Mademoiselle Eiffel tells the story of Gustavo Eiffel’s eldest daughter, Claire. At the young age of fourteen, Claire loses her mother. She has to help her father with household duties and to take care of her siblings. This makes her father rely on Claire even more, and she becomes his assistant. But when Gustave relies on his young student, Adolphe Salles, Claire becomes resentful. Eventually, resentment turns to romance. Claire and Adolphe work together to help establish Gustave Eiffel’s most infamous architectural landmark, the Eiffel Tower!

I had never heard of Claire Eiffel before reading Mademoiselle Eiffel. I found Claire to be a very fascinating protagonist. Claire was very mature, caring, and intelligent. I adored her relationship with her father, Gustave. I love how this novel portrays her love for him and helping him to establish his legacy. I also like Claire’s budding romance with Adolphe Salles, which was my favorite part of the novel. I love how it started as a rivalry and blossomed into romance! Therefore, Claire was a very enagaing character, and I wanted to know her ending!

Overall, this novel is about family, loyalty, and ambition. I thought that all of the characters were very realistic and complex. I like how the portrays all aspects of love. I also thought that the Mademoiselle Eiffel was very well-written and meticulously researched! I like how it focused on the building of Gustave Eiffel’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower! However, I did dislike that it tended to get bogged down with many details! I also found the novel to be very repetitive, especially when it mostly focused on Claire’s everyday life. Nevertheless, it was fascinating reading about Gustave Eiffel’s family! It made me want to read more about Claire Eiffel and discover her true story! I recommend this novel for fans of Stephanie Marie Thornton, Marie Benedict, and Heather Webb!

I really enjoyed Aimie K. Runyan’s latest work of historical fiction about Claire Eiffel, the eldest daughter of Gustave Eiffel. The book was both enjoyable and informative, and I appreciated that unlike other similar books I’ve read lately about wives and siblings of technical geniuses, this author chose to keep the technical details to a minimum. I sympathized with Claire’s devotion to her father and siblings, but sometimes found it hard not to insert my more modern sensibilities into her life story.

Lovely and a little heartbreaking, I loved this and highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’m fascinated by stories of the women whose work allows men to be ‘great’.

Coretta Scott King, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winnifred Madikizela, and now, Claire Eiffel.

At the age of fourteen, Claire, daughter of civil engineer, Gustave Eiffel, is given the monumental task of running her father’s household. She is his personal secretary, parent to her younger siblings, and hostess to his many business contacts.

I enjoyed so much about this story. I loved the richness of the setting (Paris, for goodness’ sake) as well as the decadent age of Belle Epoque, particularly from the privileged vantage point of the neuveau riche. The dresses! and hats! and corsets! Oh, my! As well as all the history surrounding the construction of the 1889’s World’s Fair Iron Lady.

I wish we’d got to spend more time with some of the more colourful side characters (I’m looking at you, bonne-maman) but I very much look forward to tracking down this author’s pervious works.

Historical fiction fans and especially those who love Paris will love this “behind the story” of the Eiffel Tower. I had no idea that Gustave Eiffel did anything other than the Eiffel Tower so this was quite enlightening. He had numerous bridges to his credit, along with the insides structure of the Statue of Liberty prior to tackling his most enormous structure - the Eiffel Tower. And as the saying goes, behind every good man is a strong woman, and that’s the case here as well. Losing her mother at age 14, Claire Eiffel is forced to grow up in a hurry, and become a mother to her siblings, run the household, as well as continue to be a sounding board for her father and his company’s buildings. Her dreams of being an accomplished artist are put to the side, as she always puts the family and her father’s business first. The author referenced many letters from the family in her research, and where she used her imagination it’s very plausible and believable. Out now -I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend! Thanks to Netgalley, William Morris and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

Aimie has done it again by writing another interesting historical fiction read! This book is based on the life of Claire Eiffel, who was the oldest child of Gustave Eiffel. (You know the Eiffel Tower guy.)

I learned some fascinating information about the building of the Eiffel Tower as well as Gustav Eiffel’s involvement in the Panama Canal scandal.

At the heart of this book is Claire Eiffel. She was given the matriarchal responsibilities at 14 years old as she cared for her father, her siblings and her home after the death of her mother.

The book does a beautiful job digging into the heart of Claire’s obligation to family vs pursuing her dream of art.

Aimie also finishes the book with an informative author’s note of fact vs fiction in this read.

A captivating glimpse at the life of one of history’s most remarkable but lesser-known heroines, Claire Eiffel, eldest daughter of famed architect Gustave Eiffel.

