Overview
Exiled from her home in rural, 18th century France, a resilient young woman journeys through the forests of Normandy, to the oppressive poverty of pre-Revolutionary Paris, and ultimately to her destiny as one of the founding mothers of Louisiana.
True Grit meets Les Misérables in this epic journey of survival, social inequality, and a woman discovering her own power for readers of Isola by Allegra Goodman and The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee.
A SIMULTANEOUS HARDCOVER EDITION—ALSO AVAILABLE AS TRADE PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
France, 1718: Three years after Louis XIV’s death, the country is still reeling from the Sun King’s costly wars and reckless extravagance. While ordinary citizens struggle to survive, the wealthy are able to purchase noble titles that grant them power and privilege. In the wrong hands, that power can be a terrible thing, as Azélie and her older sister Nicole discover when their family’s roadside inn becomes the property of a corrupt judge.
After a harrowing encounter with the judge’s loathsome son, Azélie’s only option is to flee. Then a chance meeting with highway robber Jules Charavany leads the two to make their way to Paris. Azélie launders clothes on the banks of the Seine while Jules finds work on the docks, and a friendship borne of necessity evolves into a deeper bond. But when Jules is wrongly arrested, Azélie finds herself caught up in a scheme to arrest young women on trumped-up charges and exile them to the struggling colonies along the Gulf Coast.
Chained aboard the ship La Mutine, a pregnant Azélie finds kinship with the other women during the perilous ocean crossing. The survivors will witness the birth of a new city, New Orleans. And though her new life will be rich in challenge and reward, Azélie’s ties to her homeland and her family will remain, echoing through the future in unpredictable ways, even centuries later.
True Grit meets Les Misérables in this epic journey of survival, social inequality, and a woman discovering her own power for readers of Isola by Allegra Goodman and The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee.
A SIMULTANEOUS HARDCOVER EDITION—ALSO AVAILABLE AS TRADE PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
France, 1718: Three years after Louis XIV’s death, the country is still reeling from the Sun King’s costly wars and reckless extravagance. While ordinary citizens struggle to survive, the wealthy are able to purchase noble titles that grant them power and privilege. In the wrong hands, that power can be a terrible thing, as Azélie and her older sister Nicole discover when their family’s roadside inn becomes the property of a corrupt judge.
After a harrowing encounter with the judge’s loathsome son, Azélie’s only option is to flee. Then a chance meeting with highway robber Jules Charavany leads the two to make their way to Paris. Azélie launders clothes on the banks of the Seine while Jules finds work on the docks, and a friendship borne of necessity evolves into a deeper bond. But when Jules is wrongly arrested, Azélie finds herself caught up in a scheme to arrest young women on trumped-up charges and exile them to the struggling colonies along the Gulf Coast.
Chained aboard the ship La Mutine, a pregnant Azélie finds kinship with the other women during the perilous ocean crossing. The survivors will witness the birth of a new city, New Orleans. And though her new life will be rich in challenge and reward, Azélie’s ties to her homeland and her family will remain, echoing through the future in unpredictable ways, even centuries later.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry The French Innkeeper's Daughter, we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of The French Innkeeper's Daughter.