Three midwife-healers from a French village. Three standalone stories spanning six hundred years. Three women linked by an ancient bone talisman and bonded by living through turbulent times: the Black Death, the French Revolution, the WWII Nazi Occupation. Each brings its own threats and dangers, in this boxset of historical novels based on real events.
"... sweeping saga following the fortunes of three strong women... fascinating, moving and realistic - a must for lovers of historical fiction." Cathy Ryan, Book Blogger, Between the Lines.
1. Spirit of Lost Angels:
They drowned Victoire's mother, claiming she was a witch. Then her father died beneath the wheels of a nobleman's carriage.
Forced to leave her village, Victoire finds work in Paris. But, domestic employment comes at a high price and the orphaned girl suffers gruesome abuse at the hands of a diabolical aristocracy.
Accused of a heinous crime, they imprison her in the depraved lunatic asylum, La Salpêtrière.
With the help of ruthless seductress, Jeanne de Valois - conwoman of the Necklace Affair that brought down Marie Antoinette - Victoire must find the strength to join the revolutionary force storming the Bastille.
Can she survive a chilling betrayal and rise above her impoverished peasant roots to take her place in this new, post-revolutionary France?
Based on historical fact, Spirit of Lost Angels is a riveting testament to the courage of women facing tragedy, betrayal and insanity in a world where their gift can be their curse.
Francophiles will want this one and those who enjoy historical fiction that doesn't focus on royals... Audra Book Blogger, Unabridged Chick.
2. Wolfsangel: Seven decades after German troops march into her village, Céleste Roussel is still unable to assuage her guilt.
1943. German soldiers occupy provincial Lucie-sur-Vionne, and as the villagers pursue treacherous schemes to deceive and swindle the enemy, Céleste embarks on her own perilous mission as her passion for a Reich officer flourishes.
When her loved ones are deported to concentration camps, Céleste is drawn into the vortex of this monumental conflict, and the adventure and danger of French Resistance collaboration.
As she confronts the harrowing truths of the Second World War's darkest years, Céleste is forced to choose: pursue her love for the German officer, or answer General de Gaulle's call to fight for France.
Her fate suspended on the fraying thread of her will, Celeste gains strength from the angel talisman bequeathed to her through her lineage of healer kinswomen. But the decision she makes will shadow the remainder of her days.
A woman's unforgettable journey to help liberate Occupied France, Wolfsangel is a stirring portrayal of the courage and resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.
3. Blood Rose Angel: 1348. A bone-sculpted angel and the woman who wears it-heretic, Devil's servant, saint.
Midwife Héloïse has always known that her bastard status threatens her standing in the French village of Lucie-sur-Vionne. Yet her midwifery and healing skills have gained the people's respect, and she has won the heart of the handsome Raoul Stonemason. The future looks hopeful. Until the Black Death sweeps into France.
Fearful that Héloïse will bring the pestilence into their cottage, Raoul forbids her to treat its victims. Amidst the grief and hysteria, the villagers searching for a scapegoat, Héloïse must choose: preserve her marriage, or honour the oath she swore on her dead mother's soul? And even as she places her faith in the protective powers of her angel talisman, she must prove she's no Devil's servant, her talisman no evil charm.
