The King's Command: For God or Country

by Rosemary Hayes

'An absorbing tale told with sensitivity. The forgotten struggles of Huguenot refugees come to moving, heartrending life.' Steven Veerapen, author of A Dangerous Trade

16 year old Lidie Brunier has everything; looks, wealth, health and a charming suitor, but there are dark clouds on the horizon.

Lidie and her family are committed Huguenots and Louis XIV has sworn to stamp out this ‘false religion’ and make France a wholly Catholic country.

Gradually Lidie’s comfortable life starts to disintegrate as Huguenots are stripped of all rights and the King sends his brutal soldiers into their homes to force them to become Catholics.

Others around her break under pressure but Lidie and her family refuse to convert.

With spies everywhere and the ever present threat of violence, they struggle on.

Then a shocking betrayal forces Lidie’s hand and her only option is to try and flee the country.

A decision that brings unimaginable hardship, terror and tragedy and changes her life for ever.

Rosemary Hayes has written over forty books across different genres, from historical fiction to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books.

Praise for Rosemary
‘One of the very best historical novels I have ever read’. Sandra Robinson, Huguenot Ancestry Expert

367 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 2023

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Rosemary Hayes was brought up and educated in the UK but has also lived in France, America and Australia. She has written over fifty books for children many of which have won, or been shortlisted for awards and several translated into different languages. She has recently turned her hand to writing historical fiction for adults, and the first in this genre, the award winning 'The King's Command' is about the terror and tragedy of a Huguenot family living in Louis XIV's France. The second, 'Traitor's Game' is the first in the trilogy 'Soldier Spy' and follows the exploits of Will Fraser, disgraced soldier, lover and reluctant spy, during the Napoleonic Wars. For many years Rosemary was a reader for a well known Authors’ Advisory Service; she now runs creative writing courses and workshops for adults.
To find out more about Rosemary or to order her books, visit her website www.rosemaryhayes.co.uk
Follow her on Facebook and X @HayesRosemary

Reviews

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Men’s morals are easily turned by the offer of money.”

The Edict of Nantes had put an end to The French Wars of Religion and the Huguenot population now lived in a welcomed peace. Their loyalty to the French crown was unquestionable. In peace, everyone prospered.

But alas, the Sun King, Louis XIV, was a devoted Catholic. On October 18th 1685 he revoked the Edict of Nantes his grandfather had signed. Under Louis’ command, Huguenot clergy were expelled, and their churches destroyed. Huguenots were forbidden to assemble and their marriages would be considered null and void. Baptism and Catholic education would be compulsory for every child.

Under this decree, the Huguenots were left with very little choice. Did they renounce their religion and fall into line, or did they dare to risk the wrath of their unforgiving king by staying true to their faith?

The King’s Command: For God or Country by Rosemary Hayes is the unforgettable story of the Brunier family—a family torn apart by the edicts of a king, but brought together by their love for God and family.

I was correct in thinking that this book would be an emotional read. It was fortunate that I had tissues at hand, as many times I found myself reaching for them. But once I started reading this novel, it became impossible to put down. The story is compelling and the characters are drawn with a tangible realism.

This novel opens with a sweet sixteen birthday party for Lidie Brunier. Lidie comes from a wealthy family whose future is seemingly a bright one. She enjoys the luxuries of life, especially the latest silks, and is hoping to find the kind of love her mother had for her father before his untimely end. However, there is a dark cloud on the horizon that threatens to destroy everything that Lidie has ever loved. At the opening of this novel, she is a young girl filled with dreams. By the end, she has wisdom beyond her years and has suffered unimaginable hardship. I thought Lidie’s depiction was sublime, and she was a character that I came to care about. Through Lidie, Hayes has depicted the horrors the Huguenots had to face, but at the same time, Lidie is an incredibly brave heroine and one I could not help but admire.

Another character that I enjoyed reading about was Doctor Isaac Verdier. Isaac is a practising physician, a scholar, and a somewhat progressive thinker when it comes to medicine. However, he is a Huguenot, a follower of Calvin, and under no circumstances will he renounce his faith. I thought Isaac’s character was endlessly fascinating. He is a man of principle, but he is also a passionate doctor and a loyal friend. I thought his depiction was fabulous, and I enjoyed reading about him. Likewise, Isaac’s son, Samuel, was also a character that piqued my interest. A scholar like his father, Samuel has an intelligent wit, but he can also be reckless which at times gave a very desperate edge to the story.

The King of France is the antagonist in this story, and although he’s absent in this novel, his decrees are felt by everyone. Hayes’ readers are provided with a clear depiction of the Huguenot persecution, resulting in several distressing and harrowing scenes. This novel doesn’t gloss over the violence towards the Huguenots, but it is about so much more than the persecution they faced. It is primarily about the Brunier family’s experiences in a dangerous and constantly changing world. The Brunier family was portrayed wonderfully and I became emotionally invested in them.

Despite the heartache and the terror, the most common theme in this novel is that love and compassion are the most important qualities one can possess, and the characters in this book demonstrate these qualities consistently. Even when they disagree, the Brunier family always takes care of each other, and I thought their relationships with each other were both fascinating and poignant.

