The Valley of Heaven and Hell - Cycling in the Shadow of Marie-Antoinette

by Susie Kelly

In her fourth travelogue, Susie and her husband take to their bikes to explore the Marne valley, following in the carriage tracks of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI in their abortive escape attempt from the French revolution.

Susie is not a born cyclist, as she discovers within the first five minutes of a journey that will last three weeks. Neither does she look her best in Lycra cycling gear. While her husband whirls along effortlessly, she frequently grinds to a halt and has to be rescued. But the pair keep pedalling, from the glitz of Versailles to the hilly Champagne vineyards, via a hair-raising ride through Paris and through quaint provincial towns and sombre battlefields.

Like the best-selling "Best Foot Forward – a 500-mile walk through hidden France", and "Travels with Tinkerbelle – 6,000 miles around France in a mechanical wreck", "The Valley of Heaven and Hell – cycling in the shadow of Marie-Antoinette" is an enjoyable mixture of travel and history, told in Susie's characteristically light-hearted and self-depreciating style. One for armchair travellers to enjoy, or a good holiday read.

"This book manages to combine history, humor and the best of travel writing all in one."

"As someone who enjoys reading about travel on foot or bicycle I can say its as good as any I've read and is a massively entertaining and satisfying read."

"When it's funny it's laugh-out-loud funny, and when it's sad it is heart-breaking."

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Adventure

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2011

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this one a fourth star as the author does such a good job integrating both the historical aspects and the bicycle journey that follows the couple's final route.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating and at times very funny book. Susie and her husband Terry undertake a cycle trip from Versailles, through Paris and then taking in several towns situated along the Marne valley. Their route follows that taken by Marie Antoinette and Louis XV1 when they fled from Paris, were captured and brought back to face certain death by guillotine. Susie is a wonderful storyteller and there are many laugh out loud moments, though I suspect not always for her! She incorporates the tale of the ill-fated couple as well as giving us other more recent historical facts about the places they visit, some of which are quite harrowing. She has the knack of bringing history to life and she’s certainly done her research, something I like to do as well. From the cover to the end this is a thoroughly enjoyable and informative memoir. There’s plenty to smile at and lots to discover in this super book

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite non-fiction genres is the travel narrative. They aren’t an efficient way for planning a trip. Guidebooks are much better for that kind of detail. But for the armchair traveler looking for a vicarious experience, or to get the flavor of an area before visiting, they’re perfect. The travel narrative needs everything any other story has. A rote recitation of what the author did isn’t enough. To create a readable story out of the author’s experience, there needs to be conflict, to hold the reader’s attention, and an overriding theme. There are many options to do this.

The subtitle, "Cycling in the Shadow of Marie-Antoinette," gives a clue to how this book deals with the issue. The trip covers the route taken by Marie-Antoinette and her family in first trying to escape France and the route used after their capture to return them to Paris. Interwoven with the actual travel, as Kelly and her husband cycle the route and visit sites along the way, is historical background. Buried within the story of Kelly’s trip, which has plenty of conflict of its own, is a mini-biography of the French Monarch, which is full of conflict while providing the theme.

This approach, of combining history in a travel lesson, is one I’ve seen before and like. Just as history can come alive when you travel to historical sites, doing it by proxy can do the same. If you’re like me, your knowledge doesn’t go much beyond what you learned about Marie-Antoinette and the French Revolution while reading "A Tale of Two Cities" years ago in school. It turns out that the whole “let them eat cake” thing was a small and possibly misleading part of the story.

While Marie-Antoinette provides a story, there is also the story thread of the actual trip. Kelly not only cycled the entire trip, but did so with her husband, camping most nights. That provides plenty of fuel for conflict as well. This was a trip I enjoyed taking through Susie Kelly’s eyes, both for what I learned about the area of France she traveled, and the history involved. My backside and the muscles in my legs were much happier doing it this way, too.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found out about this book via A Common Reader, http://acommonreader.org/review-the-v... and purchased a copy via Smashbooks, because for some inexplicable reason it wasn't available in the regular Kindle way for Australian readers. It was amazingly cheap because the Aussie dollar is riding so high at the moment.
H V Morton will always be my favourite travel writer, but this tale of a cycling tour to retrace the doomed journeys of Marie Antoinette is entertaining. Kelly does what I do when I travel, she finds out about the places she's going to so that she understands something of the background and culture of her destinations. She is irretrievably British right down to her allusions to boarding school, and her self-deprecating humour is sometimes matched by wry observations about French history and manners, but she has an obvious affection for France which makes the book a pleasure to read.

