*Christy Award Winner in Historical Fiction Sweeping Historical Fiction Set at the Edge of the ContinentAfter being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, … brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne’s brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king’s mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.more
A page-turner of a tale set against France’s early struggles to colonize Louisiana, The Mark of the King bears all the marks of the best historical fiction—rich attention to detail, settings historically accurate and lushly depicted, a complex and layered plot, diverse cultures vividly portrayed, and the ever-present sense of the larger forces of time and place shaping the lives and destinies of characters I came to care about. The unjustly exiled Julianne is a woman to admire and cheer, the soldier Marc-Paul a man of strength and devotion. Lovers of historical fiction will be transported by this beautifully written novel of the early 18th century frontier.
The Mark of the King caught my attention not only because of the reviews but also the fact that I haven’t read many novels set in the French colonies. Jocelyn Green picked such an interesting premise that I was excited to read it: a midwife convicted of murder trades her sentence for exile to Louisiana. And she did not disappoint.
Green paints a vivid picture of Julianne Chevalier’s time in prison and the false accusations she faces, earning my sympathy for the heroine almost immediately. The hardships of the trip overseas, including the unexpected expectations for the new colonists, was dealt with tastefully but with enough truth that I found myself feeling uncomfortable for Julianne and what she was experiencing. I appreciated her fledgling friendship with officer Marc-Paul Girard, as well as Marc-Paul’s respect for Julianne. The first part of the novel was more focused on their friendship, and I appreciated watching that deepen before any romance was suggested. It made me root for Marc-Paul even more to watch him not only help Julianne but also the other colonists, seeing him angry and frustrated on their behalf.
So much more than a romance, The Mark of the King is an emotional journey of two people whose lives intersect in an unexpected way as they struggle with the secrets they carry and if they can trust each other to reveal them.
This was my first book by Jocelyn Green, but rest assured, it will not be my last.
Captivating! The Mark of the King takes place between 1719 and 1722, covering a period of Louisiana’s colonial history that is seldom written about in historical fiction. Interesting facts about the living conditions in the French settlement, interactions with the Indians, midwifery, and early medicine bolster the tale, while Jocelyn Green’s emotive writing tugs at your heartstrings.
Falsely imprisoned in Paris’s notorious Salpêtrière, Juliane Chevalier receives the king’s brand, a fleur-de-lys, on her arm. Upon her conditional release, she and other female inmates are given the command, “Populate Louisiana and help secure our [France’s] hold on the land. Now find your mate.” She then embarks on a voyage to the New World with her body and soul shackled to a stranger through a forced marriage. Awaiting their arrival was the town of New Orleans — rugged, under supplied, riddled with disease and mosquitos, and under constant threat of attack by Indians who were allied with the British. Life was perilous for all, but for Juliane, being branded a murderer wrought additional suffering and shame at the hands of the townspeople. Who will offer hope in her despair or extend grace instead of judgement?
Multi-dimensional characters are woven into a historical tapestry that in itself is stranger than fiction. Additionally, Green is among a shortlist of authors who have been able to move me to tears! Her relatable characters coupled with the books intrigue and refreshing originality earn it a 5 star rating. The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green is my first Book Club Top Pick of 2017.
Christian Shelf-Esteem received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.
This book put me through the different emotions, some of the stuff is based on fact and some is plain old fiction but regardless this is definitely a great book to read for a clean historical romance book that has a little dark and violence with stuff pulled from history it’s a great read that leaves you really loving everything that’s makes this a great read.
** I borrowed this book from my library and couldn’t help myself to review such a great book**
The Mark of the King truly swept me up in the life of Julianne Chevalier. The historical details are fascinating, and the plot moves at an exciting pace. Vivid descriptions and intense scenes kept me reading as quickly as I could. The descriptions of the fledgling city of New Orleans are nothing I’ve read about before, and Jocelyn Green bring it into sharp focus. The harshness of the land is evident throughout, and the temerity of Julianne and the other inhabitants is admirable.
There were some times that I wished for more interaction between characters, so I could see the development of their relationship a bit more, but the emotion between them is poignant and rings true. The overall message of forgiveness no matter the sin that marks your past and hounds your present circumstances is fully fleshed out and a beautiful one to read.
