Goddess

By Kelly Gardiner

A sparkling, witty and compelling novel based on the tragic rise and fall of the beautiful seventeenth century swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d&#39;Aubigny (also known as La Maupin), a woman whose story is too remarkable to be true - and yet it is. Versailles, 1686: Julie d&#39;Aubigny, a striking young girl taught to fence and fight in the court of the Sun King, is taken as mistress by the King&#39;s Master of Horse. tempestuous, swashbuckling and volatile, within two years she has run away with her fencing master, fallen in love with a nun and is hiding from the authorities, sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Within another year, she has become a beloved star at the famed Paris Opera. Her lovers include some of Europe&#39;s most powerful men and France&#39;s most beautiful women. Yet Julie is destined to die alone in a convent at the age of 33. Based on an extraordinary true story, this is an original, dazzling and witty novel - a compelling portrait of an unforgettable woman. &#39;I thought the book was utterly fascinating, dazzlingly original and inventive, and written with such wit and flair. the character of Julie is drawn so poignantly - what a woman!&#39; Kate Forsyth &#39;An engaging and skilfully told tale of a singular character&#39; Sydney Morning Herald&#39;The divine creature who plummets &#39;from the painted clouds&#39; to center stage in Kelly Gardiner&#39;s gender-bending picaresque Goddess, is based on an actual historical character, Julie d&#39;Aubigny. Scenes sparkle with period details and sensory impressions: all spectacle and shimmer, all gesture and pose, Baroque mask and mirror and role-play. Gardiner does this very well. And her goddess fascinates.&#39; New York Times Book Review&#39;This is a wonderful story, made all the more gripping for being founded on truth. Gardiner undertakes to bring this ambiguous and outrageous woman back to life ... she succeeds with flair ...&#160;I wholeheartedly recommend this book as the most exquisitely-rendered historical novel I have read in years.&#39; Historical Novel Society review

A sparkling, witty and compelling novel based on the tragic rise and fall of the beautiful seventeenth century swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d'Aubigny (also known as La Maupin), a woman whose story is too remarkable to be true - and yet it is. Versailles, 1686: Julie

By Kelly Gardiner

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