Women’s Review of Books: Down and Out in Paris
Laura Trippi
Down and Out in Paris
The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R.
By Carole DeSanti
Reviewed by Patsy Baudoin
The accident of timeliness richly rewards readers of historical fiction in unexpected and exciting ways, casting light on emotions past and present. Even as The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R., by Carole DeSanti, remains solidly rooted in the history and details of the past, it echoes in current events as well. The last section of the novel, in particular, which takes place during the bloody Parisian uprising of 1871 known as the Commune, evokes the intentions, needs, and chaos of a bottom-up rebellion—similar to the Occupy Wall Street encampments that flourished throughout the United States in 2011. This alone makes this novel worth reading.
The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R. reads like any page-turner, effortlessly and straightforwardly.