The Virgin Blue

Set in France, The Virgin Blue revolves around 2 protagonists – Ella Turner and her ancestor Isabel du Moulin or Isabel Tournier. Ella Turner is excited to settle in France and to the amusement of her husband, she embarks on a project to reconnect with her French relations. However, she begins to dream about the color blue, the shade worn by the virgin Mary.. In a parallel universe i.e. 16th century France, Isabel du Moulin or La Rousse is forced to give up her religion and marry the local bully Etienne Tournier, one of the descendants of the Huguenots clan. Its a tumultuous period as a wave of religious persecutions sweep across the country. The story switches between past and present like a pendulum clock showcasing Ella and Isabel’s lives, their personalities and similarities in their situations.

Chevalier’s meticulous research and knowledge of the old world shine through her articulate sketch of Isabel’s life, as she transports her readers instantly transported to France and to Isabel’s side, watching her go about her daily duties from the bylines. Turns out that the author’s inspiration came from her own family history – Tracy Chevalier is a descendant of the French Huguenots of the Cevennes region. She drew inspiration from her sister’s move to France, as represented by Ella Turner’s relocation. What followed is Chevalier’s own adventure which contributed the bulk of content for this book.

While the story’s backdrop is an amalgamation of many events that occurred in the 16th century France, the most noteworthy are: The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. There is one another aspect that is subtly described through Isabel’s life, that of the Human sacrifice…the later part of the story does constantly refer to the hearth of the house often throwing sinister hints of what lies beneath the hearth. More info can be found on the author’s website. Another theme that is a constant in the current fiction is that of relationships – marriage, adultery or finding love again. Having come across this theme in quite a number of books this year, I couldn’t help being annoyed by Ella’s demeanor at times probably when it came to the disastrous turn her relationship takes. As for Isabel, she could’ve chosen to reject the Tourniers or even flee from them but it doesn’t appear to be so. Instead she appears to have adhered to the family principles and suffered both mentally and physically for her choices. Again Chevalier has portrayed 2 extremities of the spectrum – A woman with a loving husband chooses a rustic life in France with a French dude whereas her ancestor chooses a life of fear, unhappiness and despair in order not to retain the sanctity of her marriage.

Setting aside these facts, I can only say that this book was a fast paced read for I completed it in a day. The Virgin Blue is well worth adding to your library for its unique blend of history and fiction not to mention a powerful story.