Overall, I can easily recommend this for fans of historical fiction. The history evokes the feeling of a bygone time, when the land was wild and life uncertain. The characters display personal fortitude, but are also realistically flawed. The faith aspect is woven throughout the narrative organically, perfectly suited to the situations that the characters face.
“Remember this, mes cheres: There is no person so small that the Lord cannot see her, no voice so quiet that He cannot hear it.”
Now to make it a priority to read more of Jocelyn Green’s novel as soon as I can!
After having read Veiled in Smoke last year and now this novel, Jocelyn Green has quickly become one of my go-to authors (with a rather large backlist I might add). She has such a way with words and an ability to write incredible amounts of description without being overly thick, boring, or unnecessarily flowery. Mark of the King pulled me in and held me and when I finally came up for air, I had to look around to reorient myself with the world. I love books like that.
This story starts with death, deceit, and drudgery and ends with hope, but it is not a hope earned easily. The heroine of our story, Julianne, is a midwife imprisoned for killing her patient, although she had no intention to do so. Branded with the mark of the king, a French symbol given to all murderers, she accepts a place on a ship bound for French Louisiana after being forced to marry a fellow convict she only met that day. What follows is a tale of heartbreak, not only for Julianne and her new husband, but for her fellow colonists, all trying to make sense of a world which looks nothing like the salvation they were promised. In the end, there is grace and love and forgiveness, but it does not come without sacrifice.
Jocelyn Green has become one of my favorite authors. This story begins in Paris, France, then moves to the Gulf of Mexico coast, mainly New Orleans. Branded a criminal and condemned to life in prison, Julianne Chevalier seizes upon her one chance to escape France and search for her brother in Louisiana. She soon discovers, however, that she may have traded prison for a questionable freedom in the struggling colony. Forced to marry and learn how to survive on meager means, she must deal with French soldiers and Native Americans while facing her own inadequacies and discovering who to trust.
This story was wonderfully written. It is by far the best written book that I have ever given a 4 star review. I just couldn’t give it the 5 star because of the sadness and mistrust in the book. It totally belonged in the story, and I stayed up way later than I should reading the book. But I found it realistically frustrating. Like I said it’s an amazing book, I just didn’t enjoy the sadness.
An epic tale of hardship and romance- packed full of early American history. Sweeping description and attention to every detail. I took it on vacation and couldn’t relax until I knew what happened to the characters. 5 stars
What an amazing and intense novel! I loved it and couldn’t put it down. This is a highly recommended novel! Her skill at crafting story, characters and suspense are exceptional!
My husband is a Louisiana Cajun, so it was interesting to read about how conditions were in the New Orleans area at that time.
Another favorite. Just one more chapter. Before I know it it’s wee hours of the morning. So much history which I love. Word artist!
Loved it.
Interesting Christian romance set in colonial Louisiana.
I loved this book. The Characters were unique and interesting. I enjoyed the history as it was an area of the US that I am not the familiar with and helped me to understand its early beginning. I cried and felt emotional with the strength of the Heroine and all she went through just to survive.
Once again Jocelyn Green has written an amazing book that takes the reader directly to the past. This book was fascinating and at times horrifying based on little known historical facts that the author uncovered and brought to life. This book details the very early days of New Orleans and the difficulties of life at that time. Green continually opens my eyes to realities that never make it to the history books we read in school and causes me to look at the world in a totally new way.
I am almost at the end of this book. I really have enjoyed it even though it is fiction there is a historical basis. The plot is great and the fact it is based on a fledgling city to be “NewOrleans” caught my attention
It’s no surprise to me that Green won the Christy Award for this novel. It’s daring storytelling and historical fiction at its finest.
Beautiful writing with a powerful story. Flawed characters that convey God’s grace and forgiveness with strong emotional impact.
This book was so interesting. I did know about the history of bringing convicts from France to settle Louisiana and forcing them to marry. It had so many twist & turns with tragedy, heartbreak & turncoats. I’m so glad it had a satisfying ending.