Émilie's Voice

by Susanne Dunlap

Set against the backdrop of Paris and the court of Versailles, Émilie's Voice introduces a young heroine of modest upbringing who possesses a special gift: the voice of an angel. When distinguished composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier hears Émilie's voice, he offers to instruct her in the art of singing with the ultimate goal of presenting her at the court of Louis XIV. Her head filled with dreams of elegant gowns, opulent jewels, and the thrill of someday performing in the great houses of Paris, she begins her training -- until a scheming noblewoman looking to unseat the king's official mistress interferes by preemptively bringing Émilie to Versailles.

There, amid royal pomp and splendor, she is swept up in dangerous palatial intrigues, becoming a pawn in aristocratic power games. But it is the passionate battle for control over her life and career waged between Charpentier and Louis XIV's official court composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully, that has far-reaching consequences for a girl on the verge of becoming a woman and a singer on the verge of becoming extraordinary.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Music, Historical, Romance, Young Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Susanne Dunlap is the author of more than a dozen historical novels for adults and teens. Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn, Northampton, MA, and now Biddeford, ME. Her love of historical fiction arose partly from her PhD research at Yale.

Susanne is also an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach in fiction and nonfiction, specializing in coaching historical fiction and historical nonfiction.

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Those who wish to sing, will always find a song.”

Setting:Paris and Versailles, France; 1676

Coverly Love?:No. Sure, it does look vaguely historical, but I would have loved to see more of the face, of you know what I mean.

Plot:

”’Poor child, you really are naïve. Don’t you know what power you wield? All that beauty, and that voice as well. You could have anything you wanted.”

Émilie Jolicoeur has the voice of an angel that makes the hardest of hearts melt and inspires awe for those who hear her. The lowly daughter of a violin maker, few are privileged to hear her beautiful voice. That is, until the day Marc-Antoine Charpentier happens to be passing by her father’s workshop. Immediately smitten with her voice, he offers to take up her education, particularly to help her advance her singing skills so he can then fulfill his ultimate goal; present her to King Louis XIV at Versailles. The fates aren’t so kind to these two, however. Powerful people at Versailles have themselves heard of the girl with the angelic voice, and they want her for themselves. Before long, a series of events are set in motion that winds up with Émilie being swept up in the court of Versailles, separated from Charpentier, and one woman plotting her revenge at the girl she thinks is the cause of her downfall. Will Émilie’s voice be enough to save herself?

Think of this book as a much shorter, more readable version of Les Misérables, set before the French Revolution. Set among the delicious court intrigue of 17th century Paris (Big wigs! Fabulous jewels! Spending excess amounts of cash! But no Marie Antoinette), this book is a good look at just how dangerous it is to be naïve in a place such as Versailles. I thought this book would be just another dragging historical novel, and I almost was tempted to remove it from my TBR. I’m glad I didn’t though, because it was intoxicatingly good! All the scandal, mischief and mayhem of the pre-French Revolutionary court is in full swing, and you’ll want to go out and buy a fancy French dress yourself! This book will also appeal to classical musical lovers (or just music lovers in general).

Characters:

”It was a wonderful, frightening thought, to do something so completely different from anything she could possibly have imagined. And yet she knew that she wanted it, more than she had ever wanted anything before.”

Poor little Émilie. She’s so naïve to the ways of the adult world, you just want to stick her into a “Here’s How to See Past Adult Manipulation 101” class. She’s honestly toyed around with like a puppet by so many people you’re amazed you can’t see the strings holding her up. Émilie’s a sweetheart with a kind heart, but she’s woefully unaware of just how manipulative she can be. In spite of her naiveté, I liked her. It was almost, as I read the passages, I could hear her sing. So either I’m hallucinating or my musical genes are kicking in a little too well.

”Monsieur Charpentier kept his eyes closed while he sang. He faced away from the nave, toward the altar. The voice that blended with his came from behind him, and washed over him, finding its way into his body, awakening his deepest memories. Time seemed to disappear. The union was perfect.”

Honestly, this guy was probably the blandest out of all the characters. Sure, he’s a great composer and an all-around nice guy, but he fell a little flat for me.

