VÉRONIQUE'S MOON
by Patti Flinn
A young woman enters the household of one of French history’s most famous mistresses, Madame du Barry, in this novel.
In 1788, Véronique Clair has left behind her home in Burgundy and a marriage proposal to apprentice in the household of Madame du Barry at the Château de Louveciennes in a small suburb of Paris. On the way, she meets fellow apprentices Chloe and Pauline, and all three grapple with the feelings of being far from home as well as examining the realities of working as servants in a noble household. The household manager, Gaspard, takes an instant dislike to Véronique, a Black woman. He demands to see the papers that prove she was born free merely to cause her discomfort. Flinn’s sequel explores the options for women in the lower classes of French society, particularly Black women, as Véronique struggles to find her place among her white counterparts at Louveciennes. Not only does Madame du Barry make the occasional appearance in the story, but the author also delivers a reimagining of the real-life Louis-Benoit Zamor. Zamor, a Black page and du Barry’s confidant, is an intriguing inclusion. At one point, Véronique muses: “I’d noticed, at dinners, the guests always seemed to be more interested in the page than in Madame. They were always asking her about Zamor, as if he were a child or a prop that didn’t speak. Many times, he would stare straight ahead, his expression flat, as if bored of it all.” He becomes intertwined with Véronique as the story progresses, with Flinn expertly blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Also included in the tale is a glimpse of citizens’ rising dissatisfaction with the lavish lifestyles of the French nobility as Véronique and her fellow apprentices stay at a rural inn, emphasizing that the story’s time period is practically on the eve of the French Revolution. Though perhaps a bit brief (only 127 pages), the novel is a satisfying, soul-searching, and exciting continuation of the hero’s saga, ultimately leaving readers hoping for another installment.
A well-researched, engrossing tale with a strong French hero for fans of historical fiction.