Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to … to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?
Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.
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From France to Pennsylvania your life is in danger because you make lace? This is brought about because of a frenzy of people who hate the monarchy, and will go to extremes to get rid of all chances that it will return to power, killing young children, and innocents.
With a heavy heart the author has brought our lacemaker Vivienne Rivard actually running for her life, and puts in her path a young mother and child that will forever change her, and a hurt American Revolutionary, and Irishman, Liam Delaney. Soon I was googling for information about the happenings of the French Revolution and the child King.
We watch with horror as injustice seems to follow our hero across the ocean, and we cringe when those we admire through history are responsible for doing some of these same things that brought them to the War of Independence. We learn that some we trust cannot be trusted, and what they do is beyond my imagination.
A historical story that is full of information that I did not know, and once started I could not put it down. Enjoy!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.
I really loved reading this story. Historical Fiction at it’s finest! Half way though the novel I found myself googling the Whisky Rebellion, and at the end I was looking up information on the French Azilum (or Asylum) in Pennsylvania! What a fascinating ride from Paris to Pennsylvania. So much of the framework of the story comes straight from the pages of history. From the French Revolution to the place for French refugees seeking Asylum in America, this novel expertly weaves themes of revolution, tyranny and freedom in the story line, as well as personal discovery for the characters as they find out who they really are are in light of family, faith, and all the political upheavals happening around them. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I would be surprised by a twist. I loved A Refuge Assured and highly recommend it!
I received a review copy from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own.
Rich in historical detail and abounding in fascinating characters, A Refuge Assured is the perfect blend of intrigue, suspense, history, and romance. Jocelyn Green has crafted a spectacular tale that kept me spellbound from the first page to the end. Set against backdrops in France and Pennsylvania in the late 1700s, the history of those areas was integral to the story and seamlessly combined with the fictional tale. I enjoyed learning more about the happenings during that time period.
The main characters, Vivienne and Liam, were endearing and memorable, and they hit me right in the heart as they struggled to overcome their difficulties. With tender messages of forgiveness of self and others, along with faith and hope, this book has earned a spot on my keeper shelf. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy clean historical fiction. I will definitely be looking forward to more books from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publishers/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
After reading Jocelyn Green’s Mark of the King last year, I knew I had found a treasure. Waiting for her next release, A Refuge Assured, was something akin to torture. With a knack for writing rich historical novels, Green has shown, once again, her love of history and her special talent for writing; qualities that earn the title, “storyteller”.
In A Refuge Assured, travel to revolutionary France, 1792, Marie Antoinette, queen. A time of unrest and beheadings by guillotine had become the norm for those seen as supporting the monarchy in any way, even those employed by the queen down to those charged with the most menial tasks. Any association with the monarchy was grounds for the guillotine. As a result many lived in fear, in poverty they had never before experienced, starving to death, contracting illnesses for which no doctor would treat if one was not supportive of the revolution.
Vivienne Rivard is a lacemaker, creating delicate and much sought after lace, lace that adorned the aristocracy, even the queen. Lacemaking was a time consuming hand crafted art often leaving its artists with bent swollen fingers and bent shoulders. Vivienne Rivard learned the art of lacemaking from the aunt her raised her.
As the revolution becomes more intensified, to the point Vivienne cannot leave her apartment, she is in hiding with her very ill estranged mother. No one will buy her lace for to buy lace from the queen’s lacemaker could surely risk beheading. Vivienne knows she must escape France and sail to America, a feat that could lead to her death should she be caught.
Once in Philadelphia, Vivienne soon realizes the revolution in France has made its way to her new country. Struggling to make her way, she finds herself the subject of much curiosity and contempt. There were those who would befriend her yet, were they really her friends or were they trying to determine if the child left in her care, was indeed the Dauphin. Marie Antoinette’s young son. The future king of France.
America is experiencing its own growing pains and finds itself running headlong into the Whiskey Rebellion; a rebellion fomented by the high taxes imposed on those who manufactured whiskey. Liam Delaney, a militiaman, served in the American Revolution and does not want to see yet another war on America’s shores.
Liam and Vivienne are searching for the same thing; a place to live their days in peace. A chance meeting and escalating tensions finds Liam and Vivienne becoming friends by necessity, with a lot of sparks flying. Together, they must find a way to protect themselves and the boy who might be the king, and establish a place of peace in which to live.
Enthralled with this novel, I lost a lot of sleep reading way past my bedtime. Curious, I conducted a little research of my own, both to learn more about the French Revolution in France and the tensions in America. History books can be very dry reading, but put some flesh to the history and for a little while it is almost like history lives again. Jocelyn Green is a champion at creating novels that bring history alive.
And now the waiting begins once more, but this time…I’m going to read A Refuge Assured again.
I obtained an e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Net Galley. All thoughts herein are my own and freely expressed.
This book was truly phenomenal, heart wrenching, and so well done! I tried to read this one slowly…to absorb everything that was written on the pages. Such a terrific story with loveable characters, an unusual setting, and ( my favorite part) a lot of obscure history! This book contains so much about the French Revolution and the French themselves. It also contains fascinating facts about the Whiskey Rebellion.
The best way I could describe this book is SO FULL! Good reads to me are always the hardest to review. The best words are contained in the book itself. I love a good story, and I love to learn. The reader gets both in this novel.
Really and truly don’t miss out on this one..especially historical fiction fans!
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This is an absolutely incredible historical novel!
The characters are fantastic. They are so well developed and so varied that I was captivated and felt like I really knew them. Some of them I wished that I could just wrap them in a big hug and comfort them for all the heartache and loss that they had suffered.
I know that I had heard about the French Revolution in school. This book set me in the middle of it and I saw the horrors and felt the terror through the lives of these characters.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.
I am a big Jocelyn Green fan and A Refuge Assured did not disappoint! Actually, I think this is my favorite book by her. If I could give it more than five stars, I think I would! It was very hard for me to put it down and I caught myself thinking about it when I couldn’t be reading it – the mark of a good book.
Jocelyn has a way of writing that makes you see and feel like you’re actually there in the story walking along with the characters as the story unfolds. I fell in love with the male and female leads of the story and I found myself as I walked along with the characters, wanting to cheer them on and protect them as they encounter life during the early days of America. As the story continues to unfurl, she fills it with little twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and a few that I did see coming entwining them to tell a story that is hard to put down.
My favorite part of this book and her previous book, The Mark of the King, was her use of United States history that I know nothing about. She masterfully weaves the fictional story around the little known historical events that played a big role in shaping America in who it is today. In A Refuge Assured, she touched on the French revolution, the Whiskey Rebellion and even a little known asylum for refugees from France. I found myself even researching on my own some of these historical events. Not only did I enjoy the book, but I also learned a lot! There were even parallels that our world is now experiencing with what the young nation encountered a few hundred years ago.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a review copy. A review was not required, and all opinions are my own.
Beautiful story!! Jocelyn Green is an amazing author whose books keep on getting better! “A Refuge Assured” is the story of a young French woman who is forced to flee her beloved France due to her being a lacemaker (a crime worthy of death in those days). Vivienne goes through so much as we witness her struggles, trials, and joys in America. I learned so much about the French Revolution and the Whiskey Rebellion from this book. The characters really come alive and will stay with you even after you are done reading. It is definitely a page turner brimming with history, romance, and mystery that will keep you up reading late at night! Wonderful work of Christian Fiction!
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a review copy. A review was not required, and all opinions are my own.