The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R.

January 2, 2012
Penguin Group v-p and editor-at-large DeSanti presents an eclectic mix of ideas and social history in her debut novel. At 17, Eugénie Rigault follows a seducer to Paris, but quickly finds herself on her own. She moves from artist’s model to prostitute, takes lovers, and gives birth to—and gives away—a daughter. In five sections that each quote Céleste Mogador’s scandalous Memoirs and unfold against the mid-19th-century turmoil of the Second Empire, DeSanti chronicles Eugénie’s attempts to build a life for herself, survive as a woman, and reclaim her daughter. Eugénie, an admittedly unreliable narrator who refuses to accept advice or learn from her mistakes, is difficult to root for; she acts on impulse and expects to be rescued (and she is). But readers will find passion in the writing; DeSanti’s descriptions are full of lush, sensual detail. In the brothel, though she doesn’t give a sense of the men or the quotidian grind, DeSanti shines in depicting the dynamics between the girls, the business, and Eugénie’s internal conflict. Though it’s hard to care for such a self-centered heroine, the sweeping, fascinating epic is full of drama and beauty. Agent: Robin Strauss, the Robin Strauss Agency.

November 1, 2012

Born in southern France's foie gras country, Eugenie R., age 16, falls in love with a handsome aristocrat who convinces her to travel to Paris, promising he will join her shortly. He never arrives, leaving Eugenie alone, penniless, and pregnant. Giving birth to a daughter, the teen survives as an artist's model and a prostitute but has to give up the child. Saved by her resourcefulness and the ability to reinvent herself, Eugenie makes a convincing feminist heroine as she struggles through a turbulent era (1861-71) in French history that includes the start of the Franco-Prussian War, the siege of Paris, and the fall of the Second Empire. Although the plot is engaging, DeSanti's language is at times flowery. Kate Reading's versatile voice, however, breathes music into every word. VERDICT Historical novel fans, especially Francophiles, should enjoy this book. ["Although this debut novel...provides a detailed time line, so many characters and incidents cram the pages that it is hard to keep track of them.... Readers well acquainted with the era might enjoy this fictional excursion into the decadence and destruction of Paris. Others may be more confused than enlightened," read the review of the Houghton Harcourt hc, LJ 3/15/12.--Ed.]--Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

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