Author: Pam Jenoff
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: January 2013
Pages: 298
Format: Paperback
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Paris, 1919.The world's leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.
Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job—and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.
Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford. (Goodreads Synopsis)
The Ambassador's Daughter was a very enjoyable read - easy going and yet possessing a remarkable depth of feeling.
I have not read any of Jenoff's work before and so came to this prequel with no preconceptions about the characters or storyline. Margot is a very likeable heroine, unsure and yet fired with enthusiasm for life and a desire to do something, even if she's not entirely sure what as the novel starts.
Georg is a great romantic interest (even though I kept thinking of The Sound of Music and Christopher Plummer every time I read his name!) and I found the relationship between him and Margot believable despite its rapid progression.
I put the book down wishing I could find out what happened next and I will certainly try to read Jenoff's other books in the future as I found her writing style engaging and relaxing to read. I can certainly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction.
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