Book Review: Annette Vallon

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Summary from Goodreads:

Set amid the terror and excitement of the French Revolution, James Tipton's evocative novel is the story of a woman who has for too long been relegated to the shadows of history: Annette Vallon, William Wordsworth's mistress and muse.

Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart. Spoiled by the novels of Rousseau, she refuses to be married unless it is for passion. Yet the love she finds with a young English poet will test Annette in unexpected ways, bringing great joy and danger in a time of terror and death.

Told in sparking prose, Annette Vallon captures the courage and fearlessness of a woman whose dramatic story illuminates a turbulent and fascinating era.

Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is really 3.5 stars for me. I liked it, but it didn't grab me. Annette is a very strong woman for her time period. She's captivating and fun to read about. But although the summary of the book might make you believe this is a love story with the poet William Wordsworth, it's really not- it's merely one part of Annette's adventurous and passionate life (although it actually did make me want to go read some Wordsworth poems). However, this might be a benefit and not a disadvantage- Annette doesn't let a relationship define her life- she's able to stand on her own.

My one complaint is that I'm not sure I entirely believed Annette's "voice" was an 18th century voice- a lot of the writing felt more modern to me. I wasn't always convinced she would say the things she said or do the things she did. Nonetheless, she was an interesting central character. And I loved her relationship to her siblings.

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