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Mission Book Possible #10

Find a Book

The BookFinder is a month old!

With more than 1,830 books already in this new database, we wanted to create a fun way to help readers get acquainted with it.

Each day in November, we’re going to provide you with a sapphic book finding mission. Four prizes of a $15 Amazon gift card will be awarded during the month on Wednesdays, beginning next week, November 9.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Many of you already know that TB’s a history nut, so she’s been digging into historical happenings for each day in November to inspire the daily book-finding missions.

Once a day, I Heart SapphFic will share the day’s mission in the IHS Reader Group on Facebook. Your assignment will be to check the I Heart SapphFic Bookfinder for a book that fulfills the mission, and then to report back to the Facebook group with a link to that book on the IHS website. To get the link to the book, click on the cover and then copy the URL to paste in the Facebook group.

You are allowed one entry per mission. On November 9, 16, 23, and 30, TB will use a random number generator to select the winner from the entries that were received.

Graphic of Mission Book Possible

Now let’s get to today’s fun: Ninon de l’Enclos

French author, courtesan, and patron of the arts, Ninon de l’Enclos was born on November 10, 1620 in Paris.

In 1632, after a duel, her father was exiled. A decade later, her mother passed away. Ninon, unmarried, entered a convent, but left it a year later, resolved never to marry.

After returning to Paris, Ninon became a well-liked individual in the salons and her own place was a beacon for chats about the literary arts. It’s said, she encouraged the young Molière and when she died, she left money to her notary’s son, François-Marie Arouet, so he could purchase books. Arouet is better known by his nom de plume Voltaire.

During this time, she became a courtesan, taking several rich and powerful lovers. None of the men, though, supported Ninon and her financial independence was a point of pride. During her time, taking on lovers wasn’t as socially acceptable as it became in later years. In 1656, at the command of Anne of Austria, Queen of France and regent to her son Louis XIV, Ninon was imprisoned in the Madelonnettes Convent. After visiting Ninon, the former queen of Sweden arranged for Ninon’s release.

In the late 1660s, Ninon retired from her courtesan life, focusing her attention on literary friends.

Saint-Simon commented, “Ninon made friends among the great in every walk of life, had wit and intelligence enough to keep them, and, what is more, to keep them friendly with one another.”

At the time of her death in 1704, she was eighty-four and quite wealthy.

To honor Ninon de l’Enclos, we’re asking readers to go to the BookFinder and look up books in the following Archetype category: Escort / Courtesan / Sex worker

Example graphic

Find a book you haven’t read yet, or if you come across an old favorite, share it and tell us why. To enter the giveaway, share your entry in the Facebook group.

Remember, the more days you play, the more entries you’ll receive for the $15 Amazon gift card, so don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another Book Finding Mission.

Authors, if your books aren’t in the database yet, we highly recommend you submit them now. Here’s the form.

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