In the Name of Liberty: A Story of the Terror

"In the Name of Liberty: A Story of the Terror" by Owen Johnson is a historical adventure placed amid the French Revolution, where a young man named Eugène Armand Barabant searches for meaning during this period of intense change. The novel highlights ideas about freedom, who we are, and how wars change relationships, all experienced through encounters with people who show the conflicts and thoughts of those times. Starting with Barabant's arrival in Paris during August 1792, he looks for safety and excitement in a city full of revolutionary spirit. He finds a room and is immediately introduced to people such as Nicole, a lively flower-girl who fascinates him, and la Mère Corniche, the cautious caretaker. Barabant's enthusiasm for the revolution is challenged by the harsh realities that become clear as he recognizes the intensity of the fight against the ruling class, and the mess of that age. This beginning creates the location for what is to come.