Madame Tussaud's Apprentice (26 page)

Life continued in this vein right up until the Revolution, which brought great change to everyone’s life.

It is true that Manon was forced by the National Assembly to make wax models from the executed heads of the royal family. After years of working in the palace, and in particular with Madame Élisabeth, one can only imagine her horror at having to do this. When Madame Élisabeth was beheaded, Manon refused to mold her friend.

Manon was arrested as a Royalist and spent several weeks in jail. In the book, I had Celie arrange her release, although in truth it was Dr. Curtius who was able to obtain her freedom. While in prison, Manon met a woman named Joséphine de Beauharnais, who later became the wife of Napoleon. In time, Manon would mold him as well.

France was in constant turmoil during and following the Revolution. Because of the length of time over which many of the events took place, I have compressed the timeline of the Revolution to make for easier reading.

As entertainment dollars began to dry up, Manon decided to sail to England and take her wax replicas on tour, which she did for many years. On one tour to Ireland, Manon’s ship sank, but she managed to make it to shore, even though she lost most of her wax figures and many of the passengers drowned. Eventually Manon settled in London, opening a permanent museum that today has branches all over the world. By then she had married a man named François Tussaud, and taken on the now famous name of Madame Tussaud. (I had her named Tussaud from the beginning in order for readers, familiar with her museums, to recognize who she was). She and François had two sons.

As Celie discovered, revolution is not an easy path. Although Madame Élisabeth was indeed the last royal beheaded, the young prince and heir to the throne died in prison, and the young princess was eventually released and exiled to Austria. It was years before France knew peace again.

Should you have the chance to visit London in the future, be sure to stop by Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. The figures of the late king and queen of France are on display even today, their faces molded from their severed heads and then recreated in wax—just for
your
viewing pleasure!

Berridge, Kate.
Madame Tussaud: A Life in Wax.
New York: William Morrow, 2006.

Ransom, Teresa.
Madame Tussaud: A Life and a Time.
Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 2003.

Thorne, Tony.
Who Was … Madame Tussaud: Waxwork Queen of the French Revolution
. London: Short Books, 2003.

As a young girl, I was fascinated with two people: Scarlett O’Hara and Marie Antoinette. I haven’t yet figured out how to spend a year with Scarlett, but this book was my attempt to live for a while in the shadows of Marie Antoinette.

The idea of using an apprentice to Madame Tussaud as a vehicle to showcase the French Revolution first took shape on a trip I made with my family to London. On visiting Madame Tussaud’s famous wax museum and hearing about her extraordinary life, slowly the story began to take hold.

As with any stories that eventually become books, the process is never a solo one. I want to thank my agent, Bill Contardi, for his perseverance in seeing Celie’s story triumph and make the printed page.

For Marcia Strykowski and Anne Broyles, a debt of gratitude for your sharpened pens and eagle eyes that helped revolutionize my many drafts.

To Jackie Mitchard and Meredith O’Hayre—thank you for your guidance and guillotine-like cutting, shaping, and chopping. Your input strengthened Celie and Algernon and their quest for equality.

And finally, to my own little family: Tobey, Chris, and Liza, whose love lifts me up every day, who give me strength when I think I have nothing left to give, and who make me grateful each and every hour that they were put on this earth for me to love.