[Cincinna]

Fascinating new biography of the woman who won the heart of Louis XIV and brought religion back in his life and brought him back to the church.

Another excellent book on the subject is l'Allee du Roi by Francoise Chadernaggor.

[BunnySlippers]

BUMP

[Cincinna]

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A fascinating story of a woman born in prison who rose to be the morganatic wife of Louis XIV. She was not a woman of great beauty, but a woman with a keen intellect and education, and a woman of impeccable character and devotion to her King and to her Faith.

Françoise d’Aubigné MADAME DE MAINTENON

RACINE RECITING ATHALIE FOR LOUIS XIV ET MADAME DE MAINTENON

THE SECRET WIFE OF LOUIS XIV

Françoise d’Aubigné, Madame de Maintenon

By Veronica Buckley

Illustrated. 498 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $35

[JRandomFreeper]

It was all about sex, and can't we move on. Louis the 14th? Perhaps we could move on to the 19th century.

This qualifies as 'old news'.

/johnny

[ottbmare]

Fascinating. Thanks for posting, I would have missed that review (and the opportunity to buy the book) had you not posted it.

[ReneeLynn]

Nothing sexier than a king with chronic tooth decay. Ugghh. The horror.

[wideminded]

I had heard vaguely of this woman, and thinking that she was called “Maintenant” (now), I figured that this had something to do with her readiness to serve the King in a sexual way.

[ktscarlett66]

I read a book about her years ago and dang, I wish I could remember the name and author! It was a good read, covering the years before her marriage to Scarron, through her friendship with Montespan and the years she spent raising the ‘royal bastards’ apart from the court. Ended with Louis’ proposal to her. I’d never heard of her before reading it, but it hooked me.