I've just finished reading Kate Forsyth's 'Bitter Greens.'
(The following is just some thoughts I had on the novel, no major plot spoilers I feel but if you are planning on reading the book and don't wish to know any plot details, then don't continue reading this.)
A reworking of the Rapunzel fairy tale, blending it with historical fiction, as she recounts the life of one of the first people we know of, to have written down the story, which she called 'Persinette,' and which we now know of as 'Rapunzel.'
This was the French authoress Charlotte-Rose de la Force, who led a rather eventful life herself, which includes, among many adventures, disguising herself in a bear suit to gain access to her lover, imprisoned by his family for fear that he would marry the older, scandal-clad lady, who, worst of all, was too poor to come with a dowry. (He did.)
I found it an easy, entertaining read, very evocative, much of the action takes place around Paris, Versailles and Venice, places I've visited and so her descriptions were not only vivid but nostalgia tinged for me. She's clearly done a lot of research around the historical era's she invokes and visited the areas in person to better conjure up their individual atmospheres for the reader. In that way, the novel reminded me of 'The Historian,' by Elizabeth Kostova, which made me want to jump on a train and travel around Europe like the protagonists in the book.
I liked the way she weaves the story around three women, the indomitable Charlotte-Rose; the Rapunzel figure, here called Margherita and the mysterious and usually much maligned 'evil witch,' in this novel; the beautiful courtesan and one time artist's muse, Selena Leonelli. They are multi faceted characters, especially Charlotte-Rose and Selena Leonelli, who do good things and bad things; they have troubled pasts and make mistakes but ultimately choose their own fates. Characters, most importantly, that you become invested in, feel sympathies with, even if previously revolted by their actions.
