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Annette Vallon

Set on the brink of the French Revolution, this lavishly written historical novel takes as its basis the relationship between William Wordsworth and an upper-crust young Frenchwoman named Annette Vallon. The pair meet when Annette is 22 years old and fall deeply in love, settling in the Loire Valley but never marrying. Annette serves as the inspiration for some of the poet's best work, and she eventually bears him a daughter. When the revolution threatens, Wordsworth—viewed with suspicion because he is a foreigner—flees France with Annette's help. The two carry on a long correspondence, and Wordsworth returns later to see their daughter, Caroline, in spite of the fact that he is engaged to a woman in England. After her father dies, Annette finds herself with no financial prospects. As she evolves from a pampered, well-to-do girl into a woman of principles and integrity, she finds her mission in life—to help her fellow countrymen endure in spite of the turmoil that has shaken France to its very foundations. Tipton has a doctorate in English, yet his writing is anything but academic. His lyrical prose style and flair for precise detail make this novel an appealing mix of history and fiction.

A reading group guide is available online at harpercollins.com.