The Revolution of Sabine

It's 1776 in Paris, France, and while it isn't America, there is still discussion of the American Revolution. There is especially a lot of talk about Benjamin Franklin, the revolutionary American who is coming to visit Paris. All of the socially elite are planning parties in honor of his visit, and it is crucial that they are all perfect. Sabine Durand's mother is no exception. She wants perfection for her latest party where Franklin is the guest of honor. She has even arranged for Sabine to be escorted by one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Paris. The thing is, Sabine couldn't care less. She's not caught up in the aristocratic lifestyle, and she actually cares about what is going on. She soon rekindles her friendship with Michel, her nanny's son, and her mother is not at all pleased. Sabine doesn't care, though, as she goes off gallivanting with Michel and even gets the chance to meet Franklin. Sabine gets swept up in the meaning of the Revolution and really comes to form an opinion. Fueled by these new ideas of freedom, Sabine is determined to make a change in her life. She starts to break away from her controlling mother and stand up for herself. Will Sabine succeed? And is there a possibility of maybe finding real love in this time of change? This book is one of those historical fiction novels where the author just gets it all right. The facts were spot on, her description of the setting was great, and the overall atmosphere that she created was genuine. Sabine's character was wonderful. She learned to stand up for herself and discover what really needed to be done in her life in order for her to be successful. She had the right amount of feistiness and seriousness to keep the reader intrigued in her life. I also thought it was really interesting that the author chose to set the story in the time of the American Revolution, but also in Paris where there wasn't as much of a change going on. The reader got to see how the Revolution effected the whole world. The setting also made Sabine's change much more interesting, because she was taking political ideas and applying them to her life, which I found to be absolutely compelling. I think THE REVOLUTION OF SABINE is a great book for all ages. It provided a great historical aspect, but yet it wasn't so overloaded with facts that it was boring. Sabine's journey to discovering herself was very realistic, and most teens will be able to relate, even though the story is set in 1776. Beth Levine Ain did a great job and I look forward to reading her future works. Reviewed by: Tasha

The Revolution of Sabine was a very good story for I was able to relate directly to Sabine. The author wrote very well in describing Sabine, and her feelings. I never really appreciated the history and beauty of America. I realized something (that I never realized before) of WHY we were ABLE to start something equal and new. We started it in a different world. Any other country (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc) would not and could not start it because you always have ties or the history to look back and bring a little into the future too. America started fresh; with people from everywhere. The ONLY problem that I had with this book is that there wasn't enough romance in it; Sabine tells us that she loves him...and...I dont know...it wasn't enough...The story was superb though.

In 1776 Paris, Sabine's life is tightly controlled by the social rules in her aristocratic household. In this coming of age tale, the heroine has her portrait painted by Fragonard, meets Benjamin Franklin, and is introduced to Voltaire's Candide and revolutionary ideas. No longer content to marry the aristocrat selected for her, Sabine rebels against her upbringing and dreams of going to America with the son of her governess. This book is a fun read about pre-revolutionary Paris; perhaps not the most realistic in terms of mixing of social classes at that time. The novel is full of interesting historical details; but why does the author not provide a reproduction of the actual Fragonard painting the heroine is sitting for (a real work of art by the French master)? Most young readers will not realize that the painting in question is an actual work of art they can see in a book or on-line; I would have liked to see some kind of note by the author at the least about where to see the painting.