To Crown with Liberty

Amanda Lauer reviews Catholic Mom contributor Karen Ullo's historical novel, the story of a woman whose deep faith saw her through times of grave misfortune.

To Crown with Liberty

by Karen Ullo
Published by Chrism Press

While people say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, in the case of the novel To Crown with Liberty by Karen Ullo, the striking cover is the ideal introduction to the haunting, beautiful, and well-written story of the life of Alix de Morainville Carpentier, a former lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette, who escaped the horrors of the French Revolution to start a new life in the back country of the Spanish colony of Louisiana in the New World.

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A split-timeline historical novel

The story has a split timeline, beginning in 1795, and dropping back to the years 1771 through 1792, as readers discover Alix’s life in France leading up to the revolution. For people whose knowledge about that time in European history is sparse, this is a wonderful introduction to the political landscape in that era. There have been tragedies in every age of history, but the French Revolution was particularly grim.

It’s hard to imagine how much time the author spent studying this topic to be able to present it in such a concise fashion that hits the key points.

Each chapter is only a few pages long, but that works well for this novel. In the earlier timeline, as a member of the nobility and a practicing Catholic, we know grave misfortune is coming Alix’s way. She faced unbearable tragedy in those years. The switch to the 1795 storyline was a welcome reprieve from witnessing the fall of France through Alix's eyes. It was one sad thing after another.

Not that life in the New World was much easier. Alix may not have been facing bloodthirsty revolutionists, but between the hurricanes, stifling heat, humidity, fires, mosquitos, venomous snakes, alligators, and witnessing the horrors of the human slave trade, she was constantly battling something. Add to that, survivor's guilt and remorse over her actions in France.

The story of a woman's faith during turbulent times

Her faith and her beloved husband helped her through the most turbulent times in her life. The strength women and men of old possessed to create new lives for themselves as the United States was being formed is unbelievable. My thanks to Karen Ullo for writing this fascinating and heart-wrenching novel. Once I was immersed in it, I couldn’t put it down. And weeks after I finished reading To Crown with Liberty, the story has stayed with me. This was truly a masterpiece.

Ask for To Crown with Liberty at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Chrism Press.

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

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