Dancing to the Precipice

Like Saint-Simon at Versailles or Samuel Pepys in 17th century London, Lucie de la Tour du Pin was a deft chronicler of her times. Born into French and British nobility, Lucie spent most of her 80 years as a witness to, and often a participant in, the major events of her day. From the French Revolution to the American Revolution, and from Paris to the ducal courts of Italy (with a short stay in Albany, New York), Lucie watched, listened and wrote about the remarkable era in which she lived.

In this compelling biography, Caroline Moorehead illuminates the extraordinary life and remarkable achievements of this witty, opinionated and dynamic woman who survived war, exile, poverty, and illness. Meticulously researched, brilliantly written, and vastly entertaining, Dancing to the Precipice is an incomparable social history.

The acclaimed author of numerous biographies and works of history, Caroline Moorehead has also written for the Telegraph, the Times, and the Independent. She is the cofounder of a legal-advice center for asylum seekers from Africa, and her most recent book, Human Cargo: A Journey Among the Refugees was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She lives in London.

“An astute, thoroughly engaging biography of a formidable woman.”—Anna Mundow, Boston Globe