Publication Date: September 10, 2024
From the author of The School for German Brides and A Bakery in Paris, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century Paris tells the story of Claire Eiffel, a woman who played a significant role in maintaining her family’s legacy and their iconic contributions to the city of Paris.
Claire Eiffel, the beautiful, brilliant eldest daughter of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel, is doted upon with an education envied by many sons of the upper classes, and entirely out of the reach of most daughters. Claire’s idyllic childhood ends abruptly when, at fourteen, her mother passes away. It’s soon made clear that Gustave expects Claire to fill her mother’s place as caregiver to the younger children and as manager of their home.
As she proves her competence, Claire’s importance to her father grows. She accompanies him on his travels and becomes his confidante and private secretary. She learns her father’s architectural trade and becomes indispensable to his work. But when his bright young protégé, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave’s time, Claire resents being pushed aside.
Slowly, the animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship…and then to something more. After their marriage in 1885 preserves the Eiffel legacy, they are privileged by the biggest commission of Eiffel’s career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World’s Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father’s circle, but also the world.
When Gustave Eiffel’s involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father’s freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.
Claire Eiffel’s story of love, devotion, and the frantic pursuit to preserve her family’s legacy is not only an inspired reflection of real personages and historical events, but a hymn to the iconic tower that dominates the City of Lights.
The Eiffel Tower not only captures the title as most recognizable monument in France, but ranks among the top in the world. However, there is little, if anything ever mentioned about its creator.
Author Aimie K. Runyan delves into the 19th century and brings the Eiffel family to life in Mademoiselle Eiffel. While the story is largely based on facts, the author filled in historical record gaps with fiction.
The end result is a story acknowledging the contributions of Gustave Eiffel, along with the tarnished reputation that regulated him to the shadows rather than being acknowledged for his architectural achievements.
It’s also a story focusing on his eldest daughter, Claire, who stepped up at age 14 as his helper following the death of the family matriarch. Family dynamics play a key role in the story, especially in light of societal expectations. While Claire had talents of her own, her role was to ensure the success of the men in her life, including her father and, later, her husband.
The challenges of maintaining the Eiffel name prove to be burdensome as the immense project suffers numerous setbacks. Told in first-person from Claire’s perspective, it’s interesting to see how she adapts to a role at such a young age, in spite of her grandmother’s objections.
Mademoiselle Eiffel focuses on an intriguing part of history and sheds light on a famous family who left a monumental mark for the world to see.
Aimie K. Runyan is a multi-published and bestselling author of historical and contemporary fiction. She has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year Award, a Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice selection, and a four-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. She is an adjunct instructor for the Drexel University MFA in Creative Writing program and endeavors to be active in the literary community in Colorado and beyond. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable cats, and a dragon.
