Bluebird, or The Invention of Happiness [Hardcover]

Sheila Kohler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2007

Bluebird, or The Invention of Happiness is a radiant and artful novel based on the life of Lucy Dillon, an 18th-century French aristocrat. Her intelligence, beauty, and lack of pretension made Lucy a favorite of luminaries like Talleyrand and Germaine de Staël—and equipped her to survive the "Terror" that swept France in the wake of the Revolution. Possessed of considerable wit and practicality, Lucy manages to keep her beloved husband and small children safe while all her former circle, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, are guillotined. Eventually securing passage on a small ship bound for Boston, Lucy and her family settle in the Hudson Valley near Albany. Exhilarated by the personal and political freedom she finds in America, Lucy views her time there not as "exile," but rather as "opportunity"—and the former palace darling proudly turns dairymaid, establishing a successful farm and embracing all the challenges and adventures the New World presents her.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The life of Lucy Dillon, an aristocrat in Marie Antoinette's court, is the subject of the seventh novel and flawed first foray into historical realism for South African author Kohler (Crossways). Through her resilience and resourcefulness, Lucy (based on the real-life Henriette Lucy Dillon) saves her husband, Frédéric Séraphin, and their children from the Terror during the French Revolution. The book opens in 1794 with Lucy and her family fleeing France, then flashes back episodically to her role as apprentice lady-in-waiting at court and her severe childhood despite her aristocratic privilege. The contradictions in her upbringing, the novel suggests, may have helped Lucy to become the resourceful person who could lead her family to the U.S. and establish a dairy farm in upstate New York, where her friendliness and butter become renowned. But two years later, once the Terror ends, Frédéric insists they return to France, though her time in America remains the moment when she lived out "the illusion... of being Queen of my own destiny." Kohler's writing is often deft, but the immense amount of historical material checks the narrative momentum. The novel succeeds better in conveying the particulars of Lucy's life, especially her adaptation to the rigors of American country life. (Apr. 24)
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From Booklist

Kohler bases her enchanting seventh novel on the life of Henriette-Lucy Dillon, an aristocratic descendant of Irish Jacobites who becomes one of Marie Antoinette's ladies. Daughter of a general off defending French interests in the West Indies, the beautiful, witty Lucy is raised by her ill-tempered grandmother. Her arranged marriage with Frederic Seraphin, the future marquis de la Tour du Pin, becomes one of her greatest joys. She shows her mettle during the Reign of Terror--a scene where she and Frederic survey the sad ruin of the royal apartments at Versailles is movingly portrayed--by ensuring her family's last-minute escape aboard a creaky ship bound for Boston. A practical woman determined to make the best of everything, Lucy settles into a new career as a dairy farmer on the outskirts of Albany, New York. Kohler's elegant, clearly written prose conjures a heroine whose enthusiasm for life and learning is infectious, and whose disarming manner is immensely appealing. One of the best of the recent crop of French Revolution novels, and certainly the most uplifting. Sarah Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Other Press (April 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590512626
• ISBN-13: 978-1590512623
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.3 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,098,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, June 12, 2007

By 

Saskya Rosalinda - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bluebird, or The Invention of Happiness (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. I stayed up several nights reading this

historical novel. The author does a great job with the historical

details and the reader is transported to the times of Marie Antoinette.

The main character's courage and fortitude are inspiring and timeless.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Do not miss out on reading this book!!!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Writing, June 7, 2007

By 

P. Hays "Hays" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bluebird, or The Invention of Happiness (Hardcover)

When an author writes so seamlessly that you are no longer reading...you are there, it is rare and wonderful. Kohler is a terrific writer!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written page turner set during French Revolution, June 4, 2007

By 

The Discerning Reader "The Discerning Reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bluebird, or The Invention of Happiness (Hardcover)

Bluebird and The Invention of Happiness is a beautifully written page turner set during the French Revolution. I could not put it down. The French Revolution, such an exciting period, is wonderfully rendered, and the historical details seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. Readers of historical fiction are bound to appreciate it especially, but you do not have to be a history buff to enjoy it. What I loved most was the heroine, Madame de La Tour de Pin, who was such a courageous woman, who overcame so many adversities. Not to read Bluebird is to deprive yourself of a wonderful treat. Anyone who has an appreciation for lyrical writing combined with a moving story will enjoy this novel. I highly recommend it.