[E.J. Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love France and I love history but I didn't realise how well they could be combined until I read this memoir. The author gives a rather tongue in cheek narration of a bicycle ride through Paris and into the surrounding countryside and combines it with an overview of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI's flight and subsequent recapture during the French Revolution in 1791. The geography of their cycling tour is woven into the history of this fateful journey and at times the author feels very close to the spirit of the doomed queen.The horror of WWI is also noted as the journey unfolds. Add some wine, pleasant restaurants, hilarious camping incidents and several rather scary confrontations with French traffic and you have a travel memoir with a difference.

[Iben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best travelogue I've read (the only travelogue I've read) - made me want to bike through France myself!

Excellently written, the book contains a great balance between the past and the present. It tells the daunting task of biking for so long in all sorts of weather and conditions, and it explains the current state of affairs and what visitors could expect today and combines this with stories of the past, like where and how champagne originated, what wars where fought there and why. Last but not least it follows in the footsteps of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XIV and the route they took when they attempted to flee the murderous revolution but were captured and brought back to Paris to face brutal justice.

It's humoristic and interesting to read, and I loved all the little stories and details about the past of the many small towns of France that are otherwise unknown to the world. I've been to France myself, so some of the places described I could easily recall and loved reading about now with more historical description than I ever knew. I'm also a big fan of biking around the countryside and could easily feel the author's pains when it comes to biking in poor weather conditions, heavy traffic and so on. Furthermore the author includes many links (urls) to the various places and people she describes, which in my eyes is a brilliant idea.

All in all The Valley of Heaven and Hell hit all the right buttons for me and I heartily recommend it to anyone who fancy a round trip through historical and modern France as seen from a bike.

From www.boroughofbooks.com - review

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enchanting andhad me hooked in from the first page. It contains just the right balance of the past and the present information for the novel to actually work.

It was an interesting novel and brought the reader to small villages within rural France that are unknown to the rest of the world. It was interesting to learn about Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI in stages through out the novel. It is easy for the reader to feel pain for the author as she takes us on her journey through France on a bike and I have a lot of admiration for the author and what she has achieved. Through this novel I have learnt a lot about the French Revolution and what life was like in rural France. I felt like I had been on a bike riding alongside the author as she was telling the story. This book is excellent for the traveller inside everyone.

I highly recommend this book to people who want to learn about the historical and the present France but who don’t want to leave the comfort of their own home.

This review was first published on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com

[Valerie Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of Susie Kelly's books over the years and I've enjoyed them all. This one is as interesting and funny as all the rest. Ms Kelly is a terrific writer giving me everything I want from a travel memoir. I enjoyed the personal journey, her self-deprecating and understated humour and her interaction with her husband, whom she clearly loves and admires; I soaked up the tragic and fascinating history of the places they visited on their cycling tour, and loved the concept of following in the path of Marie-Antoinette's and Louis the 16th's last journey. It was interesting to have a different perspective on these much-vilified historical characters too. I also laughed, sympathised and struggled up the hills with her as she undertook a cycling journey for which she wasn't in the best physical shape. Altogether, this is a really great travel memoir that taught me a lot about France, the country's turbulent history, the wonderful river Marne and this intrepid author's adventurous attitude to life, no matter what adverse conditions there might be. Highly recommended!

[Susan Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down, having been interested in this period of history for a long time.
Susie and her husband's adventures on this epic cycle ride had me captivated, from their start at Versaille, the horrors of cycling in Paris to her descriptions of the places she visited and the histories behind them as they followed the final journey of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. I learnt so much about a part of France I have never visited,the bravery of the French resistance during the wars and the Champagne houses. Having loved Paris since my first school trip visit aged 14, I have an overwelming urge to go back again and look at some of the places I have missed, armed with more knowledge. Yet another great book from my favourite author.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Susie Kelly book that I've had the pleasure to read. I love the descriptive anecdotes and conversations with her husband. I found their cycling travels to be quite relatable as I've traveled to many of the locations where she traveled and have had similar cycling experiences with my own husband. Kelly does a lovely job at weaving the history of a region quite well from the path taken by the truly last French Totals to the tales of WW I and WW II. I'll definitely read another book by the author.

[Maria Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the BEST history lesson I've ever sat through!
I'd received a free copy of Susie's book and was determined to read it over Easter. Sitting in a bay on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, just added to the enjoyment. If you're the slightest bit interested in the French Revolution, not to mention travelling in France, then you'll appreciate Susie's knowledge of history and fun with words.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein im Jahr 2014 sehr nachdenklich machender Reisebericht mit solide recherchiertem historischen Hintergrund, den ich sehr gern gelesen habe: zwei englische Radtouristen auf den Spuren Marie-Antoinettes.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice travel book with lots of information about Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI that I didn't know. It made me want to learn more about them. And it made me want to see Paris again but certainly not on a bicycle.

