Émilienne is the fictionalised biography of Émilienne d’Alencon, circus performer, dancer, darling of the Paris stage in the late Victorian period … and courtesan.

The story is told in first person and present tense, which is an unusual choice for historical fiction. It gave Émilienne a strong character voice which I think was necessary to enable the reader to understand a woman whose birth, upbringing, and life were so different to mine. It meant I didn’t question many of her most questionable life choices—and there were many—because they were the only choices she could see.

The story starts with teenage Émilienne Montmatre. She’s the daughter of a prostitute and knows that’s her future if she stays in Montmatre. So she runs away and leverages her beauty, dancing talent, and sheer ambition to land a role as a rabbit trainer in a circus, then propel herself through various roles and lovers to become one of the most famous (and rich) dancers in Paris.

She had more than a few setbacks along the way, and I almost felt sorry for her at some points. She was ambitious but not mean or cruel, and made her fortune without abusing others, which is more than can be said for many men of the time.

The story took us through around twenty years of Émilienne ‘s life. It feels authentic to the time, the place, and what little is known about Émilienne. It’s a story well told, although it has the inevitable issue of any story about a real-life person: it ends, and real-life endings don’t have the sense of happy completion of (say) a Christian romance.

Pamela Binnings Ewen is also the author of The Queen of Paris: a Novel of Coco Chanel. Given the relationship between Coco and Émilienne, it’s not surprising Pamela Binnings Ewen has chosen to write about Émilienne. Her previous books include the Amalise Catoir series, about a woman lawyer in the 1970s, which was definitely written from a Christian point of view. She’s also the author of Faith on Trial: Analyze the Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which I haven’t read.

Émilienne is not Christian fiction (which is what I typically review). While there are no on-the-page sex scenes, it’s perfectly clear that Émilienne had intimate relationships with a lot of men she wasn’t married to. She never even considers matters of faith. While that was consistent with the historic Émilienne, it was a departure from the previous Pamela Binnings Ewen novels I’ve read.

There were a handful of typos (although they were at least consistently wrong) e.g. troop instead of troupe, discrete instead of discreet, and (inexplicably) Queen without the Q. While these didn’t detract from my enjoyment, they were odd errors in an otherwise excellent story with impeccable research.

If you’re looking for Christian fiction, this is not the book for you. If you’re looking for a fascinating insight into a unique historical figure, you may enjoy Émilienne .

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

In Emilienne, Pamela Binnings Ewan brings the lives of Parisian courtesans to the front of the narrative of the Belle Epoque. Following Emilienne, a young woman who works her way to the top of courtesan society in the last years of the nineteenth century, Ewan brings this woman’s true story into the light. Ewan’s prose is strong and vivid, highlighting both the beauty and challenges of the Belle Epoque and the courtesan lifestyle. She successfully brings Emilienne, her friends, her lovers, and these relationships to life, bringing in other historical figures into her beautiful historical fiction novel. Both the settings and characters are vibrant and lifelike, described in great detail through Ewan’s strong prose and diction. She successfully integrates other contemporaneous historical figures into the text without them feeling forcefully inserted, and her plot is strong, compelling, and fascinating. Ewan brings a new section of nineteenth- and twentieth-century France to life in her latest book, and she highlights both the highs and lows of Emilienne’s life as one of Paris’s courtesans. Overall, Emilienne is a fascinating narrative of a Parisian courtesan, her triumphs, her struggles, and the changing world around her.

This was an interesting story that takes us back to a forgotten time in history and into the lives of the Belle Epoque courtesans. These women were talented, beautiful, and totally unacceptable in polite society. They lived glamorous lives, possessed all the luxuries one could dream of, but it came with a high cost. They were totally dependent on the men they chose to be mistress to.
Emilienne was once the most beautiful woman in Europe, climbing her way out of the slums of Paris, dancing in the biggest theatres in Paris, lavished with-ex expensive gifts from dukes and princes. But as time goes by and Emilienne begins to age, she is shocked to discover that fame, like her youth is very fleeting and growing older, she is no longer the star, no longer the most wanted woman in Paris.
I had no idea who Emilienne was when I read the description of the book, but I did know of the Belle Epoque, the glamorous time when elegant courtesans abounded in Paris and they set the stage for beauty and fashion, they determined the trends. Knowing this I looked forward to reading her story. I must admit it was not the story I expected to read! I don't mean the book is terrible, it isn't, it is well written and holds a reader's interest, it is just not filled with a scandalous story of a kept woman that I was expecting to read. For a courtesan Emilienne led a fairly tame life, according to this story at least. She does not encounter much hardship as far as I could see, and the negative aspects of her lifestyle were very few if non-existent. The most awful thing that she did or encountered was her addiction to gambling, to betting on horse races, losing most of her precious gifts of jewels. But even with that she bounded right back and went on to live out her life with her last love.
Overall a good, solid read, getting a glimpse of what the life in the Belle Epoque was like. I give 4 stars and recommend for a entertaining, fast break. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read the new historical fiction by Pamela Binnobgs Ewen who never disappoints. I was not familiar with Émilienne d'Alençon, but ended up wanting to know more about her by the end of the book.

