I’m honored to share that From the Drop of Heaven has received a Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Medallion, one of the largest and most respected book review platforms for independently and traditionally published authors.
This distinction is awarded to books that meet the highest standards of literary quality, originality, and reader engagement. Receiving five stars from a professional reviewer is not only humbling, but deeply affirming—especially for a novel that seeks to give voice to the quieter corners of history.
Readers’ Favorite assigns its medallions based on professional editorial reviews. A five-star rating means the book is judged to be “exceptional”—not only in writing quality but in structure, pacing, and depth. As an author, it’s especially rewarding to receive this recognition for a story rooted in real lives and painstaking research.
What the Award Represents
The Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Medallion is more than a badge—it’s a sign that the novel has connected, that the story speaks not just to a niche audience but to a wider readership seeking meaning, humanity, and beautifully told truth.
From the Drop of Heaven is set in the religiously tense landscape of 18th-century rural France, where a community of free thinkers and seekers—some based on real families—risked their safety for the freedom to believe differently. To have that story recognized for its impact is deeply gratifying.
About Readers’ Favorite
Readers’ Favorite is a trusted name in book reviews, known for its transparency, professionalism, and credibility. They serve readers, librarians, and booksellers by highlighting books that meet a high editorial standard, across every genre.
Thousands of books are submitted annually, but only a select percentage earn a five-star rating. Their team of reviewers includes authors, educators, and publishing professionals—all committed to identifying quality work and promoting it to a global audience.
You can view my Readers’ Favorite profile and full review here.
Award Badge Recognition
Below is the official Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Medallion, which I’m proud to display as part of the book’s journey:
This award joins a growing list of recognitions for From the Drop of Heaven, all of which you can explore on the Awards Overview page. Each one tells its own part of the story.
Thank You to the Readers
Every recognition, every star, every thoughtful review—whether from a professional platform or a book club reader—is a reminder that stories still matter. I’m grateful to Readers’ Favorite for this honor, and to every reader who’s spent time with this book. Your attention is the real award.
If you’re new here, I hope this page gives you a reason to pick up the book—or recommend it to a friend, librarian, or book club.
Read the Book
Review by Saifunnissa Hassam
Juliette Godot’s From the Drop of Heaven: Legends, Prejudice, and Revenge is historical fiction inspired by the author’s 16th-century French ancestors. Catherine Cathillon de la Goutte de Paradis was Godot’s thirteenth-generation grandmother. The family name “de la Goutte de Paradis” provides the title of the novel (which translates as ‘from the drop of heaven’) and refers to the beautiful Salm area in the French Vosges mountains.
Set in the town of Vacquenoux in Salm, the account centers around the Cathillon and de la Goutte de Paradis families and follows the lives of three characters through the decades. The story begins when Catherine Cathillon was a young girl from a family of farmers. Nicolas de la Goutte de Paradis’s father, Jean, was a blacksmith and the mayor of Vacquenoux. Martin was a student in Geneva when his professor was burned at the stake for sedition. He found refuge in Vacquenoux with Nicolas’s family. Martin shares the banned books he receives from Strasbourg with Nicolas. Catherine learns to read from Nicolas. Their lives unfold through the years, with a constant undercurrent of danger from religious and political turmoil.
I enjoyed From the Drop of Heaven for its compelling characters, particularly Catherine Cathillon, Nicolas de la Goutte de Paradis, and Martin. I became immersed in the tangled web of their storylines from the outset. I liked the different backgrounds of the three major characters. Catherine is from a farming family, Nicolas becomes a silversmith, while Martin manages the Vacquenoux stables. I loved their character development, their inner journeys, and the drama of interactions within families and with other characters.
I loved the interwoven narrative of how books draw them together. Catherine’s inner journey was the most profound, from her early days on the farm to her incredible courage when faced with persecution. Martin’s character comes into its own in the latter part of the novel when the Cathillon and de la Goutte de Paradis families face unexpected struggles for survival. I loved the rich evocative descriptions of Vacquenoux, its La Grande-Courty river, and the valley of Lac de la Maix. Juliette Godot’s book is gripping, with memorable characters, life in 16th-century France, unflinching courage, resilience, and hope.