolution.

Sylvie forms relationships with Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornelie Duplay. Robespierre uses her to further his stance, while she falls deeper in love with Cornelie.

Content warning: The author does include in the note that she has depicted the treatment of enslaved folx and there are scenes of violence throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this book and setting to see the French Revolution from a very unique perspective! I really enjoyed the love triangle and the bi representation! I did feel it got a bit bogged down in the middle and I struggled to stay engaged at times but overall super well done and I did like Sylvie's character and journey.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
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Unfortunately I DNFed this, it just didn’t catch my attention and maybe I’ll get into it again when Imm in the perfect headspace to give this another try!

This is a sweeping, engrossing historical fiction, and an absolutely excellent debut. The author managed to create not one, but two vivid environments, and the emotions and tumult Sylvie experiences are palpable. The author's note, contextualizing the story in the modern era, adds sobering perspective.

Mademoiselle Revolution" by Zoe Sivak is a historical novel set during the French Revolution.

The story follows Sylvie de Rosiers, a young biracial noblewoman who becomes involved in the revolutionary movement and advocates for change.

Gabrielle encounters historical figures such as Maximilien Robespierre and Napoleon Bonaparte and experiences the ups and downs of life during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution.

Through Gabrielle's perspective, the novel captures the political and social forces at play during this time and provides a compelling portrayal of the era.

Themes of racial inequality and bi-sexuality are predominant throughout the book.

"Mademoiselle Revolution" is a well-written and immersive novel that offers a different perspective on the French and Haitian Revolutions. My issues with reading it stem from the fact that the two revolutions, along with the sociological aspects of the story become a bit heavy for my tastes.



I received a digital copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion

This gorgeous historical novel follows the biracial daughter of a white plantation owner and an enslaved woman who flees the Haitian Revolution only to find herself in the midst of another revolution in France. As she becomes increasingly intwined with Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay, she wonders if the ideals of this movement have gone astray. Absolutely riveting historical fiction.

This novel is a retelling of the Haitian Revolution. This novel tells of a biracial heiress who experiences the Haitian Revolution. She escapes to France and meets Robespierre and his mistress. This story is very well-written and is meticulously researched. However, the story is very slow moving! Still, I recommend this for fans of Dance, The Kingdom of this World, and The Common Wind!

As much as I love historical fiction, I honestly could not get into this one. I tried my best to get through this book, but I just could not get into it, so I never finished it.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I couldn’t put it down and it read quickly, but afterwards I read the author’s note. I feel like the book she described and the book she wrote… were not the same. I was so intrigued by the idea of tracing racism in America back to the Haitian Revolution, but wondered why the characters didn’t stay in South Carolina or the US if that were the direct thesis of the book, rather than going to France. Yes, I know that the ideas of the American Revolution borrowed heavily from pre-Revolutionary France, but still…

As an avid reader of Historical Fiction, I love being taken to a place in time each book that I read, and I really enjoyed this take on the Haitian Revolution.

MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION is a powerful, engrossing story of a biracial heiress who escapes Paris when the Haitian Revolution burns across her island home. But as she works her way into the inner circle of Robespierre and his mistress, she learns that not even oceans can stop the flames of revolution.

Sylvie is the daughter of an enslaver and wealthy planter, and an enslaved woman. As the Haitian Revolution begins, Sylvie and her brother flee for safety. This was such a great story that was well written and engaging, and I thought the pacing of the storyline was done well too.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

I think this is proof for me that I don't care for historical fiction during the French revolution. The writing was great, but I just couldn't get into it.

Are you interested in historical fiction from a new perspective?
The main character, Sylvie de Rosiers, is a mixed daughter of an enslaved Haitian woman and the French plantation slaver
Are you a fan of messy romantic entanglement?
MC is bi and divides her lustful attentions between Robespierre’s acknowledged love interest and the man himself.
Though the MC’s naivete leads her into bratty behavior, it’s a brattiness that feels earned and makes for interesting character development - especially when she is forced to consider her proximity to wealth within the brutality of the French Revolution.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.