I recently had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication copy of Paris in Ruins by MK Tod, which was published yesterday (March 30th, 2021) and can we take a moment to admire this fabulous cover?!
Set in 1870, it records the experiences of two young women during the siege of Paris, when French forces were pinned down by the Prussion enemy. "Raised for a life of privilege, Camille and Mariele have much in common, but it takes the horrors of war to bring them together to fight for the people and city they love. War has a way of teaching lessons – if they can only survive to learn."
I found it an immensely gripping read. The story focuses on the two young women but both come from large families and their mothers, fathers and brothers are all also caught up in the fighting in various ways and the fate of all hangs precariously in the balance.
Camille is quite headstrong, with a tendency to ignore convention, take risks, not toe the line. Mariele is less so, at first in awe of, and perhaps a little envious of Camille. But neither is stereo-typically 'feisty' and both are hugely aware of their place in society, and their duty, despite railing against it at times.
The horrors of war, the effects of the violence not only on the soldiers but on the civilians, are graphically and unsparingly described. The author has an economy of words which gives us the bare detail, and somehow makes it more visual. However for me the main interest lies in the development of the young women and their burgeoning awareness not only of what war can do to people's lives, but of their own place in the world. Did it take war to make them realise that marriage and children are sometimes not enough, or was it the age in which they were living? There is a stark contrast between their privileged existence and the plight of the poor of Paris. The women who live in the poorer quarters agitate for change and a powerful message comes through that women from all corners of society want, nay demand, more rights.
Woven into this driving narrative are the individual stories, the breaching of the divide between rich and poor, and the brave people who acted seemingly out of character (the actress who turns her theatre into a hospital, for example) and the social niceties which had to be ignored, to the acceptance of some and to the horror of others: moments when young ladies cannot be chaperoned, and the day that Mariele brings two poor children back to her family's grand house demonstrate that this was an age where the older generation in particular were at first scandalised and then had to grow to accept the changes all around them, changes that would endure beyond the war.
The pacing of the book is fast; rarely a page goes by without the plot moving forward, and this completely chimes with the subject matter. These were eventful, frightening times and this is expertly conveyed. A great read which I heartily recommend. It also introduced me to a period of French history about which I knew very little, so I asked Mary (MK) for a few more details.
AW: Welcome, Mary, to the blog, and congratulations on Paris in Ruins. May I begin by asking what drew you to this particular period of Parisian history? I suppose we are all more familiar with the earlier periods of revolution and war, and I did wonder whether the appeal for you was the burgeoning of the women's rights movement?
AW: I know that Sarah Bernhardt was a real person but I had no idea of her tireless work during the siege. Were any of the other characters - apart from the generals and political leaders - based on real people?
MKT: Several of the people involved in the Commune are real: Auguste Blanqui, Emile Keratry, Paule Minck. But the only other real person that I turned into a character is Louise Michel, leader of the Montmartre Women’s Vigilance Committee, and a woman that Camille spies on. Louise Michel was a feminist, a writer, and an anarchist. She was also one of the founders of the Society for the Rights of Women (La Société du Droit des Femmes). Louise believed passionately that women should have autonomy and equality and she actually fought as a soldier during the Paris Commune.
AW: How difficult was it for you to research? I understand that much of the history can be learned from source material but your detailed descriptions of the streets and buildings in Paris suggest to me that you've visited in person? If so, was it relatively easy to find the buildings mentioned in the novel?
MKT: Paris In Ruins benefited from the discovery of several first-person accounts of the siege and commune that were written in English. It also benefited from a three-week visit my husband and I made to Paris where I took so many photos, visited all of the places mentioned in the novel, and took in several museums that featured 19th century Paris. We had a marvellous time absorbing that unique atmosphere that Paris has to offer.
AW: Finally I must thank you for the opportunity to read Paris in Ruins and ask where your writing will be taking you next?
MKT: You are so welcome! I have two novels in different stages at the moment. One is set in early twentieth century Hong Kong and is on submission with several publishing houses. The other is a contemporary novel—a first for me—about identical twins one of whom disappears to expose a crime while the other takes over her life.
Many thanks for inviting me on you blog today, Annie. It’s a true pleasure to talk about my writing.
