If you’ve read any of Stephanie Dray’s other novels, how does this one compare? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
I have not read any of her other books but am definitely interested in looking into them.
I’m slightly embarrassed to say that this is only my 2nd Dray. The 1st was The Women of Chateau Lafayette, which I thought was terrific. And this one is even a little bit better. This was an easy 5/5 for me. As for other authors like Stephanie, I would definitely add Renee Rosen, Marie Benedict, and Heather Webb, among others.
@Lloyd_R - So many books, so little time, huh?
Like you, Chateau Lafayette is the only other one of Dray’s books that I’ve read. They were both equally good, but this one was more of a surprise, I think, because of the subject matter. I’d pick a novel taking place in a castle in France during the Nazi era over a fictionalized biography of an unknown (to me) politician any day, and I confess I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Madam Secretary at all. But it grabbed me right away and kept me entranced start to finish, and I’m delighted I had the opportunity to read it.
… and thanks for the tip re Heather Webb, @Lloyd_R. I’ve read books by Rosen and Benedict (and agree with your assessment) but haven’t had the opportunity to read any of Webb’s novels yet - something I need to remedy.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Stephanie Dray. I do think her style is similar to Marie Benedict’s style, and both write about women who have made significant contributions that have not been widely recognized, as so often is the case when histories are written.
This Is also my first book by Ms Dray. I’m interested in exploring her work furthe