Good Reads / Community Library Notes
The Ambassador's Daughter
Pam Jenoff
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Ambassador's Daughter
Pam Jenoff
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Ambassador’s Daughter, by Pam Jenoff, is the story of Margot and her efforts to make an interesting life for herself. We are in Paris in December 1918. Margot’s father has been invited to attend the peace conference at Versailles as a German academic. Margot bicycles to the Place de la Concorde and amid crowds, climbs on top of confiscated German cannons. She sees American flags everywhere and placards that say “Wilson the Just.”
After the parade, she returns to their hotel and gets a letter from the desk clerk. It is from Stefan. They had met in Germany when he delivered the newspaper to her father’s house. They had gone on dates, and he had left to fight in the war. He was wounded, and is well-cared for. Margot and her father had not returned to Berlin after the war. She hardly recognizes Stefan now. Before she and papa have dinner, she says the prayer in Hebrew, and he pours the wine for their traditional Friday night celebration.
He tells her the German delegates are to be housed outside the city, although they should be part of the proceedings. Papa says Wilson is an idealist, trying to repair the world. Papa has cared for Margot after her mother died. He takes her on trips with him. Later, she finds out her mother wanted a different life and left them. Stefan’s letter tells her about their wedding and renovations to a cottage in the countryside. Is this what she wants? She is content to stay in Paris. At a party to honor Wilson, she sees the woman in blue she had followed. She is now at the piano, playing for the dancers. Her father, too, is a delegate but from Poland. They introduce themselves:. Krysia Smok and Margot Rosenthal. Krysia says she likes the articles Papa has written on suffragists and socialism.
They leave the party together, catch the Metro, go to Montparnasse, and into The Closerie des Lilas. Author Jenoff sets the Paris scene for us. They sit at a table where men talk and ideas “rise like champagne,” and Margot tries to keep up. Her father is mentioned with respect. Margot debates Russia’s role in the world as she has learned from Papa. When they leave, Krysia asks Margot what she plans to do with her life. Krysia tells her to find her destiny.
When she does not hear from Krysia for a few days, she takes a taxi to Montparnasse. Entering the Café des Lilas she asks the bartender, Ignatz about Krysia, and he demands that she let him know any information she hears from her father about “The Big Four” at the conference. Ignatz gives her Krysia’s address and she goes to the apartment. She is invited up to her flat. Krysia encourages Margot to see a bit of the world. But Margot thinks about leaving her father, or not returning to Stefan. She and Papa move to an apartment in Versailles to stay with the German delegation. He commutes daily to the conference in Paris.
The French prime minister is attacked. There may have been a leak from the conference. Papa fears he will be a suspect because he is a German and a Jew. When Margot goes to the hotel for the German delegation, there is a large crowd. She drops her scarf and a young, handsome German officer picks it up for her. The crowd stares at her with hostility. She sees him again a few days later when she breaks the heel of her shoe. He tells her he is the military attaché to the delegation. They sit outside and have tea. He puts his coat around her cold shoulders. He is having trouble translating some of the papers. She says, “I can help you.” She says she wants something meaningful to do. She feels excitement and fears about the next day when they go into the library to work. She finds she enjoys working beside him. He wants the Imperial Navy to work as a peace-maker in the new world. He is Georg Richwalder. He tells her of the riots and strikes and protests occurring in Berlin. Neighbors fight one another, families are starving. He says he likes the sea, feels free there. She likes the mountains.
One day, Margot has a fitting of her wedding dress. In the store, she sees Ignatz. He knows she has been working for the German officer. He wants her to watch for anything about German military plans. She goes to see Krysia who says she will take care of Ignatz. Georg invites Margot to a dinner party for the following evening, she will go with her papa, and meet Georg there. At the party, he is in his dress uniform and most handsome. Krysia is at the piano and her husband plays the cello. As they prepare to leave together, Georg collapses on the floor and an ambulance takes him to the hospital. The following day, Krysia comes to tell Margot that Georg is all right, he has pneumonia. Krysia says she has spoken with Ignatz and he’s determined to get secrets from Margot. He will accuse papa of leaking secrets otherwise. After the nurse leaves Georg’s bedside, Margot looks for information and papers she can give Ignatz. She must protect Papa. She finds a map in Georg’s binder and takes it. At her hotel, she falls asleep. When she awakens in the morning, the map is gone. Papa has been away all night at Tante Celia’s. He is furious that she has been at Georg’s apartment most of the night. She asks about his being with Celia. Margot thinks Georg isn’t the man for her. But neither is Stefan.
Days later, Georg tells her a document the delegation wants is missing. He gives her a note for the French ministry to request a copy. Margot realizes she can give it to Ignatz. But instead, she returns it to Georg. He invites her for dinner the next night as appreciation. She rents bicycles and buys cold cuts and a bottle of wine. They have a carefree Parisian picnic. They kiss and frolic. Then they see a crowd and fireworks. When they buy a newspaper, they learn the treaty has been signed; Germany has been stripped of all armaments and must return to an agricultural economy. Georg is distraught and leaves for Versailles. Her papa says they will return to Berlin; it’s over.
