First published 2018
Jean Valjean takes a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephews. This single act of desperation costs him nineteen years of brutal forced labor. When he finally emerges from prison, society turns its back on him. No one will hire an ex-convict. Despite this rejection, Valjean transforms himself into a respected citizen and adopts a young girl named Cosette. But Inspector Javert refuses to let the past die. The relentless policeman hunts Valjean across France, determined to drag him back to his criminal origins. Valjean and Cosette live as outcasts, constantly moving to escape Javert's pursuit. Around them, France churns with social upheaval, riots, and the grinding poverty that destroys lives. Valjean must protect his adopted daughter while fighting a system that offers no mercy to the desperate.
Genres: drama, historical-fiction, crime, social-issues, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: France
Period: 19th-century
622 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: abuse, violence