Escape from the Sun King

Escape from the Sun King tells the fictional story of the Guillet family, Robert, wife Ruth, son Roberto, daughter Sarah, and son Lucas who are Huguenot ( Protestant followers of John Calvin) living in Paris during the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) by Louis XIV the Sun King. This edict removes the right to worship their faith and gives the vicious dragonnades (soldier missionaries) the right to move in and persecute them in their own home. The family takes drastic action to survive and help others. Their daughter Sarah remains in Paris to look after the family's wealth and business interests by converting and marrying a Catholic. While her parents prepare to flee, she courts 3 prospective husbands and marries. Meanwhile one rejected suitor becomes obsessed with her and makes her life unbearable.
The rest of the Guillet family bid their daughter farewell and begin their perilous journey to England. Family members face immense challenges including shipwreck, sexual assault, settling into a new country, starting a new business, indentured servitude, smuggling and fire. They meet their challenges despite all odds with close calls of capture by soldiers and tax collectors. For many of us, the Guillet are our ancestors. Although the characters are devout, this is not a book directed at a Christian audience. Instead, it is a story of courage and leadership faced by the people first described as refugees, especially the female members of the family. Light-hearted scenes include attending a ball at a grand house located on the Seine, a soiree at Versailles to meet the King and Madame Maintenon, a rescue at sea, smuggling on the Island of Jersey and interaction with a gang of ruffians in London.