The Disenchantment

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Lavoie raised an eyebrow at her. It was the first slip in his painstakingly correct manners, and Madame de Cardonnoy had to suppress a laugh. He was still a young man, perhaps not quite thirty, and it was clear that he found the portrait a little boring. She thought it had only just occurred to him that she might have chosen the subject of the tale to flatter him, as well as to entertain the children.

The sculptor – I think we shall call him that, instead of the travelling man – held out his hand, and the stone statue took it and let him help her down off the pedestal. For although she was stone, she lived.’ I throughly enjoyed this tale of magic, deception and desire and I can't wait to see what the author writes next. The earlier impression that Lavoie had had of Madame de Cardonnoy as a speaking statue had been so distinct that for a moment he felt as if she had been looking into his thoughts. He left the boy’s face with his brush and tried to get an impression of her eyes, the way the sun fell over her forehead and pulled a veil of light over her hair. You feel the ever present pressure of societal expectations on the characters along with their strained actions to break free from them and Marie Catherine's recurring fairytales throughout the novel highlight the desperate desire for escapism. Propel[s] us into the epicentre of a 17th century Paris where breaking out of the prison of arranged marriage is only one of the many challenges confronting women.” —Lisa Appignanesi, author of Everyday MadnessSet in 17th century Paris, The Disenchantment takes up the infamous Affair of the Poisons as it tells the story of a love affair between two noblewomen seeking freedom from their repressive society—the unhappily married Baroness Marie Catherine and the androgynous countess Victoire Rose de Bourbon. What inspired you to write this book?

Of course, darling.’ Madame de Cardonnoy turned to her lady’s maid. ‘Will you take them up to the nursery, Jeanne?’The Disenchantment is historical fiction at its best, authentic, captivating and bewitching. It's difficult to believe this is a debut, so strong is the storytelling, characterisation and ambience. Filled with rich and beautiful detail that brings 17th Century Paris alive. The sights, the smells, the oppression and suspicions all feel very real in this evocative, atmospheric tale of intrigue and sapphic love. We love historical lesbian romances, and The Disenchantment byCelia Bellsatiates our hunger for more. . . . The novel explores witchcraft,female scholars, and characters who defy traditional gender norms, giving us everything to appease our desire for historical feminist stories.” Everyone connected to the court of Louis XIV has something to hide. For the Baroness Marie Catherine, it is the pleasures she seeks outside of her unhappy marriage, indulging in a more liberated existence of decadent salons and discussions with writers and scholars. At the centre of her illicit freedom is her lover Victoire Rose de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Conti, the androgynous, self-assured countess.

The concept of this work was fascinating, and it was difficult not to be intrigued by the promise of a passionate affair between two French noblewomen during a time of mysticism and danger. Unfortunately, the execution of this work fell short.Mary Catherine was a beautifully written character with a fierce love and determination. And this was a debut!!!!

If he had been painting the portrait according to his own designs, and not according to custom, Lavoie would have liked to show the way the boy’s head tilted upwards to watch his mother speak, his mouth hanging slightly open, as if he could look through her face and into the scene that she was describing. Instead, he outlined his face half from memory, looking straight out from the canvas. The characters are fascinating and very strong, and I love that it is told solely through the perspectives of women. I really appreciate the author’s research, she included many details and characters either directly from or inspired by historical resources and literature from the period. It made for a very compelling, vivid and historically accurate read.Celia Bell has written short fiction for VQR, The White Review, The Sewanee Review, The Southern Review, and Bomb Magazine. She lives in Austin, Texas and is the winner of the 2018 VQR Emily Clark Balch Prize for Fiction. She holds an MFA from the New Writers Project at the University of Texas. Starting the book was like joining a story half way through - I felt no connection to the characters who felt bland and one dimensional, the plot was weak and the the writing was fussy and irritating. Now she had reached the part of the story that she hadn’t yet invented. She watched the painter, whose gaze was focused carefully on his canvas, and she went on. A secret romance between two noblewomen in 1680s Paris is threatened by the Affair of the Poisons in this bewitching work of historical fiction. The Disenchantment is a superb work of historical fiction that is both authentic and engaging. Despite being a debut novel, the author has masterfully crafted a compelling story, vivid characters, and a convincing atmosphere that truly brings 17th-century Paris to life. The book is filled with intricate and fascinating details that capture the essence of the time and place, from the sights and smells to the pervasive oppression and distrust. This atmospheric and thrilling tale of intrigue and same-sex romance is a delight to read, and I'm excited to see what the author has in store for future works.