Description
Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she was never fully accepted by island elites. After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly into another uprising--in austere and radical Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes enamored with the aims of the Revolution, as well as with the revolutionaries themselves--most notably Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Corn�lie Duplay.
As a rising leader and abolitionist, Robespierre sees an opportunity to exploit Sylvie's race and abandonment of her aristocratic roots as an example of his ideals, while the strong-willed Corn�lie offers Sylvie safe harbor and guidance in free thought. Sylvie battles with her past complicity in a slave society and her future within this new world order as she finds herself increasingly torn between Robespierre's ideology and Corn�lie's love.
When the Reign of Terror descends, Sylvie must decide whether to become an accomplice while a new empire rises on the bones of innocents...or risk losing her head.
Samara Mills @iparker_506
January 21, 2023
4
What an epic story! Sylvie is the daughter of an enslaver, a wealthy planter, and an enslaved woman. She lives a life of privilege in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). While she has privilege, there are still social hierarchies due to skin color. When the Haitian Revolution begins, Sylvie and her brother flee for safety. They eventually land in Paris, as the Revolution is heating up there.