Revolution
*****
Goodreads excerpt:
Revolution
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for ...moreBROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
Jennifer Donnelly A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart *****
"It's kind of beautiful, this scary world." ---Andi Alpers in Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
This is one of the most incredibly written books out there. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with each of the characters.
I am not a fan of historical fiction by any means. I would not normally pick one up to read, but I came across the audio book version of this incredible book at my local library and thought that I would give it a try. What did I have to lose right? After all it cost me nothing to check it out. I do not regret this choice.
This is a book about death both present and past. The main character Andi is struggling desperately to keep afloat in a world where she feels hopelessly lost. Andi has lost her brother Truman to death in such a way that she can't help but blame herself. She struggles daily just to exist. With the help of her guitar and her love of music she is able to stay with us one day at a time. (Thank goodness for that) With each passing day, we travel through time and grief searching for the light that will keep Andi with us just one more day.
In a last ditch attempt to be a father to her, Lewis carts Andi off to Paris to be with him while he works and to get her to focus on a school project that threatens to have her expelled from school unless it gets completed.
While in Paris, Andi and Lewis stay with old family friends, G and Lili. G is working to open a historical museum about the French Revolution. For many years now, he has been collecting and authenticating items from the era. Amongst his treasures, he has a guitar of which he enlists Andi's help to restore. During the restoration process of both the guitar and the case, Andi comes across a diary written by Alexandrine. She chooses not to tell anyone about her discovery until she is through reading it.
In reading the diary of Alexandrine, Andi takes us on a journey through the French Revolution where she finds solace in knowing that she is not the first person to have lost someone and feel the way that she does. She also learns through Alex that there is more than one way to grieve and live at the same time.
I could take all day explaining to you what this book is about or you could read it for yourself. I will tell you that I was completely unable to focus on any other books while I was in the midst of this one. The separation of the present day and the past via a diary had me feeling as though I was reading two completely different books at the same time. The reader in the audio book version was amazing! I cannot rave enough about how amazing she was. She hit on every different accent and character in ways that I forgot that it was the same person doing the reading for the entire book. She grabbed every emotion and setting and brought it to life via the spoken word.
I loved this novel and would be completely selfish if I just kept it to myself and didn't share it with the world. Please go and read it if you haven't already and help me to feel like I am keeping Andi here with us for just one more day.
Lenmeo
After the Book
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