Jacobin's Daughter Author:Joanne S. Williamson, Charles Clement (Illustrator) In this, Babette Duplay of Paris tells of her life during the years between 1789 and 1793 in a careful, excited narrative, not only of growing up during the Revolution but of the Revolution itself. — Babette's father was a cabinet maker- a tradesman, and her cousin Simon, who lived with them, an ardent hater of aristocrats. Though Babette nev... more »er becomes thoroughly embroiled in the machinations of the uprising, she is, in an admirable observer's position for Robespierre comes to the Duplays to live and men such as Danton, Marat, Camille Desmoulins and young Philippe Labas, with whom Babette falls in love, follow him there.
Though Babette in her story disclaims a real interest in politics, she is apt at giving us many of the details in the conversations and events she reports, and there emerges a fair charting of the tragic course the Revolution took up to the rise of Napoleon. Robespierre, Danton, Marat and their groups are seen in terms of the ironies they wrought and Babette comes to wonder whether or not the Revolution was a good thing even though there is personal happiness for her.« less