Kelly Gardiner

“Goddess” is a historical novel based on the real-life figure Julie d’Aubigny a breeches-wearin’, swash bucklin’, bi-swingin’ opera singer who lived in 16th century France. The book is told in alternating chapters from La Maupin’s deathbed. Dying of consumption, she recounts how she basically did whatever the hell she wanted in her short but exciting life.

The book is a little on the long side and the writing a bit mediocre. But Gardiner portrays La Maupin in such an utterly charming, woman-roaring way that I had loads of fun reading this book and imagining all of Julie’s exploits and heartbreaks.… (mehr)

Review to comeI first heard about Julie d'Aubigny on Tumblr and when I came across this book I really wanted to read it. Since there are gaps in what we know about her the author framed the story as a series of flashbacks on her deathbed as she is supposedly giving confession. This does cover the year gaps in her life story very easily. Julie lived a very unconventional life, at a young age she became the mistress to the French King’s Horse Master and he had her married off to cover the fact she was having an affair on him. She knew how to use a sword since her father allowed her to learn and she used that skill all of her life. She was an opera singer in Paris and was loved by the crowds. The afterward does say that several characters were not real in order to mover the story along and some were composites but in the end there wasn’t a lot of material to work with and that makes the flashback narration tool the best to convey the story.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss.
… (mehr)