Madame Tussaud's Apprentice

Madame Tussaud is a name most young people will have heard of even if they have not visited the waxwork museum in London, which bears her name; Kathleen Benner Duble has woven an interesting story around her.

It’s 1789 and Celie and her partner in crime, Algernon, live on the streets of Paris stealing from houses, and cheating at gaming tables to get by. One day they are caught, and encounter Manon Tussaud whose bag of wax models they have stolen.Madame Tussaud finds Celie intriguing, and makes a bet with Comte D’Artois, the king’s brother, that she can make a lady of Celie. Celie has a talent for drawing, and she arranges for her to go to Versailles and give drawing lessons to King Louis’s sister, Madame Elisabeth. Both Celie and Algernon have suffered; they are determined to see the downfall of the king and the aristocracy, and justice for the people of France. But Celie finds her loyalties strained as she grows close to both Madame Elisabeth and Madame Tussaud and her family, and realises that the King does not have the happy life she imagined, but lives in a gilded prison.

Returning to Paris when the Revolution starts, Celie goes on a march with Algernon, which turns ugly. When the guillotining starts she is given the gruesome job of making plaster casts of victims – which include the King. Algernon, meanwhile, breaks down in front of Celie, and confesses that he is caught up in something from which he does not know how to extricate himself. The story ends with Celie and Algernon declaring their love for each other; there is obviously a sequel to come.

This is a well-written story which shows clearly how the injustices of life in France under Louis XVI led to the rising up of the people. It also shows how revolutions can grow in ways that are very different to their original ideals, and charts Celie’s realisation that there is always another side to consider. Manon Tussaud, while not the main character, comes to life along with her family and their rather unusual work; her time in the squalid prison where she suffers from claustrophobia and nearly dies is particularly memorable.

There are not too many stories which help the reader truly understand why people rebel against the government of their country (Geoffrey Trease’s two novels about Garibaldi, Follow my Black Plume and A Thousand for Sicily are particularly good), and this is a welcome addition. One small note: the use of the odd French phrase – ‘mon ami’ for example – does not really add to the flavour, but just looks a bit pretentious!