Forced to take on the management of the Eiffel household at age fourteen, following her mother’s death, Claire finds her strength and purpose despite having to leave her dreams of becoming an artist behind. Runyan makes a brilliant case for Claire’s undersung contributions to her father’s legacy, and layers in rich historical detail that will have your senses fully engaged in this brilliant family saga. You’ll have a whole new appreciation—and perspective—for the story behind Eiffel’s eponymous tower after reading! The quieter contributions of women in history are often dismissed and disregarded. But in MADEMOISELLE EIFFEL, Aimie K. Runyan brings Claire her due respect.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am always a sucker for historical fiction based on biographical fact. And I love this trend of finding women who were previously lost to history because of the famous men in their orbit. That’s what drew me to Mademoiselle Eiffel, the story of Claire Eiffel, daughter to the famed architect of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The attention to detail in the story, the sights, the sounds, the foods, all added to the story, but at the same time I kept wanting the story to hurry up, if that makes any sense. I’m not going to rehash the plot, but this depiction of Claire and the sacrifices she made to keep her father’s company in the family are to be commended, and yes, the world needs to know that! Gone are the days where men are lauded for their accomplishments, because it’s well-known that behind every successful man is a woman doing ALL the things to help make that happen

I loved every part of this book. It was definitely made more enjoyable after being in Paris less than a month ago. The research done to write this book was incredible. The history behind the Eiffel tower and those involved in its construction were painted so clearly in this book. I was transported to the streets of Paris and felt as if the Eiffel family lived next door. The details of Claire Eiffel's life, Gustave Eiffel's daughter, are amazing. She played a huge role in the support of her father, especially during the design and building of the Eiffel Tower. The sacrifices that she made as a child and women were heartbreaking and incredible. She may not be a household name, but her impact on the city of Paris has lasted long after her life. An incredibly well written historical fiction, featuring a famous building, family and city.
thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy

I truly enjoyed reading about Claire Eiffel’s fascinating life. She was such a strong, intelligent, creative woman who helped her family through the death of her mother and helped her father run his business, which included the building of the Eiffel Tower. I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower but I had never really thought of the process of it being designed and built. In reading this book, I kept finding myself getting interested in other aspects of their lives and going down the Google rabbit hole. Claire literally put her own dreams aside to take over running the household at the age of fourteen! That shows such strength of character and love for family! Aimie K. Runyan has such a knack for introducing historical figures that a lot of us may not have considered before and making them essential to know about. She does so much research and it shines through in all of her historical novels. I loved the peak into the family relationships and how her relationship grew with Adolphe. I loved the inner dialogue that truly showed that while Claire was determined to help her family succeed, she also had dreams and wanted to leave her mark on the world. The entire story had me fascinated from page one.

Paris is my most favorite city in the world. I’ve been to the top of the Eiffel Tower twice and I have replicas of it all over my house. To say I was excited to receive this book is an understatement.

I knew that the tower was met with much resistance and was only meant to stand for a brief period of time. Beyond that, I didn’t know anything about the man who built it or his family. Mademoiselle Eiffel primarily centers around the story of Gustave Eiffel’s oldest daughter, Claire.

The story follows Claire from 1877-1933. Upon the death of her mother, Claire, aged 14, takes over the duties of the Eiffel household. She puts aside her own dreams and desires to care for everyone else, including her four younger siblings as well as basically becoming her father’s assistant. We see her eventually marry and become a mother, all while supporting her father and his business, his household (she never moves out of his house), and her siblings. Through it all, we see her father’s rise as he build bridges around Europe, the controversy surrounding the building of the Eiffel Tower, and then eventually learn of his downfall with the unsuccessful (at the time) building of the Panama Canal.

The research the author put into this story is evident and she stuck closely to the facts. I throughly enjoyed the story. Claire sacrificed a lot to stay by her father’s side and I kinda feel like she was taken advantage of. I learned a lot and I’m now ready to return to Paris. Let’s face it, I’m always ready to return to Paris!

1877

Claire Eiffel, 14, the daughter of Gustave Eiffel, is devastated when her mother, Marguerite, passes away leaving Claire to care for her five younger siblings. Gustave was working to create bridges and other huge edifices. While he was a very busy man, Claire realized how important it was for her to keep the children together and see that the house was run properly.

As the years began to pass, she continued with her work in caring for the family but also helped her father with his projects. Her strong ideas and common sense became a source of comfort for him and he realized that Claire was very knowledgeable about his business affairs.

When Gustave took on a new engineer, Adolphe Salles, Claire was rather miffed as she wanted to be her father’s right-hand. But Adolphe turned out to be very intelligent and he and Gustave worked well together. When Claire learned that Gustave planned to leave his business to Adolphe, Claire was furious. But her father suggested that she marry Adolphe which after some time, she consented to. Gustave then suggested that they make their home with him and they be one big family.

When the children began coming, Claire became even more of the person that the whole family relied upon. She did all this with pride and love.

