Ribbons of Scarlet

A Novel of the French Revolution's Women

By: Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb

Narrated by: Marisa Calin, Lisa Flanagan, Barrie Kreinik, Saskia Maarleveld, Cassandra Campbell, Lauren Ezzo

Length: 16 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

Six best-selling and award-winning authors bring to life a breathtaking epic novel illuminating the hopes, desires, and destinies of princesses and peasants, harlots and wives, fanatics and philosophers - six unforgettable women whose paths cross during one of the most tumultuous and transformative events in history: the French Revolution.

Ribbons of Scarlet is a timely story of the power of women to start a revolution - and change the world.

In late 18th-century France, women do not have a place in politics. But as the tide of revolution rises, women from gilded salons to the streets of Paris decide otherwise - upending a world order that has long oppressed them.

Blue-blooded Sophie de Grouchy believes in democracy, education, and equal rights for women and marries the only man in Paris who agrees. Emboldened to fight the injustices of King Louis XVI, Sophie aims to prove that an educated populace can govern itself - but one of her students, fruit-seller Louise Audu, is hungrier for bread and vengeance than learning. When the Bastille falls and Louise leads a women’s march to Versailles, the monarchy is forced to bend, but not without a fight. The king’s pious sister, Princess Elisabeth, takes a stand to defend her brother, spirit her family to safety, and restore the old order, even at the risk of her head.

But when fanatics use the newspapers to twist the revolution’s ideals into a new tyranny, even the women who toppled the monarchy are threatened by the guillotine. Putting her faith in the pen, brilliant political wife Manon Roland tries to write a way out of France’s blood-soaked Reign of Terror while pike-bearing Pauline Leon and steely Charlotte Corday embrace violence as the only way to save the nation. With justice corrupted by revenge, all the women must make impossible choices to survive - unless unlikely heroine and courtesan’s daughter Emilie de Sainte-Amaranthe can sway the man who controls France’s fate: the fearsome Robespierre.

©2019 Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Ribbons of Scarlet

If I could give this book 10 Stars, I would! I was nervous at first that I may not like it, but once it started, I was pulled in. Through the narrator talents, it was so easy to see and experience these women's lives, hopes, dreams, and fears as they moved through the devastation of the French Revolution. I really appreciate having this book to read as a reminder of the struggles of women as they fought for equality. The same equality some use today, not knowing or caring how it was obtained. This is an excellent reminder of how easily people become corrupted by their perceived power. Much in this book could be applicable to tears of our society today. This is a very touching group of stories by some excellent authors. My advice is to have a tissue box close by. The reality of it may evoke tears.

Great stories, great narration.

I knew very little about the French Revolution going into this. I loved learning the characters and being able to research their lives. This is a fabulous story of intertwined characters looking at revolution from different perspectives. Historical fiction at it’s best!

To my fellow listeners, please don’t post spoilers in your reviews. We aren’t all historians.

Charles Dickens does this better.

The writing is over wrought with frivolous descriptions such as He was angry down his taunt muscles body ... ugh

Incredible

The narration, the writing, the history, the story...all carried out so incredibly well. It has the perfect amount of relatability so that regardless of whose point of view the story is in at the time, a connection to the character is made. I absolutely will recommend this book to everybody.

I ordered the physical copy after listening so I could take in all the French names that my brain doesn’t naturally pick up so if you have the same issue, that may be a good idea.

Women of the French Revolution

At times, struggled to understand. So many names to keep straight, but I now have a better understanding of this time in France

The French Revolution you go girls

1) all authors were amazing, the weaving the story together Was what made the French Revolution come alive.
2) knowing how Stephanie Dray puts into her work, i have found new authors to follow and read.
3). *spoiler* Were French really that dense?

Powerful story

I’m not good at writing but this book makes me want to try to tell you how amazing it was. I truly felt I was climbing the steps of the guoteen with Emily. I’m still reeling inside over the emotions that these women have evoked. This is a must read/listen!

I almost gave up listening to it

The performance of the chapter number 1 was extremely disturbing. It was so unpleasant to listen to it that I almost gave up on the book.
The rest of the book was awesome.

Narrator: Calm down please.

The writing is fantastic but I had to struggle with some of the narration that obfuscated the beauty of the writing with overly dramatic readings. I get that some of the characters are (and are entitled to be) histrionic but I don’t really want to listen to the hysteria in the narrator’s much too loud voice. The rest of the narrators were great though. Also, regarding the same narrator mentioned, shouldn’t a narrator in a book about the French Revolution know how to pronounce French words and be able to affect a French accent? One of the male French characters had a German accent.

struggled to finish.

Listening to this one demands a love for dramatic, sappy narration. just not for me.

Not my thing thanks to the narration

I couldn’t get on with the narration at all. I accept it’s hypocritical because I’m comfortable with British voices pretending to be residents of half the world but such a European story in an American accent was too distracting.