Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire ... but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, "Madame Tussaud" brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.

It all started when I stumbled across Nefertiti in the library and was immediately captivated by the imaginative writing from Michelle Moran. Then through email I was able to meet her and was delighted by her as a person and continued to be excited as both The Heretic Queen and Cleopatra's Daughter hit the market. With each novel I swore that Michelle's stories were getting better and better. A portion of history that I faintly knew was being brought to life off the page and I was enamored. I love her Egyptian novels and I do hope that she'll continue to write some more.

As a student in high school my second life was my French class. When I heard that Michelle was going to write a novel based in the time period of the French Revolution I was very excited. Again it is a period and place that I know pretty well, but with her story telling the people are so real and off the page. Having had my only real experience with this time period being from Alexandre Dumas, it was a delight to find the same characters in a similar fashion with more story to tell.

I am very impatiently waiting for her 2012 release Empress Josephine's Crown about the young Austrian princess who was forced to become Napoleon's second wife (filling the very large shoes of Empress Josephine).

Thanks to Michelle for providing a copy for review and keeps.wink

Originally posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2011/07/01/madame-tussaud-by-michelle-moran/

Michelle Moran's historical fiction Madame Tussaud provides an interesting and informative look at the French Revolution time period. The story has a good pace. Moran's writing style is engaging. I enjoyed Marie's story. This is a talented, headstrong woman living in a difficult time. Marie straddles two worlds, the nobility and the National Assembly. I like that the focus wasn't from the royals POV.
Moran does a very good job of telling the frightening and gruesome history. The history seems very accurate, which I LOVE! So many historical fictions take to many liberties that are just distracting. I love Moran gives small summaries after the end of the story for many of the character's lives and a historical note of what was changed, left out, or added and why?