Rabble

While I've given a shout-out to Geoff Fox's new historical novel over on Instagram, I realized that I hadn't noted it here! Rabble is a wonderfully rich and lively tale of the Paris Commune.

In 1870, 17-year-old apprentice bookbinder Étienne Bonin travels from Lyon to Paris seeking excitement and professional opportunity. By spring 1871 he is deeply committed to the movement for workers’ power, to his 16-year-old coworker and budding feminist Rose Durand, and to his new comrades. Together they experience celebrations, military disasters, and the final “week of blood.” These workers created the first self-governing, proto-communist society in the modern world, in the most advanced capitalist city of its time. They then had to defend it against bombardment and attacks, which would finally annihilate the Commune but not its ideals.

I highly recommend Rabble for its deep and detailed dive into one of modern history's most interesting periods. You can get a copy from the publisher or from many retailers.