Tea at Trianon: The Other Side of Freedom

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, April 4, 2022

The Other Side of Freedom

While The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney is technically a novel for preteens, teens and young adults, I would not hesitate to recommend it for older folk as well. It is the moving story of Italian immigrants in Louisiana from the point of view of a young boy who is confronted with bad choices and worse choices in order to protect his parents. I knew little about the trials of Italian immigrants who, when coming to America, often had to face prejudice from locals, as well as harassment from the mafia. Many crime lords preyed upon their brethren from the old country, especially during the 1920's and early 30's when Prohibition helped enrich the cartels, and making them as seemingly powerful as the United States government. It took courage, determination and faith for immigrants who were targeted to live the honorable lives they sought for their families in America.

In Cynthia Toney's novel Sal is an only child and a hard-working thirteen year old on a farm owned by his parents. He labors alongside his father, his Uncle Enzo, and their hand Hiram, rising early to work in the cool of the day. The novel conveys the endless drudgery that is entailed in running a successful farm. In the case of the Scaviano family, their labors have produced luscious strawberries and other fresh produce that they sell in the local town called Freedom. I really felt I was at the farm with all the scents of hay and manure, and in Mama's kitchen where there is always fresh-baked bread. What a wonderful way to teach young people in suburbia about the value of manual labor and the fruits of that labor. It makes it all the more outrageous when criminals come along who wish to steal what others have worked for so hard. The beauty of the Louisiana farm is transformed to storm and darkness for Sal when all he has and everyone he loves is threatened.

Sal, however, is a resourceful young man, who is resolved to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to save his family. In the story the boy is called upon to be brave amid an apparently hopeless situation and in order not to be consumed by fear, he falls back upon the unflinching Catholic faith instilled in him by his parents. The faith of the Scaviano family is radiant, all the more so because we know that situations like theirs really happened. The welcoming town and neighbors turn on them, and they are treated as bad as Hiram, who is banned from many places due to the color of his skin. There is adventure in every chapter, which kept me reading far into the night, as well as a poignant and bittersweet romance. The Other Side of Freedom is truly an exciting novel for all ages.

Visit author Cynthia T. Toney at her website, HERE.