”She had a way of speaking that made her seem very intimate, and yet wholly separate from the world. There was something in the tone of her voice and the expression on her face that conveyed great humility and boundless pride at the same moment.”

Madame de Maintenon, aka the King’s Mistress, is like the puppet master in this whole charade. Her motives for wanting Émilie are as complicated as finding your way through the garden maze at Versailles. If she can get Émilie to do her bidding, her hold on the king will be absolute. And yet she’s not entirely coldhearted and Machiavellian. She does have her own motivations, and to be quite frank, she holds well on her own. I also have to give her props for putting up with that horrible nephew of hers. Ugh!

”Rather than try to vindicate herself, she would redirect her energies toward another goal: revenge on Émilie and Charpentier, the two people she held responsible for her downfall.”

Think of Sophie as a cross between Fantine (though without the kid), and Miss Havishim (SHE WILL HAVE HER REVENGE!!). See, she feels that Émilie is to blame for her losing her job, being thrown onto the streets, and forcing her to become a prostitute all because Sophie was being a good little maid and “borrowed” a pair of slippers from Madame de Maintenon. Well, those slippers never made it back (cause they got seriously waterlogged), leading to backstabbing maids and… you know how the rest goes. Honestly, Sophie is a complicated character. For the first half of the book, you’re going to hate her guts and think she’s extremely immature for her seemingly petty hatred of Émilie. But she does something at the end of the novel that makes her redeemable to the reader. Just be prepared to intensely dislike her for a long while before it happens!

Pros:If you love watching scandalous historical TV shows a la The Borgias and Salem, you’ll probably enjoy this book. The lush descriptions will also make you dream of Paris and when you can go (and you totally should. Paris is beautiful.)

Cons:There weren’t any specific causes that I can think of at the moment. This was highly enjoyable to read!

Love Triangle?:Nope!

Instalove?:Nope!

A Little Romance?:

”Émilie wanted to give him the answer she knew he was looking for. But somehow, just then, she could not. It would have been so simple, just to say those three words, to surrender herself completely to the idea that they would never be separated again, that her soul was bound to his for all eternity, but something held her back.”

Émilie and Charpentier’s romance is somewhat complicated. In other words, I couldn’t decide whether or not they fell in love with each other’s talents, or each other as people. To me, it seemed like Émilie doesn’t really love Charpentier at first, but over time, their relationship grows into something genuinely sweet.

Conclusion: It’s about one girls’ triumphs and tragedies. How ambition and revenge can be the downfall of us all. And how we must question how far are we willing to go to seek that ambition. Highly recommended for a transportive read!!

[Cindy Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because it was on clearance at the bookstore, because it was a historical novel (which I love) and because it was about singing (which I also love). It's the story of a young girl in France with an amazing voice and how that changes her life. The first 9/10ths of the book were very interesting. I love learning how people lived in different time periods. There was a lot about the royal court at Versailles during the reign of King Louis the XIV. But the ending royally sucked. I don't think I've ever been so dissapointed after reading a book before. It made me wish I hadn't read it at all.

[Jac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of everything, the setting was the best. I was not a fan of the first half of this book at all and the ending left me in tears. Charpentier was the only character who's emotions were poured out. Sophie was a revenge-happy whore, Emilie was as naive as they come, Lully was the worst secret-keeper the world has ever known, St. Paul was a glorified beggar, and Madeline (the protagonist's own mother) was appalling (not to mention selfish and materialistic)!

Everything that could have possibly gone wrong in this book did. Several times, I just had to put the book down because it no longer held my attention. A day or two later, I would force myself to pick it back up only to be enthralled for ten or so pages before setting it down again.

It was obvious the author knew music, history, not to mention a thorough combination of the two. All in all, this book just left me wanting more!

Emilie could not have screwed anything up more than she did in this book. I also thought her decision in the end was selfish and the one thing that shocked me was the King's generosity towards Charpentier. So without giving spoilers, that is the most I can say but know this, if you persevere it is not a totally abhorrent book. Sure the ending is not one I would have chosen and the characters are miserable but...

