Farewell, My Queen: A NovelJuly 1789: at the eve of the revolution, occupants of Versailles live in a miniature universe, unconcerned by the increasing turmoil in Paris. But with the shocking news that someone has woken the King in the night, order begins to disintegrate and word of the fall of the Bastille seeps into court. Madame Agathe-Sidonie Laborde, the devoted reader for Marie Antoinette, refuses to leave her queen’s side. She watches as the Queen’s attempts to flee are aborted; her most intimate friend betrays her; and the King, appearing to sleepwalk through this crisis, never alters his routine of visiting the Apollo Salon several times a day to consult a giant crystal thermometer. From the tiniest garret to the Hall of Mirrors, where Marie Antoinette stands alone and terrified in the dark, Chantal Thomas creates an intimate portrait of the woman who, like “fire in motion,” was at the center of a world on the edge of oblivion. |
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arms asked Baron de Breteuil Bastille Breteuil Chantal Thomas château château of Versailles close color corridors Couchees Count d’Artois Count de Provence Court courtiers Courtyard dark Diane de Polignac door dress Duke Equerry Estates-General everything eyes face Father feeling FÉLICIE France French Gabrielle de Polignac Gabrielle’s going gone hair Hall of Mirrors hands head hear heard Historiographer Honorine Jacob-Nicolas Moreau July 14 King knew lady Laroche leave live looked Louis XVI Madame Campan Majesty Majesty’s Marie-Antoinette Menagerie mind morning moved Necker never night o’clock Oeil-de-Boeuf once Paris person Petit Trianon Prince Princess de Lamballe Queen Royal salon servants smell smile someone speaking stairway stay stood stop suddenly sure talking tell thing thought took Tour du Pin turned Vaudreuil Versailles Vienna voice walk wanted Welsh rabbit What’s window woman words