Courting the Sun

From the back cover: “This debut historical novel from Peggy Joque Williams captures the vibrancy and quandaries of 17th-century life for a village girl seeking love and excitement during the dangerous reign of the Sun King.”

I love history and I also adore historical fiction because it allows authors to explore creative license within historical parameters. Peggy Joque Williams sends readers to the stunning court of Louis XIV, the Sun King of France. I have not read much historical fiction about Louis XIV so I read the book with relish. The author was inspired to write the novel because one of her ancestors was a bride of New France, an overseas pseudo mail order bride project launched by Louis XIV. There are other historical novels about the program but the fact that the author’s ancestor was one makes the novel even more precious and appropriate.

Sylvienne has a secret paternity that will alter her life. She is ripped away from her humble life and summoned to court, assigned to the most glittery court in all of Europe. She stumbles some but quickly acquires court decorum and machinations. Belatedly, Sylvienne realizes that her fate is not hers to determine but that of her mentor and master, the king. It is hard for a 21st-century reader to grasp the concept of unquestionable fealty and loyalty to an absolutist monarch whose decrees were to be obeyed or else.

Williams does an excellent job with her vivid description of the 17th-century court life: the fashion, the frippery, the feuds, and the family dynamics. The Sun King’s court was so over the top and opulent that the bedazzling descriptions literally leapt off the pages. Readers will feel as if they are walking along the immaculate gardens of Versailles, never knowing what trysts and turmoil are hidden amongst the foliage.

My heart did break over the futility of the emotional connection between Etienne and Sylvienne. Etienne was my favorite character and I was in the edge of my seat with the climactic finale of the book. The ending leaves some unanswered questions but the beauty of that to readers is they may complete those questions with their own answers.

If historical fiction interests you, Courting the Sun is an addition to your reading list. The book is suffused with sumptuousness, splendor, and suspense. It is a tantalizing treat for readers who share a passion for French history, culture and drama. Readers will become addicted to the excesses of the Sun King’s court and perhaps glean a bit of insight into the long-term causes of the French Revolution that erupted a century later.