The enthralling narrative by Hayes is a testament to the hours spent researching this period of history. Hayes has an intuitive grasp of what makes history worth reading, and she is the perfect guide to take readers back to a traumatic and dangerous past for those who followed Calvin’s teachings.

What distinguishes Hayes’ book from others on a crowded bookcase is her novelist eye for human detail. The pages of this book offer a glimpse into humanity’s finest and darkest moments. While the Dragonnades terrorise the Huguenot population to such an extent that many renounce their faith and fall in line with the wants of their king, others are determined to hold onto their faith no matter what the consequences. The King’s Command is a very heartrending story that promises to leave a lasting impression on all who read it.

The King’s Command: For God or Country by Rosemary Hayes’ is impressive and brilliant in equal measure. Historical Fiction enthusiasts who appreciate quality writing and an engaging narrative need to put this book on their to-read list. It is a novel not to be missed.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club

[Helen Hollick · Rating 5 out of 5]

We start by meeting the 'heroine', sixteen-year-old Lidie Brunier on her birthday. She is from a wealthy family, seemingly has everything and is delighted with her new (expensive) silk dress. Equally, she is delighted by the prospect of her birthday party held at a best friend and neighbour's house, and although a little dubious on learning that there will be some strangers present she soon changes her mind, especially when she meets young Samuel. And... I wasn't sure if this novel was quite for me. A young girl, somewhat spoiled because she seems to have it all, but then things start to happen and the horror of the events of history start to unfold.

I think, had this been a purely fictional novel, depicting purely fictional events it might have passed me by as an over-dramatised Tv soap-type story - but although, yes, it is fiction it is firmly based on very real events and in this instance, very real people - the author's Huguenot ancestors. And that reality makes all the difference, for these people might have started out as seemingly rich and spoiled but it soon becomes apparent that Lidie especially is to develop into a strong, brave and competent woman.

This was not an easy read because of that reality. Throughout, I was reminded of the horrors of the Jewish holocaust, where because of intense prejudice (in this case Catholic against Protestant) people, ordinary people in their thousands, suffered terribly.

The author's research and details are to be applauded, (although perhaps in a few instances there was slightly too much detail, which slowed some scenes a little - but this is a minor personal opinion.) I especially liked Isaac, the doctor. What a wonderful character!

I knew of the Huguenots of course, and that they were persecuted by command of the French king, Louis XIV, and that many of them fled to England and elsewhere, but I didn't know just how horrifically the were treated because of religious bigotry.

What I particularly enjoyed (although enjoy isn't quite the right word!) is not knowing how the secondary characters were going to do or react. Lidie herself, we knew 'escaped' (although not how or through what circumstances) but what of her friends, family and the servants? Were they to flee, did they endure, did they convert? Did they survive - or did they betray the others? Naturally, I cannot tell you here, for that would spoil the entire novel.

Read it, you'll not regret it - but have a box of tissues to hand.

[Adriana Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The King’s Command, author Rosemary Hayes has brought us a thoroughly researched and detailed account of life for one Huguenot family in southwestern France. Her story opens in 1680, some five years before King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and required all protestants to convert to Catholicism: “One king, one country, one religion.” That the family are her direct ancestors and she has been able to visit the French town where they lived has added greatly to the richness and veracity of her fictionalized account.

I especially appreciated the author’s careful parsing of each step of the transition from respected freely worshipping tradesmen and professionals to a persecuted minority with no rights to property, profession, freedom of religion, or even life itself that took place in France over the decade of the 1680s and beyond.

The persecution and exodus were not a single event, although the crisis peaked in 1685. By opening her novel five years earlier, the author has succeeded in conveying not only the gradual escalation of attacks and curtailment of rights that preceded the revocation, but also how news traveled, how families learned what was happening to others like them, how they first attempted to protect themselves and their assets, and how they began to consider whether to stay or flee. The peril and travails of her family in their escape is a story shared by thousands, many of whom did not make it.

The novel is well written, engaging, and rich with accurate historical detail. I found it easy to imagine my own ancestors, likely in a different region of France, gradually learning and observing those same changes and weighing their options as the depredations and the dangers increased and came closer to home. A highly recommended read.

[Elizabeth BARBER]

Lidie's story starts off at a gentle pace, taking us into to her privileged lifestyle where it seems nothing will change. But there are dark clouds on the horizon, and elements of foreshadowing creep into the narrative. Soon Lidie's world is torn apart and we learn the fate of the Huguenots in France if they don't escape. I read this book quickly because I didn't want to put it down.
Excellent writing for this children's novelist, venturing with great success, into adult historical fiction. I look forward to her next book.

[Jana Biesecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated learning more about the persecution of the Huguenots, especially knowing the story was based on the author’s own family history. Some parts felt a little repetitive, but I came away knowing much more about a period of history I knew very little about. For me, the historical aspect was definitely the book's strength.

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a poignant book this is! We are drawn into the lives of skilled, god-fearing, hard-working Hugenot families who suddenly fall foul of the Catholic king. Throughout France, temples are razed, torture threatened, livelihoods destroyed and Protestants are force to convert or flee.
It is so easy to see parallels with the current migrant crisis. Yet we learn that perhaps a sixth of the English population have Huguenot blood. They were our ancestors and enriched English society.
This nicely composed novel gave me a lot of food for thought.