I'm sorry, I can't even convince myself that this book was worth my time. I take it back; don't read this book unless it's the last one on your shelf and your are snowed in without electricity. Its tough to get through and probably not worth the effort it takes to get cover to cover (which is truly a shame).

All in all, I wish Dunlap had provided a better finished product than she did but what can I say, it was her first novel (and she can only go up from here)!

I will probably be reading more of Dunlap's work if I have the spare time because I have such high hopes for her but if the next book is just as bad, I would probably have to recommend a career change. Perhaps a music historian should stick to music history and leave writing to those who have been gifted with the talent!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only a person with outstanding knowledge of music, music history, and 17th century Paris could write a historical saga as entertaining and totally engrossing as Ms. Dunlap's EMILIE'S VOICE. Dunlap, the Director of Development for the Connecticut Opera, holds a PhD in Music History from Yale University. Her many years of teaching, writing about, and working in the world of music and opera have lent their unique voice to this superb debut novel.

By 1675, at the royal court of Versailles a few miles outside of Paris, Louis XIV ruled with a heavy hand. Versailles had become one of his most prized courts to sit, and although he rarely visited the city of Paris itself, the noblemen, courtier's, and men of wit and wisdom that graced the halls of the court of Versailles provided him with constant entertainment.

For Emilie, a young girl on the cusp of adulthood, having the voice of an angel has brought her to the attention of renowned composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. A childhood friend of Louis XIV, Charpentier takes Emilie under his wing-determined, at all costs, to train her to become the most wonderful of courtiers at Louis' court at Versailles. But danger comes in many forms, and Charpentier's conniving schemes to keep Emilie from the control of rival Jean-Baptiste Lully, the official court composer, creates undue strain upon Emilie. And when a noblewoman hoping to usurp the king's mistress brings Emilie to court before she's ready, everyone involved has something to lose.

EMILIE'S VOICE is a wonderful, richly engaging book of power, betrayal, music, mayhem, and, above all, Emilie's wish to have control of her own life. For a girl who wants only to sing, that desire has brought more trouble than pleasure. It seems that everyone has a hidden agenda for Emilie and her angelic voice-but what of Emilie's own needs and desires?

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author captures the politics and intrigue of the court of Versailles in the days of Louis XIV - the hangers-on and their greed in climbing the social ladder, giving no thought (or perhaps no care) as to how their actions will affect the people around them. Emilie's voice becomes the pawn in the game. The story feels somewhat contrived and the characters almost stereotypical, but the reader does get a good sense of the streets of 17th century Paris and the opulence of Versailles as well as the music of the day.

Author Susanne Dunlap has a Ph.D. in music history, and her background and expertise are in strong evidence in her telling of the story. Several of the characters in Emilie's Voice are real figures in history. It is interesting to see how the persons relate to each other in the story - composers Lully and Charpentier as well as Madame de Maintenton and Madame de Montespan and in a lesser sense Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche. But then, she always seemed to be in the lesser role.

[Stacy-ann]

Didn't like it at all, inappropriate for me to read in my opinion. I sopped reading as soon as one of the female characters gives herself up to prostitution, and adequate description to boot. That isn't my kind of historical fiction, sorry.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a girls life that was typical of France where she tried to give her life direction but had little affect. I imagine that she was a wonderful singer that I would have enjoyed hearing.

[Jane Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great story premise. In the hands of someone like Tracey Chevalier, this likely would have been a great book. As it was, it fell flat most of the time.

[Mary Flaum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not really a fan of this book, I felt like the character development was lacking. I would not recommend it

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paris Versailles and Opera ROmance it has some wonderful elements

[Dawn pizzalato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Terrific from page 1 until the very last page. The ending takes your breath away

[Emily H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kept my attention, and I enjoyed the history and court intrigues, but the ending was not satisfying, and the heroine was one-dimensional.

