A Woman of the Commune

by G. A. Henty

First published 1895

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2.5(5)

Cuthbert Hartington travels from England to Paris to pursue a career as an artist after discovering that his expected inheritance has been lost. His new life is overtaken by the Franco-Prussian War, and he becomes involved in the defence of Paris during the German siege while also trying to resolve the financial wrong that has shaped his future.

Defeat does not bring peace to the city. Political bitterness and economic hardship lead to the Paris Commune of 1871, placing Cuthbert and Mary Brander amid a second siege and violent street fighting. The novel links their personal fortunes to the collapse of the Second Empire, the siege, and the struggle between the Commune and the Versailles government.