Daughter of Silk

The Silk House #1

by Linda Lee Chaikin

Pursuing the family name as the finest silk producer in Lyon, the young Huguenot Rachelle Dushane-Macquinet is thrilled to accompany her famous couturier Grandmere to Paris, there to create a silk trousseau for the Royal Princess Marguerite Valois. The Court is magnificent; its regent, Catherine de Medici, deceptively charming … and the circumstances, darker than Rachelle could possibly imagine. At a time in history when the tortures of the Bastille and the fiery stake are an almost casual consequence in France, a scourge of recrimination is moving fast and furious against the Huguenots—and as the Queen Mother's political intrigues weave a web of deception around her, Rachelle finds herself in imminent danger. Hope rests in warning the handsome Marquis Fabien de Vendome of the wicked plot against his kin. But to do so, Rachelle must follow a perilous course.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Historical Romance

315 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Linda Chaikin is a Christian fiction author with a focus on historical fiction. She sometimes publishes using the name L.L. Chaikin.

Linda was the youngest of 10 children and her father died shortly after she was born. She wrote her first full-length novel with pen and paper at the age of 14 - this novel was later rewritten as Wednesday's Child, part of the Day to Remember series.

She met her husband, Steve, in a Bible study, and they were married 6 months later. They both went to Multnomah School for the Bible, now known as Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I did enjoy the reading of the book, learning new french words and the historical aspect. The plotline itself was interesting - the main female character was basically a seamstress for her famous silk-making family, and while in court, things happen. All set against the backdrop of history, which I love.

I found most of the characters likable, although some, I believe I'm still confused if I'm supposed to be for them, or believe that they will soon/someday be redeemed?

So, read it if you like historical romance type books, and some action. If you want a really well written book that pulls you in despite the plot, you probably don't need to read this.

Summary: Plot:interesting; Writing Style: not the type that REALLY draws me in, makes me feel and care...

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really suprised as to how much I liked this book. It is very engaging and I wanted to keep reading. I had to go get the second book as soon as I was done. This is written by a Christian author. I read some Christain fiction if the story is good because it tends to be clean, but I find the really religious parts become distracting from the rest of the story (I end up just skimming over it-which when I do that it's fine). When I read about religion I prefer it to be in a non-fiction book.

[Letitia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, confessions...I used to read and LOVE Linda Chaikin novels when I was younger. I KNEW they were rife with white saviorism and that the romances were formulaic but goshdarn she wrote intrigue better than anyone and I always learned something about history from her highly researched novels.

Well, maybe things have slipped over the years or I've just grown up. Thankfully she sets this particular novel in a post-Reformation Medici-ruled France so we don't have to overlook the white saviorism. What we DO have to tolerate is the weirdly frequent and highly unnecessary dropping of French vocabulary. Just why? It will be English English English and then for no reason ope FRANCAIS because she has to prove she studied it? And it's not even used correctly. She uses feminine forms for masculine nouns CONSTANTLY.

I hung on for as long as I could but good God the random use of French was so annoying I could barely process the story. And then, the whipped cream and cherry is that our protagonist, the charming and beautiful Rachelle, is part of her famous couturiere family's business which is called: The Chateau de Silk. Not...not...Chateau de Soie? Nope. In a book where the bon vivants and divertissements are sprinkled as liberally through the text as jewels through a Bourbon's gown, you couldn't bother to translate the proper name of the heroine's family business? Silk??? Not Soie, Silk? Ok.

And finally, the plot just doesn't come through. The complexity is there, the intrigue, and there are SOME interesting characters, not to mention the loads of research that Chaikin always delivers... but it just wasn't interesting. I read it, I finished it, but I won't read the other two.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading a book/series by this author and I absolutely love this series so far. France in the 16th Century is one of my favorite eras in World History so this book is right up my ally.

The history, romance and drama in this book is just enough to keep the reader wanting more.

Can't wait to read the next 2 books in the series to see what happens next!!

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

NTS: eAudio and eBook via Hoopla.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars for Goodreads. I have long wanted to read this series with its French setting. I love all things France but I am discovering stories from this era aren’t my favorite because they are so sad and heartbreaking. I will finish the series but it won’t be one I reread.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite type of historical fiction to read is one where I learn lots of history. And that’s what happened when I read Daughter of Silk. I knew a little about the Huguenot war beforehand, but this book gave me a front-row seat on what it would be like to be a Huguenot (French protestant) in the royal courts with the evil and sinister Queen and Regent of France, Catherine de Medici, constantly scheming and eliminating threats. It made for a grand adventure.