[L.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Article first published as Book Review: The Valley of Heaven and Hell: Cycling in the Shadow of Marie-Antoinette by Susie Kelly on Blogcritics.

Imagine being on vacation and spending the time cycling through France. In The Valley of Heaven and Hell-Cycling in the Shadow of Marie-Antoinette by Susie Kelly, she introduces us to both the beauty and history of this European country just a bit smaller in scale than the state of Texas. Kelly writes a heartwarming and challenging story of her arrival into the art of cycling, keeping the story entertaining and mostly lighthearted. She keeps up an amazing dialogue along the path she and her husband have chosen which seem to parallel that traveled during the final days of Marie-Antoinette and her Husband King Louis XVI as they tried to make their escape during the French Revolution.

The book is littered with known facts in this final flight as well as many of the other venues of historical significance that happened in this small area that may have had a hand in the way the world has changed over the centuries. We feel the charm though the names such as Versailles, La Villette, the Tuileries and Montmedy. Just the enunciation of the words brings to mind the chic and trendy French countryside. Americans too have been involved in many of the miseries that seem to embody some of the history of the area by acting as allies during the wars. France is full of memorials and places of special significance throughout erected in the effort to memorialize those that gave their lives for others.

As Kelly and her husband Terry take their tour she keeps us entertained with the different antics of the trip and pokes a great deal of fun at herself. She interjects bits of the history of the areas they encounter and her thoughts and feelings about these as well along her way.

What I didn’t expect was to feel the history, to have the faint ghostly presence of those long past come through the reading and descriptions. It is uncanny and it is the feeling you have when visiting those areas were many have died and been laid to rest. I could feel the sadness and fear of the Monarchs for their children and for each other. The beauty and the pain are laid out in such stark relief that it is difficult to not be caught up in the history. I found myself researching and following up on some of the information that she interjects throughout to get just a bit more background.

While the history is true, Kelly tackles it and makes it read like a horror story. It is hard to imagine the mindset and hysteria that creates such a magnitude of a mob scene as evidenced, as these two Royals were captured and imprisoned. And even as the pain unfolds, there is a kind of peace, that seems to come with the beauty that seems to remake itself.

If you enjoy history, and are looking for a look into both the past and present than look no further. This would make an exceptional book for a book club or reading group. It would also be a wonderful addition to your library.

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

[Alice Yeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

During one alternately rainy and scorching summer vacation, author Susie Kelly and her husband, Terry, set off on bicycle to follow the journey of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette through the Marne Valley. Along they way, food is consumed, physical endurance is tested, and French history is shared. More than as travelogue, as it were, The Valley of Heaven and Hell immerses readers in the past while engaging their sympathies for present troubles. The result is a memorable shared trip through 750 kilometers' worth of France.

For those of us in desperate need of a vacation, this narrative takes us out of our humdrum lives and allows us to travel alongside Susie and Terry, all while learning about a couple most recently brought to the fore by a woefully inaccurate film featuring Kirsten Dunst as the much maligned queen. What could have been a very dry rendering of French history becomes a fascinating story, told by a woman who clearly cares about the subject matter. Relayed with the same zeal that the author applies to present day foibles, readers quickly find themselves engaged. Beyond the Revolution and the Reign of Terror, Kelly also explores the impact of World War I on several of the locations through which they cycled. The end result is as educational as it is entertaining.

In the scenes depicting the ride itself, the author conveys various mishaps and her own emotional state with a self-effacing humor that is often hilarious enough to make a reader laugh out loud. Granted, the transitions between past and present are a little abrupt at times, but on the whole, I can appreciate the attempt at seamless shifting based on location. The author also saw fit to include helpful URLs for items and areas of interest for those of us who are a little less well-traveled. The inclusion of references buoys the credibility of the factual information presented.

I suppose that this review is shorter than most, but it's rather difficult to explain what made a very long bike ride, the French Revolution, and some WWI so utterly fascinating. Suffice it to say that I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a literary getaway minus the expense of an actual trip.

Hide and Read
(Review copy provided by the author)

[Vic Heaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been to Paris but my wife and I will be spending a week there with some New Zealand friends in July. The friends had heard about some accompanied cycling trips round Paris and suggested we could have a bash at that. Fortunately this suggestion was received the same day that I finished reading Susie Kelly’s book which had made it clear to me that cycling through Paris should be considered only as an alternative to jumping off the world’s tallest building without a parachute.

