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1871: A wedding, a secret and a difficult choice
The French Wife
What you need to know before your trail
As the St Clair family prepare for the wedding of their daughter, Clarice, at the great country house of Montmichel, trouble is brewing. Their younger daughter, Helene, became friends with orphaned Annette during the terrible events of the 1871 siege of Paris. Now they are reunited, with Annette working below stairs for Helene’s parents. But Annette is hiding a dangerous secret, which Helene has promised to keep at all costs. Meanwhile, Helene herself has begun to fall in love with a young nobleman from England, whose family has plans which do not include their son choosing a French wife.
Travel Guide
Travel to Paris with Diney Costelloe
Saint-Étienne
A city in eastern central France, in the Massif Central, 55 km (34 mi) southwest of Lyon. It’s the capital of the Loire department and is where the grand house Montmichel is located. A very grand house indeed.
Paris
The Paris Commune was a radical socialist and revolutionary government that ruled Paris from 18 March to 28 May 1871. Paris was under siege for four months and so the Third Republic moved its capital to Tours. Paris at this time was a hotbed of working-class radicalism.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The French Wife
Destination/location: Paris, St Etienne Author/guide: Diney Costeloe Departure Time: 1871
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