Sweet-temper and innocent Rachelle made for an easy heroine to love and grow attached to. And Fabien was wonderful. Growing up in the courts, he was able to shield and help Rachelle as she tried to maneuver between all the political intrigues and remain away from the Queen Regent, Catherine…who was better known as Madame le Serpent. The author wrote the scenes with the queen well—I grew to loath her! Each time I read of her scheming something new, I’d begin hoping someone would find her out and stop her! Scary to think that this deprave and evil woman was in complete control.

The adventures both Rachelle and Fabien go through was great, and when I reached the end of the book it was something of a cliffhanger—the adventure isn’t over! I look forward to getting a hold of the second book! The writing was a little long-winded at times, but there was a lot of history to tell, so I didn’t mind too much. I did get frustrated with all the French words sprinkled throughout the book—flipping to the front of the book to look the word up and find out the meaning got old very quickly!

Since this is a book on the political intrigues of the royal court, there is a lot of comments made on the sexual sins that take place. The princess, Marguerite, is in love with a man forbidden by the queen mother, and she often sneaks out to visit him. It’s known she (and other women in the court) slept around, but no detail is given. A woman tries to seduce Fabien, but he resist temptation and stops her advancements (Go Fabien!).

Daughter of Silk is definitely a great read with a lot of historical details that I really enjoyed. Reading about the double-crossing, seductions, and spies made me feel for Rachelle, so innocent of it all. For any history lovers out there, this is a historical fiction that you won’t want to miss!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachelle Dushane-Macquinet, a young woman from a prosperous and well-known family of silk producers and dressmakers, has come to court with her grandmother and older sister to help make gowns for the Princess Marguerite Valois, daughter of Queen Mother Catherine de Medici. But Rachelle and her family have a dangerous secret. They are Huguenots at a time when the Catholic church in France is relentlessly persecuting "heretics," which to them includes anyone of the Protestant faith.

At court, Rachelle meets the handsome young Marquis Fabien de Vendome and is instantly attracted to him, but he is far above her in social class. Fabien is a Catholic, but he comes from a large noble family with many Huguenot members. When he and Rachelle learn of a conspiracy against the Huguenots, between the evil Catherine de Medici and her allies, the de Guise family, they are determined to do something to stop it. As they work together, they grow closer and begin to fall in love, but can they survive the many dangers of going against the most powerful people in France?

This book was an excellent combination of history, romance, action, and political intrigue. The author brought to life the people -- both real and fictional characters -- as well as the customs and intrigues of the 16th century French court. My only complaint is that the next book in the series won't be out until Spring 2007, so I will have to wait that long to find out what happens next. I'd highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction and historical romance set in this time period.

[Olgalijo · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading "Beyond Heaving Bosoms. The Smart Bitches guide to romance novels", I have a newfound respect for "trashy romance novels". I had a great time identifying the gender cliches, and figuring out how the author would pull them together in a more or less natural way. I was unabashedly delighted at the way in which Chaikin was able to bend language, and sometimes, also the protagonists' spines for the perfect romantic scene. I liked the insertion of French phrases for ambiance, though a couple of times I was thrown out of the story upon detecting a mistake on the French phrasing (maybe I'm too much of a language snob?).
In general the story flows pretty well, but I found difficult to root for the main characters, as they were somewhat bland.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the biggest disappointment of my year so far when it comes to reading. Linda Chaikin is one of my all time favorite authors but this book did not live up to her others. For me the book was confusing. It had a dizzying number of characters, a huge numbers of points of view it kept switching between, and so much french that it made my head hurt. I also felt like I wasn't getting to read much about the girl who was supposed to be the main character. I don't even plan to read the rest of the series.

[Shannah Mauney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very dark, almost gothic style book. I loved the characters and the love story. I was very involved in Fabien and Rachelle's story. They are going to face major trials, from what the book hinted at. However, the plot was a little to dark for my tastes. I still enjoyed it and would like to read the other two books in the series at some point.

[Liesel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this one night and the next day realized I had no wish to pick it up despite the fact I was 100 pages in. I skimmed the rest of the book the next night and though it dealt with interesting material (the persecution of the Huguenots), it did not hold my interest.

