Madame Tussaud

A Novel of the French Revolution

By: Michelle Moran

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin….

Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador Thomas Jefferson to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie's museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, and when word arrives that the royals themselves are coming to see their likenesses, Marie never dreams that the king's sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. Yet when a letter with a gold seal is delivered to her home, Marie knows she cannot refuse---even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend Henri Charles.

As Marie becomes acquainted with her pupil, Princess Elisabeth, she is taken to meet both Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she's ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into to a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafes across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there's whispered talk of revolution. Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? More important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

©2011 Michelle Moran (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Moran is a sprightly and gimlet-eyed writer, so this should be fun - and a possible breakout." ( Library Journal)

Great to learn the story of Madame Tussaud

Would you consider the audio edition of Madame Tussaud to be better than the print version?

I don't know.

What did you like best about this story?

The story/history of such a well known lady.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Very clear voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended if you like this time period.

Sucked me in from the first words. Loved it.

I like the way this story pulled in other events and people of that time. So many pieces start fitting together when I read a book like this. And I like this narrator in every book she's performed.

Became too intense for me

Via the main character's point of view, the reader develops sympathy with both sides of the developing catastrophe. Her livelihood, however, is too graphic for me to the point where my own empathy caused me to stop listening to the book.

Best performance I've ever heard for an AudioBook!

What did you like best about this story?

I love the little historical elements that didn't call attention to themselves. I'm a HUGE fan of historical fiction.. and this is some of the best I've "read:

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't.. but I'll track down more.. she's AMAZING!!! The best performer I've heard so far!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have if I'd had the time.

Hated it to end!!!

What made the experience of listening to Madame Tussaud the most enjoyable?

The combination of great research, an author who makes the story live and a great narrator is perfect! I learned so much I didn't know about this time in the history of France. Very haunting and the story lingers still in my mind.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Madame Tussaud?

Probably the event that stands out in my mind is when the mob took heads on poles to Marie to make models.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the friendship between Marie and princess Elizabeth

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I listened to it all in one setting it would have ended much too soon. I needed time to digest what I had read between each session of listening.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this to lovers of historical fiction. It will be especially meaningful to those with a love of European history.

A Novel for Sure

About the best that can be said for this account of the French Revolution is that, like the title says, it is a novel. This novel is a rush of characters with familiar names who are never sketched out as people. It is a shame that the author uses the name of Madame Tussard to reel in her readers without giving the reader much more than an encyclopedic review of her life in the last chapter. The French Revolution is the real main character of this novel.Those interested in this era of chaos will find much better portrayals of the men and events in other books in far less time than the 15 hours and 22 minutes of this dragging listen.

interesting look into the French revolution

although it took me a little while to start showing interest I feel this book was very relevant and easy to understand makes the French revolution make a little bit more sense

Good book, familiar history.

Easy basic review of life during French Revolution. Some fluff, but certainly a fun read/listen. I think went to soft on Robespierre character but ...

Great story

Really nice to hear the story from a royalist perspective - complete with real admiration and concern for the royal family. I'd never even considered that there might have been people caught up in the maddness - who were not in support but were helpless to move against it. It is - in a way - a real reflection of humanity... that some people who come into power are by nature - not suited for that power... and yet everyone present can only try to quietly survive the maddness. The French libertarians in this story - Hitler - the rwawandan genocide... who will it be next

Couldn't stop listening to this book

Would you listen to Madame Tussaud again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this book again. I loved this book. The main character of this book is in the unique position of being having a talent that appealed to both the royalty and the common people and that talent gave her insight into both sides of the revolution. I have read other books on this time period in France and ended up with knowledge of what happened but never really understood how or why it happened the way it did. Michelle Moran weaves a very absorbing story using the actual people and events of the time. I couldn't stop listening to this book. I was driven to get to the end, but was sad when I reached it. I loved the fact that at the end of the book she reveals what eventually happened to the main characters in their actual lives. It gave the book a kind of closure. I thought that the reader, Rosalyn Landor, was wonderful. I was not put off in the least by her slight British accent because her French pronunciation of names, places and events was flawless and she is very easy to listen to.

What other book might you compare Madame Tussaud to and why?

Although the style,situation,and time period is vastly different, I would say that I have not enjoyed a book so much since I read

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Rosalyn Landor before but I will certainly look for other books that she has read. She is a wonderful reader with a pleasant voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did want to listen to it all in one sitting but I started to listen to this book on December 21st. I listened while wrapping presents, decorating the tree, and while baking cookies but there were some times that I did have to take the earphones out and pause the book.