Salamandra 2006

Set against the backdrop of a clash of ideas that will change the course of civilization, Paris in the second half of the 18th century is a city in turmoil.

Confronting the unquestionable power of Church and State, the philosophers demand an earthly paradise ruled by equality, liberty, and fraternity. Their spark will be The Encyclopedia — the most revolutionary book since the Bible — a work meant to encompass all human knowledge and reason, a bomb set to shatter the decaying French monarchy.

Through the eyes of the novel’s protagonist, Sophie, the reader relives the genesis and triumph of the Enlightenment in a vivid and meticulous journey through the places and figures of that pivotal era for humankind.

From her first job as a waitress at Café Procope — a gathering place for freethinkers and intellectuals — to her privileged position as reader to the Marquise de Pompadour, the king’s mistress, the naïve Sophie moves through every level of society and meets the key players of the great social transformation to come, particularly the passionate and fearless Denis Diderot and even the kingdom’s censor, who will become an unexpected ally in support of The Encyclopedia.

Haunted by the terrible memories of her childhood, Sophie will discover her right to freedom, love, and happiness — a journey of personal transformation that mirrors the awakening of an entire people fighting for a better life.