Before they leave, Margot goes to Georg’s hotel rooms. As they are about to make love, there is a knock at the door. It is Papa and with him is Stefan. Complications abound. Stefan draws a saber he acquired during his war experience. Will Stefan and Georg fight over Margot’s love? Will she marry Stefan or go somewhere with Georg? Will Papa and Tante Celia continue to be together? Author Jenoff weaves fact and fiction in this historical novel at the end of World War I. Find it on the new fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.
After the parade, she returns to their hotel and gets a letter from the desk clerk. It is from Stefan. They had met in Germany when he delivered the newspaper to her father’s house. They had gone on dates, and he had left to fight in the war. He was wounded, and is well-cared for. Margot and her father had not returned to Berlin after the war. She hardly recognizes Stefan now. Before she and papa have dinner, she says the prayer in Hebrew, and he pours the wine for their traditional Friday night celebration.
He tells her the German delegates are to be housed outside the city, although they should be part of the proceedings. Papa says Wilson is an idealist, trying to repair the world. Papa has cared for Margot after her mother died. He takes her on trips with him. Later, she finds out her mother wanted a different life and left them. Stefan’s letter tells her about their wedding and renovations to a cottage in the countryside. Is this what she wants? She is content to stay in Paris. At a party to honor Wilson, she sees the woman in blue she had followed. She is now at the piano, playing for the dancers. Her father, too, is a delegate but from Poland. They introduce themselves:. Krysia Smok and Margot Rosenthal. Krysia says she likes the articles Papa has written on suffragists and socialism.
They leave the party together, catch the Metro, go to Montparnasse, and into The Closerie des Lilas. Author Jenoff sets the Paris scene for us. They sit at a table where men talk and ideas “rise like champagne,” and Margot tries to keep up. Her father is mentioned with respect. Margot debates Russia’s role in the world as she has learned from Papa. When they leave, Krysia asks Margot what she plans to do with her life. Krysia tells her to find her destiny.
When she does not hear from Krysia for a few days, she takes a taxi to Montparnasse. Entering the Café des Lilas she asks the bartender, Ignatz about Krysia, and he demands that she let him know any information she hears from her father about “The Big Four” at the conference. Ignatz gives her Krysia’s address and she goes to the apartment. She is invited up to her flat. Krysia encourages Margot to see a bit of the world. But Margot thinks about leaving her father, or not returning to Stefan. She and Papa move to an apartment in Versailles to stay with the German delegation. He commutes daily to the conference in Paris.
The French prime minister is attacked. There may have been a leak from the conference. Papa fears he will be a suspect because he is a German and a Jew. When Margot goes to the hotel for the German delegation, there is a large crowd. She drops her scarf and a young, handsome German officer picks it up for her. The crowd stares at her with hostility. She sees him again a few days later when she breaks the heel of her shoe. He tells her he is the military attaché to the delegation. They sit outside and have tea. He puts his coat around her cold shoulders. He is having trouble translating some of the papers. She says, “I can help you.” She says she wants something meaningful to do. She feels excitement and fears about the next day when they go into the library to work. She finds she enjoys working beside him. He wants the Imperial Navy to work as a peace-maker in the new world. He is Georg Richwalder. He tells her of the riots and strikes and protests occurring in Berlin. Neighbors fight one another, families are starving. He says he likes the sea, feels free there. She likes the mountains.
One day, Margot has a fitting of her wedding dress. In the store, she sees Ignatz. He knows she has been working for the German officer. He wants her to watch for anything about German military plans. She goes to see Krysia who says she will take care of Ignatz. Georg invites Margot to a dinner party for the following evening, she will go with her papa, and meet Georg there. At the party, he is in his dress uniform and most handsome. Krysia is at the piano and her husband plays the cello. As they prepare to leave together, Georg collapses on the floor and an ambulance takes him to the hospital. The following day, Krysia comes to tell Margot that Georg is all right, he has pneumonia. Krysia says she has spoken with Ignatz and he’s determined to get secrets from Margot. He will accuse papa of leaking secrets otherwise. After the nurse leaves Georg’s bedside, Margot looks for information and papers she can give Ignatz. She must protect Papa. She finds a map in Georg’s binder and takes it. At her hotel, she falls asleep. When she awakens in the morning, the map is gone. Papa has been away all night at Tante Celia’s. He is furious that she has been at Georg’s apartment most of the night. She asks about his being with Celia. Margot thinks Georg isn’t the man for her. But neither is Stefan.
Days later, Georg tells her a document the delegation wants is missing. He gives her a note for the French ministry to request a copy. Margot realizes she can give it to Ignatz. But instead, she returns it to Georg. He invites her for dinner the next night as appreciation. She rents bicycles and buys cold cuts and a bottle of wine. They have a carefree Parisian picnic. They kiss and frolic. Then they see a crowd and fireworks. When they buy a newspaper, they learn the treaty has been signed; Germany has been stripped of all armaments and must return to an agricultural economy. Georg is distraught and leaves for Versailles. Her papa says they will return to Berlin; it’s over.
Before they leave, Margot goes to Georg’s hotel rooms. As they are about to make love, there is a knock at the door. It is Papa and with him is Stefan. Complications abound. Stefan draws a saber he acquired during his war experience. Will Stefan and Georg fight over Margot’s love? Will she marry Stefan or go somewhere with Georg? Will Papa and Tante Celia continue to be together? Author Jenoff weaves fact and fiction in this historical novel at the end of World War I. Find it on the new fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.