Susie and her husband Terry followed, on bikes, the sad route of Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI of France as they were arrested at Versailles, taken to imprisonment in Paris, escaped and headed East, were recaptured and taken back to Pairs to await execution.

Susie is very informative about that journey and has the ability to soak up not only the modern atmosphere of each place but to imagine the condition and plight of the royal couple during their doomed flight. I am certainly much better informed about events following the French revolution than I was previously, and about Versailles, Paris, and the several towns and villages east of Paris which figured in the story.

The area Susie and Terry passed through also played a huge part in the dreadful events and huge “battles” of the First World War. Here again Susie can obviously “feel the pain” of all those millions of young men sent by old men to stand and be killed in appalling numbers by other young men they did not know, had never met, and who were also cannon fodder for the use of a different bunch of old men practicing diplomacy by megadeath.

Despite the sadness Susie tells all this with her characterist humour and inventive turn of phrase, and with her trademark eye for animal and plant life. And of course her observations of the human animals she meets, their quirks, eccentricities and sometimes kindness, add to the delight of the reader.

Nice one, Susie.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when an adrenaline-junkie guy who loves speed, dangerous traffic, and wine cellars goes on a long bicycle tour with his timid, claustrophobic wife who likes to stop and smell the roses? Surprisingly, the story doesn't end in murder and mayhem, although the author clearly considered it a few times. Any wife will sympathize.

Kelly is an English ex-pat happily settled into a tiny village in rural France. When a friend offers to house-sit and care for their animals, she and her husband embark on a cycling tour of the Marne Valley - the heart of France and the site of much of its blood-stained history. As she tries to keep up with her husband's frenetic pace, she speculates on the historic events from the French Revolution to the two World Wars that have taken place in this strip of now-peaceful country land.

I never before appreciated how France's position smack in the middle of Europe has subjected her to so much blood-shed and horror. And what atrocities other countries have failed to provide, the French have, sadly, committed on each other. How to explain the French Revolution and its aftermath, in which wave after wave of leaders rose by slaughtering the opposition only to eventually follow them to the scaffold? Can a people suddenly go collectively mad or was it a build-up of centuries of frustration?

Kelly is such a likable woman and her quirky personality makes her books delightful reading. That she is also a thoughtful, intelligent, and well-read is a huge bonus. This is the third of her books that I've read and I devoured every one of them and am always sorry to finish them. She seems to have a large, well-deserved following. If you love good non-fiction, you should discover her as soon as possible.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars (liked it)

Thankfully less ominous than the book's title might suggest, this is a relatively light-hearted story of the adventures of a couple, Susie and Terry (told from Susie's P.O.V.), as they took an extended biking and camping trip along the general path that Marie Antoinette traveled in her final days. Despite the weather often not being optimal and the hilly terrain often being physically challenging for Susie (even with a bike that was electric), the couple still forged ahead in trying to successfully accomplish their mission, find moments of enjoyment along the way, and gain further insight into the history of Marie Antoinette and the country by seeing first hand, and connecting to, its towns, cities, and landscapes visited by significant people from the past. The couple did have their share of minor differences and, unfortunately, Susie's physical appearance did not fair well with the rigors of such an outdoor trip. Both were understandable but shifted some of the focus away from the sightseeing and cultural experiences. However, the determined spirit with which they engaged in their adventure, and the amusing authenticity with which Susie relayed it in retrospect, made the story endearing overall. Susie also did a nice job of weaving together some history of France and of Marie Antoinette into the story of their travels which added an additional level of substance and interest. I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in France and its history.

[Marilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read other intrepid travel books by Susie Kelly, but for this one, she went more into the background and history of what she and her hubby were seeing as they biked through part of France following in the "footsteps" of Marie Antionette on the way to her tragic ultimate fate. This historical perspective was usually well woven into the travel narrative of this adventure, though at times the shifting of gears [excuse the bad pun] could be a bit clunky.

Still, as a bicycle traveler myself, I enjoyed the book, even as I cringed at times, reliving some similar misadventures of my own while peddling through parts of France. I've been on 4 bike trips in France, so truly, I relate. The French can be wonderfully gracious and generous, but also prickly and peevish towards bicycling tourists. The country has a somewhat schizophrenic love/hate relationship with bikes. The famous Tour de France excites the country into a frenzy of pride, but casual cyclists impeding drivers on city streets can be exasperating.

Still, biking through France is a great way to experience the wildly varied country. Just try to maintain a sense of humor, use sun screen liberally [unlike Susie, apparently] and all should be well.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Susie Kelly book that I've read, and I liked it almost as much I did Swallows & Robins. The writing style is very agreeable, Susie's charitable views on everything she saw made her come across as a likeable virtual travelling companion and her choice of landmarks from Paris and its surrounding areas kept the book varied and interesting until the very end.