This historical fiction novel features the life of Émilienne d'Alençon, a french dancer and . At one time, she was the most beautiful, sought-after woman in Paris during the Belle Époque, the era of peaceful years just before World War I. She starred in the Folies Bergère, was friends with Coco Chanel just before her rise to fame, but as Emilienne's beauty began to fade, so did her career. As she was no longer able to attract men who could support her in the means she was used to living, she became heavily in debt. She had a somewhat rags-to riches-to rags sort of story.
I had never heard of Émilienne d'Alençon before, so I was interested in learning more about her. It was definitely interesting and if you are a fan of historical fiction, then I think you will definitely want to check this one out.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Set in Paris during the Belle Epoque, Emilienne by Pamela Binnings Ewen is the story of one of the great courtesans of the age, Emilienne d’Alençon.

It is a rags-to-riches story. Emilienne was born to a prostitute in Montmartre, but escapes by running away from her abusive mother to make a life for herself as a dancer with the top Parisian shows. One of the most beautiful women in Paris and an accomplished flirt, she loves to dance and thrives on the attention. Before long, she is maintaining her lifestyle by entertaining wealthy gentlemen.

Throughout most of the book, things come very easily to Emilienne. There is little apparent struggle and almost no conflict. The men are generous. The women are friendly and cooperate rather than compete. Emilienne rides high. She does experience a personal tragedy when a nobleman she is involved with is torn away by his controlling mother. But while she regrets this loss all her life, she moves on and rebuilds her career with no real difficulty.

It’s only in the later years, when her beauty is fading and she is no longer sought out by the dance halls, that her life begins to lose its luster. She needs to find a new way to live. Or at least a new man to love.

The setting is an interesting one. Emilienne is a real historical person and her life intersected with other high-flying Parisians of the times. However, the novel dances only lightly over Emilienne’s rise to fame and gives the impression that there was no hardship involved, except for some rare brief hunger pains. There is none of the expected grit. The story has a fairytale quality that made me wish for more depth.

This is a wonderful read that also left me confused throughout.
The main theme of Emilienne is her exciting yet emotional life story. It pulls you in from the start, written in fast paced easy accessible language. From the moment she leaves the Paris' slums and its violence behind we follow her life in the fast lane. Realising her dream of becoming a dancer is an exciting journey. She progresses from clubs to troupes in a speed faster than my brain can handle.
This continues in parts two and three, where we see her grow up, be a partner and go through life.
My confusion lies with the fact that throughout the book the writer informs us that Emilienne is a courtesan, yet nothing apart from the wealth she acquires tells us about the life lived on a deeper level. The book jumps from event to event in a fast pace, spending a proper amount of time in two steady relationships, but leaving out the parts that would make her a courtesan. She might as well have been a successful ballet dancer and the perfect wife. Emilienne and her female friends are a positive and independant bunch despite the heartache they apperently suffer.
I enjoyed this story as a cosy read set in Paris' Belle Epoque, not the deep emotional read I was expecting.
The excellent addendum provided the true life history I missed in this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

Emilienne D'Alencon was a famous French dancer, actress, and courtesan in the late 19th Century - better known as the Belle Epoque era in France. She was one of the infamous 'Three Graces', 'the last and the greatest of the courtesans, the most beautiful and scandalous.' 'Emilienne' is based on her rags-to-riches rise to acclaim, followed by the diminishing twilight of her career.

Born into poverty by an alcoholic, single mother, Emilienne has no future to look forward to; only the threat of being sold by her mother for money. Armed with her beauty and natural affinity for dance, she runs away and tries her luck auditioning for roles in many of the surrounding cafes and theatres. Slowly, through a combination of luck and talent, she climbs the ranks and increasingly becomes noticed. Soon, crowds come to chant her name, take her to dinner and bestow gifts of priceless jewels. Sadly though, when beauty is your best friend, age becomes your worst enemy.

Told in three parts, the story covers Emilienne's years as a young adult, through to middle age, and the onset of WWI. Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this simply told story but it quickly developed into a page-turner as I wondered where her career, love life, and friendships would go next. I also enjoyed reading about an era of reckless frivolity and joie de vivre. A great, easy-to-read piece of historical fiction.

Quite a delightful novel about a very fascinating woman. I didn't know much about Emilienne when I picked up this book, and I had great fun following her life and her experiences in this. The writing was well-done and it really brought the characters and the settings to life. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this time period!