It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome author,Jules Larimore, onto The Whispering Bookworm.
Separated by miles, connected by the stars, two healers forge their destinies in a quest for a brighter tomorrow.
Inspired by a true story, this refugee's tale of sacrifice, separation, and abiding love unfolds in the Cévennes Mountains of Languedoc, France, 1697. A sweeping adventure during the time of Louis XIV's oppressive rule and persecutions, this compelling narrative follows the intertwined destinies of two remarkable protagonists, Amelia Auvrey, a mystic holy-woman healer, and Jehan BonDurant, an apothecary from a noble Huguenot family, in a riveting tale of enduring love, faith, and the search for light in the darkest of times.
Amelia and Jehan are fierce champions of tolerance and compassion in their cherished Cévenole homeland, a region plagued by renewed persecution of Huguenots. The escalated danger forces their paths to diverge, each embarking on their own dangerous journey toward survival and freedom. The Knights Hospitaller provide protection and refuge for Amelia and her ailing sage-femme grandmother, even as they come under suspicion of practicing witchcraft. And, to avoid entanglement in a brewing rebellion, Jehan joins a troupe of refugees who flee to the Swiss Cantons seeking sanctuary—a journey that challenges his faith and perseverance. Jehan arrives to find things are not as he expected; the Swiss have their own form of intolerance, and soon immigrants are no longer welcome. The utopian Eden he seeks remains elusive until he learns of a resettlement project in the New World.
During their time apart, Amelia and Jehan rely on a network of booksellers to smuggle secret letters to each other—until the letters mysteriously cease, casting doubt on their future together. Jehan is unclear if Amelia will commit to joining him, or if she will hold fast to her vow of celibacy and remain in the Cévennes. Seemingly ill-fated from the start, their love is tested to its limits as they are forced to navigate a world where uncertainty and fear threaten to eclipse their unwavering bond.
As a stand-alone sequel to the award-winning The Muse of Freedom, a bestseller in Renaissance Fiction, Find Me in the Stars is based on true events in the life of Jean Pierre Bondurant dit Cougoussac--an unforgettable adventure where love and light endure against all odds.
Book Title: Find Me in the Stars
Series: a Cévenoles Sagas novel - Book Two in the Huguenot Trilogy
Author: Jules Larimore
Publication Date: March 20th, 2024
Publisher: Mystic Lore Books
Page Length: 328
Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction / Women’s Fiction
Join me in a cosy chat with author, Jules Larimore.
What inspired you to start writing?
For over fifteen years, I’ve written narrative nonfiction articles for blogs and magazines. A previous career in marketing also offered an outlet for creative writing where I promoted brands by romancing them with mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life. But the idea to write historical fiction started forming over twenty years ago when my uncle presented our family genealogy showing we descended from Jean Pierre Bondurant dit Cougoussac—my 8th great grandfather—a French Huguenot ancestor from a minor noble family.
I've always loved studying history and reading historical fiction, and felt a calling to write Jean Pierre Bondurant’s (Jehan in the novel) story. His motivation to give up the estate he had inherited and flee the country always intrigued me, and I knew there were many sides during this divisive period that needed to find a voice. Once I dove into the research, I became utterly fascinated with this overlooked period in the late 17th century.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Since most of the primary source documents and many of the scholarly papers I used for research are in other languages—French, German, Dutch—they had to be translated. If it were not for the translation programs now available, I’m not certain I could have completed enough research to have developed this novel properly.
But the most challenging aspect of writing this particular book was writing the death scene of my female protagonist’s grandmother. I used elements of my mother’s passing to create feelings and reactions for both my protagonist, Amelia, and her grandmother, Menina Elise. Like an actor, I tapped into my own emotional experience—into the pain, the regret, the gratitude, the surrender.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Of course, the male protagonist, Jehan, does since he is a blood relative. But the fictional Amelia is also very dear to me. She embodies so many of the values that are of importance to me. She is the evolved, compassionate soul I aspire to be, though I doubt I will ever completely achieve that in my lifetime.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
Either the Italian actor, Giulio Berruti, or Henry Cavill would have been wonderful for Jehan when they were younger. I envisioned Lily Collins as Amelia for her portrayal in Les Miserables. Vasiliy Stepanov could play Stéphane, the guide. Luke Eisner or model Ton Heukels could be good in the role of Cavalier. Judy Dench would make a great Menina Elise.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I hope that readers will have a better understanding of who the Huguenots from the Cévennes were and that they will hold a place in their hearts for people who have struggled to escape persecution or oppression of any sort -- past and present.
Buy this Book
Jules Larimore is the author of emotive, literary-leaning historical fiction with a dose of magic, myth, and romance to bring to life hopeful human stories and inspire positive change. She is a member of France’s Splendid Centuries authors’ collaborative, a board member of the Historical Novel Society of Southern California, and lives primarily in Ojai with time spent around the U.S. and Europe gathering a rich repository of historical research in a continued search for authenticity.
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Thank you so much for featuring Jules Larimore today.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club