First published 2010
Olivier, an aristocratic young Frenchman traumatized by the Revolution, boards a ship bound for America. His official mission involves studying the prison system, but he really seeks refuge from political upheaval threatening his life. Accompanying him is Parrot, a motherless Englishman whose father worked as a traveling printer. An enigmatic one-armed marquis has orchestrated their pairing, positioning Parrot as both spy and bodyguard. The two men clash from different worlds and opposing temperaments. Olivier embodies refined privilege while Parrot represents scrappy survival. Their journey through the young United States forces them into unlikely partnership as they encounter love affairs, political intrigue, financial schemes, and the raw energy of American democracy. The narrative alternates between their contrasting viewpoints, revealing how their antagonistic relationship slowly transforms. Despite their fundamental differences in birth and breeding, they discover an unexpected bond. Their adventures illuminate the strange new experiment of America while exploring the complex dynamics between protector and protected, servant and master, in a land where old hierarchies face constant challenge.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: America, France
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Knopf