The story tells us about the idea of the construction of the Eiffel Tower that was met with lots of opposition when it was first proposed to be built. But, it finally went through and was feted everywhere. As we know, this iconic piece is now one of the most beloved structures in Paris.

I lived in Paris for many years so it is with pleasure that I devoured this book. The French way of life, the food, the gracious living all comes together in telling a story of love, of family, and dedication. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is a bit different than some of Ms. Runyan's previous books; it is more steeped in reality and I know that she did a good deal of research for this book. This is about a woman, Claire, who is the oldest daughter of the man who was responsible for bringing the world the Eiffel Tower.
I did enjoy the book, although I think I did not quite enjoy it as much as some other books of hers that I read. While I know from having read the author's note that she did take a few liberties (notable with Claire's interest in art), the problem with a "biographical" work of historical fiction, I think the author is more constrained by what actually happened so that there were some events that did not quite catch my attention as much as others. That said, I did like the book and will, of course, continue to read Ms. Runyan's books as they emerge.
Thanks to NetGalley and to William Morrow for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Eiffel Tower, a beacon of science and beauty meant to be torn down after twenty years, is the pinnacle of success for Gustave Eiffel. The Eiffel family has a gift for detail, an eye for beauty, and the insistence for perfection. Will these gifts lead to the success or the demise of the Compagnie Eiffel?
The novel opens with Claire’s witness of the destruction of Gustave Eiffel’s office in the face of legal issues. Runyan then recaps the past years filling in the details leading to the World’s Fair in 1889 and through Claire’s life in 1924.
Claire experiences the death of her mother and the overbearing presence of her grandmother, and at the age of 14 is burdened with running the household, shepherding four siblings, and assisting her father. Runyan aptly depicts Claire’s acceptance of the injustice of her sacrifice and understanding the importance of her role in securing control of the company by marriage, through a discerning portrayal of her thoughts and decisions.
Runyan juggles the family life of sister, Laure, along with the disappointing, embarrassing shenanigans of underwhelming brother, Edouard, with the business dramas involving the tower project. When Gustave Eiffel’s tower project is faced with construction issues, petitions, and law suits he handles these situations with intelligence, discernment and integrity. Runyan’s references to Eiffel’s designs in Europe and the United States add immensely to understanding Gustave’s worldwide renown and the reasons for his inclusion in the Panama Canal venture.
Fans of Aimie K. Runyan know she loves to include baking and food and won’t be disappointed! Included are descriptions of stunning venues in France and Portugal, where feasts and celebrations featuring luscious dinners starring Bûche Noël and Croquembouche decorate the pages.
Gustave’s nod to his wife’s crochet patterns, represented in the ironwork designs, embellish this amazing masterpiece of engineering. Runyan’s novel, Mademoiselle Eiffel, provides the same exhilaration and joy experienced by thousands of onlookers as they witnessed the Eiffel Tower on opening day at the World’s Fair. Enjoy the view!

Mademoiselle Eiffel
A historical novel
Aimie K. Runyan, author

Brilliantly written. Expertly researched... And a young woman devoted to her family....

While this story is primarily about Claire Eiffel Salles and her life following the death of her mother at a tender age of fourteen; it is also about the building of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and the life she lived alongside her loving father, Gustave Eiffel.

Synopsis:
The story opens with the death of Claire's mother. She is fourteen and has four younger siblings. It becomes clearly apparent to her that her father expects her to pick up where her mother left off. But what about Claire's dreams to become an aspiring artist? Will those dreams be forever gone? Claire has two younger brothers and sisters that she begins caring for following their mother's demise.

Moving forward into adulthood, it becomes apparent to Gustave Eiffel that his oldest son, will not be taking over his empire as he had wanted. Thus, Gustave arranges a marriage between Claire and his young protege engineer, Adolphe Salles. Claire is resentful at first, but in the end, becomes accepting of her fate. Afterall, after the resentfulness ended, Claire and Adolphe develop a friendship which, in turn helps the eventual marriage evolve into something more meaningful and the two build their marriage into one of respect, loyalty and devotion. The love comes later. They have three children together.

The story moves on to the struggles of the building of the Eiffel Tower and the Panama Canal. It soon becomes apparent that Claire's intelligence and wit are a great asset to Adolphe and Gustave.

Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book and appreciated the research the author put into writing this novel. I learned many historical facts I had not known before reading this book. In fact, I did my own research after finishing the book. I was pleasantly pleased to see many of the timelines, in the story, were accurate to the actual historical nuances.

Claire was a very strong protagonist. Likewise, she was a great support to her father and husband, not to mention her siblings. They all grew to appreciate her for her strength, knowledge and devotion.

I was gifted an advanced reader copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I do so happily. I definitely recommend this brilliant novel to everyone. I quite enjoyed the book.

