La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France by Bronwen McShea (review)

Reviewed by: La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France by Bronwen McShea Christopher Coski McShea, Bronwen. La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France. Pegasus, 2023. ISBN 978-1-63936-347-6. Pp. 480. McShea examines the life of Marie de Vignerot, Richelieu's niece, trusted ally, and heiress. The author explores the historical and societal context surrounding Marie's life and the key events of seventeenth-century French history in which Marie played an active part. McShea's work is a compelling account of a strong woman who successfully navigated a world rife with court tensions and intrigues, and who wielded considerable influence and left a significant legacy all-too-frequently glossed over or wholly neglected by previous historians. The book is divided into two main sections. The first covers Marie's life during Richelieu's time in power and ends with the cardinal's death. The second covers Marie's experience as Richelieu's heir and as a fully independent actor in political and religious affairs after his passing. Over the course of fifty-eight chapters, the reader discovers there is hardly a major figure, institution, or event with which Marie was not deeply involved. She was a high-ranking lady-in-waiting to Queen Mother Catherine de Medici, a member of Madame de Rambouillet's Chambre Bleue, Richelieu's eyes and ears at court while he was away commanding at La Rochelle and elsewhere, possible spy for the cardinal on the Day of the Dupes, ally and patron to the future Saint Vincent de Paul, governor of the strategic port of Le Havre, refuge-giver to the royal family during the Fronde, hostess to the negotiators of the Peace of Reuil, patroness to writers and religious orders, and the driving force behind religious (as well as political and economic) missions abroad expanding French influence across the globe. In short, McShea offers the gripping biography of a woman who learned politics, power, and influence at the elbow of French history's most formidable prime minister and who, subsequently, put those lessons to effective use in her own right, in the end wielding more power and influence than many, if not most men of her time. The study's sources include an extensive list of archival documents and manuscripts, published primary works such as memoirs and letters and other contemporary accounts, and modern-day histories. McShea's writing style is crisp, clean and eminently readable. The chapters are brief and clearly focused, while fitting neatly together to form a coherent, unforced narrative, where one topic naturally flows into the next. This, combined with the fascinating subject matter, makes the work suitable for a wide range of readers, from advanced undergraduates to professional scholars. McShea's book is focused and detailed enough that it should be of keen interest to any student or professional specialist in historical Women's Studies or French history and culture, while being readable and engaging enough to appeal to a general educated readership interested in those subjects. End Page 123 Christopher Coski Ohio University Copyright © 2024 American Association of Teachers of French