Les Miserables, a work of historical fiction by Victor Hugo, http://www.shvoong.com/books/guidance/115861-dream-giver , is set in France during the Revolution. Les Miserables weaves itself around a slew of characters, all with different origins and stories, eventually drawn into one long saga thanks to the main character, Jean Valjean. An escaped convict, Jean Valjean undergoes a transformation from a prison-worn ruffian to a saint of sorts with the help of an old clergyman. Jean Valjean finds himself drawn to care for Cosette, the daughter of the poor Fantine. From battling the unkind Thenardiers to avoiding the clutches of Inspector Javert, Jean Valjean is constantly moving and changing his identity while caring for Fantine’s child. http://www.shvoong.com/books/non-fiction/114014-back-basics/ Although he is continually running from the authorities, Valjean still manages to change the lives (for the better) of a handful of others, some of whom have immense roles in the unfolding plot. All the while, Victor Hugo succeeds in inserting historical accounts of the Revolution in Les Miserables throughout his sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes inspirational, and mostly mysterious, action-filled novel. Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. . . http://www.shvoong.com/books/guidance/115861-dream-giver http://www.shvoong.com/books/non-fiction/114014-back-basics/