After her mother's untimely death, Claire Eiffel is thrust into a lady of the house role at a very young age. Setting aside her own needs to tend to the needs of her father and siblings, she doesn't truly get to know the carefree joys of youth. Due to her brother's rakish behavior, her father propositions a marriage of convenience to his protege Adolphe and Claire decides to form a union to secure the family business. Lush with drama, food, fashion and a happily ever after, lovers of historical romance will enjoy "Madamoiselle Eiffel" tremendously.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

This book tells of Claire Eiffel, the daughter of the famous architect Gustavo Eiffel. Claire takes over the role as mother of the house when her own mother passes, but she’s also her father’s secretary. As the eldest, she wants to continue her family’s company, but as a woman she’s unable. Her best option is to marry her father’s protege and she can keep the business within the family.

Claire had so much riding on her shoulders; everyone expected her to do everything her mother had done and even more. I liked reading about all the famous works her father was involved with. Aimie always puts so much detail into her novels; I love learning while reading!

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @bookishaimie and @williammorrowbooks for my gifted copy. Mademoiselle Eiffel is out now!

MADEMOISELLE EIFFEL is the latest engrossing historical novel by Aimie K. Runyan. I love that every time I read one of this author’s novels, I learn something new and intriguing about a time, place or person in history. Set in nineteenth-century Paris, this is a story of Claire Eiffel, the eldest daughter of Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the iconic Eiffel Tower. Both beautiful and brilliant, Claire is a rare daughter who receives an education usually reserved for males. Claire’s carefree childhood is brought to an end with the death of her mother at age fourteen. She is soon expected to fill the shoes of her mother as the manager of her father’s home and caregiver to her younger siblings. Claire rises to the occasion, earning the respect of the household as well as being a vital contributor to her father’s business. She shows incredible maturity and resilience in the challenging circumstances she faces. Later she will play significant role in maintaining her family’s legacy of significant contributions to the city of Paris and other cities abroad. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched and beautifully-written novel and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

When the wife of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel passes away, he asks that his eldest daughter Claire step into her shoes, running the household and being caregiver to the younger children. This is a daunting task for the fourteen-year-old, but she handles it well, and on top of it all, she assists her father with his business, taking notes during meetings and accompanying him on his travels. She becomes indispensable to his work,. so it is only natural when his bright young protégé, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave’s time, Claire resents being pushed aside. Eventually, animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship…and then to something more., and they are married in 1885. Shortly after they are awarded the biggest commission of Eiffel’s career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World’s Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father’s circle, but also the world. When Gustave Eiffel’s involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father’s freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.

I always love to read about women who made history, especially the ones who weren't famously known or given the credit they were due. I had never heard of Claire Eiffel before, and her story and that of her family was intriguing. Claire was a force to be reckoned with. She gave up the chance at a career in the art world to raise her siblings and help grow her father's empire. How many fourteen-year-olds can you think of are mature enough to handle all of that responsibility? I had no idea of her father's involvement in the Panama Canal, or that he had been imprisoned because of it, only that he was responsible for the most famous landmark in Paris. At times the book seemed to lag a bit but overall it was well written and full of interesting facts. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you should definitely check this one out.

I think we all know of the iconic Eiffel Tower but do you know who built it - or why?⁣
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I am convinced I would have never gotten that D in history in high school if I had people like Aimie K. Runyan around! Her stories have opened my eyes to fascinating parts of history, I knew nothing of before - things I probably should have paid more attention to back in school. ⁣
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The way she weaves these stories together - impressively researched and brilliantly crafted tales - flawlessly depicting strong women facing adversity and breaking down walls, in times where women were meant to just scrub the walls and keep their mouths closed.⁣
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Claire Eiffel is one of these women. ⁣
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When her mother dies, she immediately steps up to not only manage the Eiffel family household, but also becomes her father’s most trusted confidante in his construction business. Determined to be part of upholding the family legacy, while pushing her own dreams and aspirations aside, Claire is a force to behold.⁣
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It’s an incredible story of a remarkable woman who deserves all the spotlight - and a book that will excite and impress historical fiction readers, francophiles, or anyone who just loves a wonderful story inspired by true and remarkable events.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of Mademoiselle Eiffel by Aimie K. Runyan.

This historical novel set in nineteenth-century Paris tells the story of Claire Eiffel, the daughter of the French engineer who among other great works created the Eiffel Tower. She played a significant role in maintaining her family’s legacy and their iconic contributions to the city of Paris.

This was an interesting read seeing Claire from a young girl helping her father take control of the household at 14 when her mother died and being indispensable both in the home and as his private secretary. Seeing her get married to one of her father's proteges and later family's legacy.

Based on the real people and historical events (with lots of research on the family) this was an interesting book -- I hadn't heard of Claire before this or really thought about who built the Eiffel Tower but she was an interesting woman and I liked seeing the 19th century France through her eyes.