[Katy Wegner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this tedious. I wasn't interested in the character of Emilie very much. She felt one-dimensional. I didn't care about what happened. It was an annoying book.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Erin Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well researched and very interesting. The author describes music and the singing voice so well I could almost hear it. I was a bit surprised by the end - not our typical cookie cutter happy ending, but I can see how this might have been more plausible in that particular day and age where women virtually had no rights at all, even royalty.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was terribly disappointed in this novel. It had such wonderful potential - set during the era of Louis XIV, the main character is a young girl with a beautiful voice and prodigious musical talent, Lully and Charpentier are also important characters, court intrigue, etc. Plus, the author has a PhD in music history from Yale. Yet Dunlap takes advantage of none of the huge potential in her story. Emilie turns out to be innocent and guileless to the point of being spineless. The plot has some twists that stretch the limits of plausibility. And worst of all, for a novel about musicians written by a musician, music is given a suprisingly subordinate role. Dunlap fails to offer any insights into the position and meaning of music at the French court of Louis XIV. She doesn't even give a lot of attention to Emilie's musical training, or her relationship with music.

[Alethea · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEST PARTS:
The truthfulness of the historical detail, the beauty of the title characters naivete, the sweetness of her romance with the composer Charpentier. Their entire relationship was like a lovely melody throughout the novel.

WORST PARTS:
The sometimes predictable lows to which the "rake" character would stoop, the king's mistress would stoop. They were, however, cunning in ways the reader can't entirely imagine. However, I never quite got the plot that in a twisted way focused on religion and the king. Not a very well hashed-out backstory.

REVIEW:
I thought, overall, it was a wonderfully innocent novel that had an ending which was unexpectedly bittersweet. Charpentier and Emilie are cruelly separated in a way that is all too truthful for that era in which women were so objectified and dismissed.

[Madeleine · Rating 1 out of 5]

What starts out as an interesting premise and setting quickly turns into a predictable, sour story where the characters don't change and act like complete idiots. I found myself despising the main character for being such an absolute moron and bungling every situation. The motivations are unclear for most characters and the predictable plot moves so quickly that it doesn't even take advantage of the whimsical setting available. This book has no idea what it wants to be - is it a romance? Is it suspense? There's little of both and the ending is so dull and uninspired that I actually threw the book across the room. Dreck.

[Cathy Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed. Have read other books by Susanne Dunlap and enjoyed them, but perhaps this book fails because it is a first effort. I am a fast reader, but it took me a week to read this thin novel. I think she got too tied to history which made the names and locations confusing for someone who didn't study French. Also, I found the author's comments in the included interview annoying and not at all how I read the story. If that was what she thought the ending proved, she failed as a writer.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book off the street mostly cause it had two of the things I love: music and French people ;)

The story was intriguing right from the beginning, although the peak of the story seemed to have come too early in the book. After such a big event, I felt like the book seemed to just wane. Then again, the fact that the thrilling parts were in the middle of the book sort of made it seem a bit more like real life.

Warning: If you're looking for a happy ending, you may not want to read this :P

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book, very easy read. It follows a young girl with a beautiful voice who is discovered by an influential musician. This musician hears her sing while picking up a violin, Emilie's father has made for him. He takes her away and teaches her all that's right with song. He falls in love with her. But soon she is whisked away to the French Court of Francis and yadd, yadda, yadda...it's a good book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at random at my local used book store. I really enjoyed much of it. It had romance, intrigue, and betrayal. The characters were developed pretty well and it flowed nicely. My only complaint is that it didn't really end as happily as I would have liked. I always like a happy ending. There also seemed to be some loose ends with Sophie and Emilie's parents. I don't remember reading what happened to them.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very light read, and unfortunately the substance of the book didn't match the surface appearance. But, I did enjoy the historical backdrop of Versailles and the music of that era. The author's knowledge of music history is apparent (she has a PhD from Yale) and I appreciated it, I just think there are better written novels out there.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I paid $1 for this book and a bookstore in SoHo. I got what I paid for. Fluff at the beginning, all the characters are frustrating by the end.

[Susan Scola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the historical context romance and suspense.

[Junnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining but not too original... I'm almost embarrassed that I read this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Susann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Contrived plot with weak character motivations. A quick enough read that I was willing to finish it, but not something I would recommend. Received in 8/08 BT book exchange in Ashland, OR.

[Roze the emo-ish girl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm more than half-way through...I liked it at the beginning...but it slowly started to suck a little...-sigh- thought I like the concept and all, too predictable for my taste...

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

I liked part of it, I thought the ending was terrible though.