Victor Hugo didn't much care for Adèle because he was never sure she was his daughter. Even so, he made her join the rest of his family as they shared his exile on the island of Jersey. Adèle was virtually imprisoned. The lack of outlets for her artistic gifts cramped her mind, and daily seances loosened her grip on reality. No wonder she fell in love with a feckless English soldier, Albert Andrew Pinson. His ardour for everything about her except her money cooled rapidly, but her passion for him burned white hot. Adèle dogged Pinson's footsteps, first to Halifax and then to Barbados, sometimes in a state of dementia. At last, a former slave rescued her from a Bridgetown street and took her home to France. Victor committed Adèle to an asylum, and there she stayed for the rest of her life, even though she was at times no less lucid than he.

Ottawa writer Leslie Smith Dow bases Adèle Hugo’s sad yet exciting life story on Adèle’s own diaries, the Hugos’ voluminous correspondence, and recollections written by friends of this strange family. Adèle Hugo: La Misérable, her second biography, follows the highly acclaimed Anna Leonowens: A Life Beyond the King and I.

Leslie Smith Dow's profile page

"A fascinating story."

<i>Nova Scotia Historical Review</i>

"Leslie Smith Dow has written in a very readable style the story of the fascinating and almost unbelievable life of Adèle Hugo. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers interested in women's issues and in psychology."

<i>The Officer&339;s Quarterly</i>

"Leslie Smith Dow's 'i.Adèle Hugo: La Misérable is the intriguing story of one daughter's bizarre but ultimately hapless rebellion against the restrictions of her lot. La Misérable succeeds very well as the sympathetic portrait of a woman driven to freakish lengths in search of freedom."

<i>Globe and Mail</i>

"In this immensely readable book, Dow has captured with clarity and assurance the frustrations of being an upper-class woman in 19th-century French society. Fans of mystery, romance, and history will all enjoy a fast-paced and sympathetic portrait of a talented but troubled young woman."

<i>Canadian Book Review Annual</i>

"Award-winning Ottawa author Leslie Smith Dow writes in a lucid and factual style that is as interesting and as readable as a well-written novel. The story she has pieced together from numerous sources is an astounding one. One of the most impressive features of Dow"s writing is the way in which she is able to present not only Adèle but also the events and people in her life in all their complexity."

<i>Canadian Literature</i>

"Adèle Hugo: La Misérable is elegantly written and concise. All good news, it must be said, for history and literature buffs alike."

<i>Atlantic Books Today</i>

"Ce livre est presque le roman d'une vie, mais aussi une histoire qui nous fair voir le grand poète sous une lumière bein differente que celle à laquelle on est habitué."

<i>Le Courrier de la Nouvelle Écosse</i>

"Adèle Hugo: La Misérable is riveting. This book has themes and ideas and is written in plain, crisp sentences. Dow brings a much deeper feminist perspective to her rich and rounded telling of Adèle's story. It is a book well worth reading."

<i>Quill & Quire</i>

"A very interesting and highly readable book. Leslie Smith Dow provides a thorough and imaginative interpretation of Adèle Hugo."

<i>New Maritimes</i>