I've lived in France for 8yrs myself and thought I knew plenty about French history, yet still I found frequent educational surprises for me. I've been to Paris several times, yet the author's infectious enthusiasm for the area makes me want to visit the parts that I missed - if perhaps not by bike...! The book version that I read was printed wonderfully well, in rather large type which seemed like reading in HD after reading on the Kindle so much.

I hope to read the other two Susie Kelly travel books soon, if they're all worth 4.25 stars out of 5 like this one. Recommended.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the title...I love the humor...I love the bit of scarcasm...and I love the intertwining of history with modern day :)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Valley of Heaven and Hell-Cycling in the shadow of Marie Antoinette”, by Susie Kelly. The author and her husband, Terry, plan a bicycle tour across France. Susie tries to integrate the bike journey she and Terry will take with the route of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette's escape and then forced return during the French Revolution.
As she details some of the agonies of trying to navigate across maniacal traffic as Terry cycles so far ahead of her and her terror...I felt sorry for her, but the satire part of me started laughing.
The descriptive beauty of the scenery through the rural areas they travel is a joy. The camping and cold nights in a tent made me feel a chill.
Very good book!

[James Penhaligon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Valley of Heaven and Hell - Cycling in the Shadow of Marie-Antoinette (Kindle Edition)
Well, it's already been said that this book combines history, humour and the best of travel writing. But what can you say about a book which seizes you from the outset, and won't let you go? It's just so entertaining, so informative, so amusing! Susie Kelly is a writer of incredible skill. She is also so disarmingly honest, and never fails to see her own faults or shortcomings in the amazing, anecdote-filled, adventures she describes, this time on a bicycle. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, should read this wonderful book!

Dr F.J.Eva (Pseudonym - James Penhaligon).

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating glimpse at France's Marne Valley, the route that Louis and Marie Antoinette took on their hapless flight from Paris to Varenne. It is also bloody ground much fought over in the World Wars. Yet it also boasts of Champagne, the cathedral city of Reims, and the birthplace of the chocolate bar. I would love to recreate their trip (only not by bike.)

What irritated me about the book was the author's whiny tone. I really wanted to tell her to grow up already. Still, the vibrancy of her description means that I will likely look for others of her books. Too many places to see... too little time and money.

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get into this book at all! The actual travelogue seemed good enough (although the first few chapters really didn't endear me to her husband), but the parts about Marie-Antoinette were utterly uninteresting to me. My mistake, for not realizing ahead of time that this was both in equal parts, rather than a travelogue with just a bit of history thrown in from time to time (this might have been the case later on in the book, I gave up after 20%).

I may pick it back up later, with adjusted expectations, but right now it's not the book I'm looking for.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Kelly's sense of adventure, determination and humour never fail to entertain; but, this book exceeded all of my expectations.
The outstanding story of Susie and her husband Terry's amazing bicycle trip from Versailles following the fateful journey of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Not only does the story include the tragic tale of the royals, but descriptions of the damning effects of WW1 and WW2 on the places they visited.
I cannot recommend this magnificent and gripping read highly enough, and I know I will be reading it again in the future.

[Heather Weinert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes a little too self-mocking, the author bravely cycles along Marie Antoinette's escape route. She stops at places of historical note along the way, relating well-researched history as well as her thoughts and feelings. Sometimes funny, sometimes profoundly sad, with a touch of ordinariness, this book is great travel writing. Read along with "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran or any other book dealing with the French Revolution or Marie Antoinette.

[Cathy Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because I love to travel and I love history. I learned a thing or two about Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution that I did NOT learn in World History. I like Susie Kelly's style of writing and I totally “get” her sense of humor! I now know I do not want to ride a bike through Paris, so the book is also very informative. If you like travel memoirs, history and an occasional good laugh, I highly recommend this book.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as our June book club selection, and I enjoyed learning about the history of this part of France, as related to Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI, and WWI. The writing was a bit disjointed for my taste, and I was not sure of that was due to cultural differences or individual preferences. Overall, it was a satisfying summer read.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book quite a bit actually. She does a good job of weaving together her cycling journey and the history that accompanies her stops. I guess I only gave it 3 stars because I felt that at times her observations of her own journey and things that happened to her were fairly irrelevant. But it definitely made me more interested in the history.

[Dereka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book through one of the Kindle sales and knew nothing about Susie Kelly previously. How glad I am that I have discovered her writing. She is laugh out loud funny, she is sometimes grumpy, she tries to do things that are too difficult and succeeds in doing them. The historical context she provides adds a wonderful dimension to her writing.