What an incredible work of historical fiction! MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION by Zoe Sivak is an absolute must-read for fans of the genre -- I haven't read such a great work of historical fiction in a long time!

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak is a gripping and stimulating novel that will captivate readers who are drawn to historical fiction, particularly those interested in the French Revolution, slavery, and the struggles of marginalized communities, as it masterfully weaves together themes of identity, power, and social justice in a richly detailed and emotionally charged narrative.

Mademoiselle Revolution, in one sense, is easy to read, easy to see the Revolutions through new eyes, though—true to the pov of the main character, Sylvia—the Haitian Revolution is still much more murky. I’ve read A Place of Greater Safety twice and taken a course on it, as well as reading Ribbons of Scarlet, so it was very interesting to see a number of characters in the French Revolution through a different viewpoint. But on top of that, this novel wraps one up in the intimate details of a life, a family, an idealistic group. Excellent, and here’s to more from the author.

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 the elite due to her skin color and other forms of classism

.After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly to Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes passionate about the goals of the Revolution.

Sylvie forms relationships with Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornelie Duplay. Robespierre uses her to further his stance, while she falls deeper in love with Cornelie.

Content warning: The author does include in the note that she has depicted the treatment of enslaved folx and there are scenes of violence throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this book and setting to see the French Revolution from a very unique perspective! I really enjoyed the love triangle and the bi representation! I did feel it got a bit bogged down in the middle and I struggled to stay engaged at times but overall super well done and I did like Sylvie's character and journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
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Unfortunately I DNFed this, it just didn’t catch my attention and maybe I’ll get into it again when Imm in the perfect headspace to give this another try!

This is a sweeping, engrossing historical fiction, and an absolutely excellent debut. The author managed to create not one, but two vivid environments, and the emotions and tumult Sylvie experiences are palpable. The author's note, contextualizing the story in the modern era, adds sobering perspective.

Mademoiselle Revolution" by Zoe Sivak is a historical novel set during the French Revolution.

The story follows Sylvie de Rosiers, a young biracial noblewoman who becomes involved in the revolutionary movement and advocates for change.

Gabrielle encounters historical figures such as Maximilien Robespierre and Napoleon Bonaparte and experiences the ups and downs of life during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution.

Through Gabrielle's perspective, the novel captures the political and social forces at play during this time and provides a compelling portrayal of the era.

Themes of racial inequality and bi-sexuality are predominant throughout the book.

"Mademoiselle Revolution" is a well-written and immersive novel that offers a different perspective on the French and Haitian Revolutions. My issues with reading it stem from the fact that the two revolutions, along with the sociological aspects of the story become a bit heavy for my tastes.



I received a digital copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion

This gorgeous historical novel follows the biracial daughter of a white plantation owner and an enslaved woman who flees the Haitian Revolution only to find herself in the midst of another revolution in France. As she becomes increasingly intwined with Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay, she wonders if the ideals of this movement have gone astray. Absolutely riveting historical fiction.

This novel is a retelling of the Haitian Revolution. This novel tells of a biracial heiress who experiences the Haitian Revolution. She escapes to France and meets Robespierre and his mistress. This story is very well-written and is meticulously researched. However, the story is very slow moving! Still, I recommend this for fans of Dance, The Kingdom of this World, and The Common Wind!

As much as I love historical fiction, I honestly could not get into this one. I tried my best to get through this book, but I just could not get into it, so I never finished it.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I couldn’t put it down and it read quickly, but afterwards I read the author’s note. I feel like the book she described and the book she wrote… were not the same. I was so intrigued by the idea of tracing racism in America back to the Haitian Revolution, but wondered why the characters didn’t stay in South Carolina or the US if that were the direct thesis of the book, rather than going to France. Yes, I know that the ideas of the American Revolution borrowed heavily from pre-Revolutionary France, but still…

As an avid reader of Historical Fiction, I love being taken to a place in time each book that I read, and I really enjoyed this take on the Haitian Revolution.

MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION is a powerful, engrossing story of a biracial heiress who escapes Paris when the Haitian Revolution burns across her island home. But as she works her way into the inner circle of Robespierre and his mistress, she learns that not even oceans can stop the flames of revolution.

Sylvie is the daughter of an enslaver and wealthy planter, and an enslaved woman. As the Haitian Revolution begins, Sylvie and her brother flee for safety. This was such a great story that was well written and engaging, and I thought the pacing of the storyline was done well too.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

I think this is proof for me that I don't care for historical fiction during the French revolution. The writing was great, but I just couldn't get into it.

Are you interested in historical fiction from a new perspective?
The main character, Sylvie de Rosiers, is a mixed daughter of an enslaved Haitian woman and the French plantation slaver
Are you a fan of messy romantic entanglement?
MC is bi and divides her lustful attentions between Robespierre’s acknowledged love interest and the man himself.
Though the MC’s naivete leads her into bratty behavior, it’s a brattiness that feels earned and makes for interesting character development - especially when she is forced to consider her proximity to wealth within the brutality of the French Revolution.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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.

Sylvie forms relationships with Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornelie Duplay. Robespierre uses her to further his stance, while she falls deeper in love with Cornelie. Then, the Reign of Terror is imminent.

The author says in the opening that she minces no words about the horrors of the time and place, there are scenes of violence and torture that were common during the time. What a horrifying time in many ways, but what led up to the Revolution, and what enslaved people were subjected to was equally horrifying.

There’s so much goodness I could focus on here. Mademoiselle Revolution is timely and smart, well-written and all-consuming. It’s powerful, emotional, full of intrigue, raw, and inspiring. I hope you’ll read it. It’s inspired me to read more about the Haitian Revolution.

I received a gifted copy.

I've mixed feelings about Zoe Sivak's MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION. I loved the thematic complexity of this piece, but I struggled with the immense historical scope of the novel and the creative license employed in the later chapters.

Sivak's use of the political turmoil in Haiti and France to develop Sylvie's character is creative, but I feel two revolutions are a lot for one novel. This piece expects its readers to absorb a great deal of historical material, and to be perfectly honest, I think it would have presented more effectively in a duology that covered the Haitian and French Revolutions in equal measure. As is, the novel felt so historically unbalanced that I'd have difficulty offering it to those looking for Haitian fiction.

I enjoy creative twists, but my hackles rise when creative license alters the historical context of an event or minimizes the legacy of a noted figure. There is some ambiguity in the relationship between Éléonore Duplay and Robespierre, and I loved how Sivak chose to use it to her advantage, but I was frustrated at the author's treatment of Charlotte Corday and felt the fictional drama she created lessened Charlotte's historical reputation and import.

That said, Sivak's debut earned her a place on my watchlist. I think the love triangle she created is beautifully rendered, and I admire how she used Sylvie's mixed heritage and bisexuality to explore her heroine's identity. I also appreciated the thematic relevance of the social issues Sivak addresses in MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION and have no trouble recommending it to those interested in thought-provoking lit.

Raised by her wealthy father, a planter in France’s Saint-Dominique, Sylvie de Rosiers lives between white society and her enslaved mother’s world. But after a slave rebellion forces Sylvie and her brother to flee to Paris, they land at the center of another revolution. As Sylvie becomes enmeshed with Robespierre—one of its leaders—can she keep her family safe? A soaring debut.