[Alli Macfadden · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Linda Lee Chaikin has a certain ability to condense history and facts into descriptive passages that are interesting enough (though occasionally murky) - but I definitely found the rest of her style lacking. Phrases like: "The secret rumblings of hatred smoldered in the rocky caverns of his soul." had me wincing throughout as I began skimming through the book.

But what really turned me off was the typical "Christian fiction" fare peppered throughout. Our heroine, Rachelle is enamored with our hero, Fabian, from page one, solely because of his physical appearance. Fabian falls for Rachelle, hard, largely because of her physical appearance.

These characters are supposed to be the Christian representatives in an immoral and debauched culture, but they seem just as motivated by lust as any of the other characters. The crux of the book is supposed to be a young woman standing on her principles and defending her faith. I find the integrity of that theme damaged when our heroine is falling head-over-heels for a man who (she believes) doesn't share her faith. The whole veracity of the story is tanked by our heroine's infidelity to her own beliefs. Her passion for Fabian matters far more than passion for her God. And of course, it all magically works out in the end and she keeps her guy and her principles, such as they were. Heaven forbid that a Christian might actually have to sacrifice something or someone for the sake of their faith. ;)

This novel is allegedly supposed to focus on persecution and standing up for one's belief, but there was a lot more time spent - excuse me - necking, than praying. The scenes that did contain more about the Huguenot's persecution and our heroine's "strong faith" felt pretty stilted to me and much more forced then the romantic scenes which appeared to come pretty easily.

Also, as a note: While this was understandably set in a very debase culture, I felt that the authoress could have held back a bit on some of the details.

WARNING - content ahead.

There is a lot of mention of immoral behavior where numerous "favors" are traded like money. There is a lot of unnecessary details about scantily clad women and lots of scenes of various men/women forcing themselves on others or trying to entrap each other. A lot of married people have lovers. One character is sneeringly dubbed a harlot by another and with good reason. There is also a lot of physical abuse mentioned in the book (one character is tied to chairs and whipped by her mother) and another mother is trying to turn her son towards homosexuality to prevent him from producing an heir by various methods. There is also some very disturbing details regarding torture of the Huguenots which I will not mention here. While they certainly happened, they were some images that I would rather not have in my head.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughter of Silk is an enchanting step back into a tumultuous time in France. There is a ton going on in this part of history with the reformation and infamous historical figures keeping the interest of the story going. The addition of the main characters' background in silk production and dressmaking really adds a level of curiosity to the story. There are a lot of exciting, surprising, and shocking parts to the story. Dramatic turns of events, romantic interludes, and devilish plots are all intriguing elements in the book. However, this is a book for someone who likes history with a heavy hand. Especially at the beginning, I didn't feel as though the constant reminders of the political state of the time were necessary. If I wanted to read a history book, I would read a history book. In this case, I felt that the story itself got a little lost in all of the historical commentary. When reading historical fiction, I would like the historical facts to back up the story, not the other way around. I appreciate authors who do their research, but I don’t need a break down of every political angle of the time. I am fairly familiar with the people and attitudes of this time, so maybe for someone who is not these reminders would be less of a nuisance. But for me, it got to a point where I wanted to say, "I know he's a bad guy. I know he is working against Huguenots. You don't have to remind me on every page every time a new character finds out about the bad guy's schemes." Additionally, I felt like for characters who are constantly suspicious of spies and plots they are not very good at checking their surroundings for spies even when the hidden person has done something to give themselves away. Putting this aside, once I got through the thick history in the beginning, there was a lot to enjoy about this story, and I hope for an exciting continuation in the future.

[Carol Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughter of Silk is an enchanting step back into a tumultuous time in France. There is a ton going on in this part of history with the reformation and infamous historical figures keeping the interest of the story going. The addition of the main characters' background in silk production and dressmaking really adds a level of curiosity to the story. There are a lot of exciting, surprising, and shocking parts to the story. Dramatic turns of events, romantic interludes, and devilish plots are all intriguing elements in the book. However, this is a book for someone who likes history with a heavy hand. Especially at the beginning, I didn't feel as though the constant reminders of the political state of the time were necessary. If I wanted to read a history book, I would read a history book. In this case, I felt that the story itself got a little lost in all of the historical commentary. When reading historical fiction, I would like the historical facts to back up the story, not the other way around. I appreciate authors who do their research, but I don’t need a break down of every political angle of the time. I am fairly familiar with the people and attitudes of this time, so maybe for someone who is not these reminders would be less of a nuisance. But for me, it got to a point where I wanted to say, "I know he's a bad guy. I know he is working against Huguenots. You don't have to remind me on every page every time a new character finds out about the bad guy's schemes." Additionally, I felt like for characters who are constantly suspicious of spies and plots they are not very good at checking their surroundings for spies even when the hidden person has done something to give themselves away. Putting this aside, once I got through the thick history in the beginning, there was a lot to enjoy about this story, and I hope for an exciting continuation in the future.

