Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I love ballet, so this book was right up my alley. The lives of these three young girls were heartbreaking. I disliked their mother intensely. I looked up Absinthe because I wasn't exactly sure what it was. It was extremely popular in France in the mid-late 1800's. It was favored by all the social classes, from the wealthy bourgeoisie to the poor artists and working class people. It was a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage; an anise-flavoured spirit (not a liqueur). It was normally diluted with water before drinking. So, if the girls' mom was drinking it right out of the bottle every day, I can see why she was such a terrible mother. At one time it was considered a "dangerously addictive psychoactive drug" because of the chemical compound "thujone", and in 1915 it was banned in the US and much of Europe, including France.
I felt compassion for the three girls though. Antoinette and Marie were both incredibly strong girls, and they did what they felt they had to do to survive. Yes, Antoinette was blindsided by the ultimate loser, Emile Abadie, for too long, but that was her way of "surviving" a desperate life. I felt sorry for her. She was so lost - and she really believed in Abadie. She also didn't have the same talent at ballet that her two younger sisters had, which I'm sure was heartbreaking to her. My favorite character was Marie though, and she's the one I felt bad for even at the end of the book. I was sad that her dream of dancing at the Opera was never realized to fruition because of circumstances brought on by others (Antoinette and their mother, mainly). She was obviously a very talented ballerina. Although I like that she married the baker's son, who obviously adored her, I feel like she "settled". Maybe that ended up being what was right for her, but it still made me sad. Charlotte had it all: beauty and talent. Yes, she was a spoiled brat for awhile - but she was only 10!!
I looked at the sculpture "The Little Dancer Aged 14" online. The author said she used the critics responses mostly verbatim from the time the wax figure was first presented to the public. I honestly don't think that Marie was as ugly as they saw her - and she certainly doesn't appear "beast-like". Goodness, I'm surprised that Marie had any self-esteem left after hearing what people said about her looks!! This sculpture and Degas' drawings made Degas an esteemed artist, but I wonder if he ever thought about what he was doing to his "model". Artists are always into their own work - not people's feelings.
The whole "abonnes" thing - which actually translates to "subscriber" in English - reminds me of The Name of the Wind, when the artists are supported in their art by others. When we were reading that book, I remember wondering if there were any "favors" that were expected to be given in return for their "sponsorship". In this book, it was obvious that at least some of the abonnes expected sexual favors. Again, I felt sad that Marie had to endure Monsieur Lefebvre's creepiness in order to support her family.
I was extremely relieved that the three girls managed to make their own way in life, despite their mother. Good riddance to her!! Antoinette found her talent (sewing); Marie found peace; and Charlotte excelled as a ballerina. Very interesting story. I will never look at a Degas drawing again without thinking of this book!
Wendy's Rating: *****
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