A Tale of the Wind — Kay Nolte Smith

This is a historical novel that takes place in 19th-century Paris. Nandou, a talented actor, magician, and dwarf, falls in love with Jeanne Sorel, a ragpicker. He takes her home and educates her, never telling her of his feelings. Meanwhile, Jeanne falls in love with the son of a wealthy family, Louis Vollard, who abandons her and marries a woman of his class. Pregnant with Louis's child, Jeanne returns to Nandou. The two families, both closely connected to the Romantic movement that is changing the arts in France, clash for the next three generations.