[Paige McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical novel set in the beginnings of an often overlooked piece of French history- the French Wars of religion fought between the Catholic church and the Huguenots. Although I read this the year it was released (2007 or 2009?), it was an excellent re-read after visiting Paris and studying France's history and culture more thoroughly. I enjoyed the romantic plotline between the hero and his lady. It's classic historical romance at its finest with a swashbuckling man who is staunch in his beliefs, swordplay, and his ability to sweep the heroine out of some very imminent danger. Truly, where does one find such scholar of French chivalry these days? Anyway, amid all the court intrigue (poisoned gloves and plots to overthrow the throne *oh my*), there are some ingenious historical gems tucked away. Truly, one of the reasons that I believe Chaikin is a master of historical fiction is her ability to weave in a fiction plot (that is very obviously fiction. Hello, romance tropes that I live for.) with a solid foundation of history. A large majority of the side characters are taken straight from history and based on historical acounts and sources. The events of the novel are not just taken from the author's imagination, but straight from your textbook (if it covered France's religious wars). If you like a good classic romance plotline but with a heavy dose of history and some French phrases sprinkled in, I would say this book is for you. Allonzy!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the past I have enjoyed Linda Chaikin's books, but not so much this one. I appreciate that she tries to include the flavor of France by using French and including a glossary in the front of the book, but it just made stopping to look up words very cumbersome. There are many characters in this book and I found it hard to figure out who they were and what part they played in the story. The whole book has a dark and sinister aspect because of Catherine de Medici who, it appears, was a very deranged woman. I will forge on to book two and hope for something better.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got 86 pages in and realized I had no interest in the boring conversation the two boring, melodramatic characters were having as they headed, supposedly urgently (but over the course of pages and pages), toward some important errand. I really enjoy the Arabian Winds trilogy by the same author! I can’t even say that the writing in this book isn’t the same level as that of the Arabian Winds trilogy because it was written earlier, because this book was actually written after that trilogy. I really don’t know what to think.

[Nicole]

This book took place in a period of time that we unfortunately don't get very often in CF.
I felt like I would have enjoyed it more if the characters story had evolved more over the course of the book. It felt like the book was more focused on the historical events and intrigue then the growth of the main characters.

[Rachael Stoldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite authors as a teenager. I am so glad I listened to it! It’s set in France and there are so many French names I wouldn’t have been able to pronounce without a narrator. It was interesting thinking about the French society during the struggle between Catholics and Huguenots and hearing names like Calvin and Luther.

[Sherise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm finally giving myself permission to set this book aside and move on with my life. There was nothing wrong with it...it just bored me. I devoured anything by Linda Chaikin through my teenage and early adult years, but Daughter of Silk did not live up to the all-consuming writing I remembered.

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Linda Chaikin books but this series was too gruesome for me. Though the story has true historical facts, I just find it hard to read. I did continue reading the series, but FYI, the series gets canceled before the ending is written.

[Kuhl_ Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series years ago and loved it. The complexity of the story and characters makes you really have to pay attention. I love that I could not figure out what was going to happen. Amazing CF story.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about the French court in something like the 1500s. Catherine de Medici, the queen mum, and others were despicable I'm not sure I want to return to the setting.

[Shaneli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently, more than halfway through the book, Linda fuses french aristocracy and romance into a sweet novel. Though, it doesnt come close to amazing than her Hawaiian series books.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put this one down!

[Kathie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was hard for me to stay interested in this book. For me it was hard to follow. Not much of a plot in my opinion.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The star rating indicates "it was amazing," but it wasn't really. I need the next book. Or everyone will die. (Just kidding, everyone is dead already.)

[Katnip · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, but reads more like a book written for teens.