Rosetta: A Scandalous True Story

by Alexandra Joel

The scandalous Australian woman who enchanted British society Headstrong and beautiful, in 1905 Rosetta escaped her safe Melbourne life, deserting her respectable husband and five-year-old daughter to run away with Zeno the Magnificent, a half-Chinese fortune teller and seducer of souls.The pair reinvented themselves in London, where they beguiled European society and risked everything for a life of glamour and desire. Rosetta said she was American; Zeno claimed to be a brilliant Japanese professor. Together they attracted the patronage of famous writers, inventors and scientists, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses. Empress Eugenie, the widow of Napoleon III, and Princess Charlotte, sister of Germany’s last Kaiser, were among their greatest devotees.Rosetta revelled in a life few women of her time would have dared to embrace, yet all the while she hid her secret the daughter she had left behind.This is the compelling story of Alexandra Joel’s quest to uncover the truth about her scandalous great-grandmother, and the shocking century-old secret she would discover at the heart of her family.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Womens, Biography Memoir, Historical

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2016

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Kali Napier · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Rosetta is a “conjuror’s dream”, an illusion created by weaving fact with fiction, embellishing, re-creating and invention, a penchant for which Joel admits in the postscript to have inherited from her great-grandmother. The facts upon which the story lie are contained in a child’s suitcase, filled with photographs and letters, discovered by Joel’s father when he undertook the initial family history research two decades before. He made transcripts of interviews and searched newspaper archives until the trail ended. It was he who suggested that Joel write the book. Joel approached the story with a question--how can a woman abandon a child?—and one which holds personal significance.
But as Joel progresses in her search to the answer, she becomes entranced by the “almost mythic quality” of her quest. “I desire to inhabit the same rooms, walk in the gardens, stand as Rosetta did when, flanked by a princess and an empress, she sipped Turkish coffee and looked out upon a foreign sea.”
Read more of my review here: https://kalinapier.wordpress.com/2016...

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating account of a remarkable woman.

Alexandra Joel recounts the tale of her great-grandmother who knew her own mind and lived life on her terms. The tale switches between a fictionalised account of Rosetta and her life/thoughts/actions/feelings, and musings from the author which include how she found out this information and her thoughts/feelings towards her great-grandmother. It's pretty well seamlessly woven together and the fictionalised sections bring the history to life. There are some flights of fancy (which the author acknowledges) but it's still very plausible.

I really enjoyed this book, and thoroughly recommend it

[Rania T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosetta is one of those biographical accounts where one's beliefs have to be suspended for the duration of time that they devote themselves to a story such as this one. Alexandra Joel has done well to bring her great-grandmother's,"did this actually happen?" story to life. Recommended for connoisseurs of the Edwardian era, and for those that can actually see this as a potential televised drama.

[Linda Louch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true story with embellishments written about Rosetta by her great granddaughter. An unconventional woman who left her husband and 5 year old daughter to live with a magician and sorcerer. He was of mixed race European and Chinese, but on leaving Australia and going to Europe he reinvented himself as part Japanese and changed his name to Zeno. The list of his patrons is incredible.
It was amazing that the Alexandra Joel's mother was sent a childs suitcase filled with photos of Rosetta and this started her father researching her life.

[Scott Whitmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this compelling biography, Alexandra Joel gradually uncovers the remarkable story of her great-grandmother Rosetta’s astounding life, aided by the decades old genealogical research of her late father.

Rosetta, granddaughter of a Tasmanian convict, eventually found herself living in London with her mysterious, half-Chinese husband, a confidante to British aristocrats and European royalty. What had been the trajectory that had led her from an ordinary Melbourne suburban life to such societal heights in pre-World War I Europe?

Along the way, she hid her greatest shame. In 1905, she had walked out on her first husband and their five-year-old daughter Francis, never to see them again. What could possibly possess a mother to take such an unthinkable step? What’s more, how does such abandonment go on to affect the lives of not only the child in question (Alexandra’s grandmother) but also her mother, Sybil and Alexandra herself? As we know, the actions of our forebears often have a resounding, echoing effect through the generations on our own sense of identity and confidence in the world. Having uncovered extraordinary details of her forebear’s eccentric life, the author speculates over Rosetta’s mindset and motivations. By cleverly introducing first-person conversations that are surmised based on known facts, she transports the reader to the early days of the 20th century, allowing them to feel very much ‘in the moment’ as well as painting vivid portraits of the personalities of Rosetta and her entourage.

At the end of this fascinating tale, Alexandra Joel refers to the vicissitudes of ‘time’s dance’. She choreographs this dance with deftness and panache, providing an utterly engaging tale which is part history, part family memoir, part mystery and part psychological study. Succeeding on many levels, ROSETTA’s readership appeal will, doubtless, be universal.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

The scandalous Australian woman who enchanted British society. Headstrong and beautiful, in 1905 Rosetta escaped her safe Melbourne life, deserting her respectable husband and five-year-old daughter to run away with Zeno the Magnificent, a half-Chinese fortune teller and seducer of souls. The pair reinvented themselves in London, where they beguiled European society and risked everything for a life of glamour and desire. Rosetta said she was American; Zeno claimed to be a brilliant Japanese professor. Together they attracted the patronage of famous writers, inventors and scientists, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses. Empress Eugenie, the widow of Napoleon III, and Princess Charlotte, sister of Germany’s last Kaiser, were among their greatest devotees. Rosetta revelled in a life few women of her time would have dared to embrace, yet all the while she hid her secret shame: the daughter she had left behind. This is the compelling story of Alexandra Joel’s quest to uncover the truth about her scandalous great-grandmother, and the shocking century-old secret she would discover at the heart of her family.

Probably closer to 2.5 stars for one simple reason. This isn't truly a biography. It is a fictional account of the life of Rosetta. That doesn't mean to say it doesn't have its' highlights, just that it wasn't what I was expecting.

Rosetta was one heck of a woman - she lived a life that could only be described as "unconventional" and was an admirable woman. Her story definitely needed to be told - and read!

However, there are two things I took negatively from this: the author fictionalising dialogue and events to fit the known facts. That takes this book out of biography territory and into the "loosely based on the life of..." territory.
The other thing was that the author seemed to take on some of the issues of her grandmother (Billie was the daughter that Rosetta abandoned) and that seemed to cloud the narrative a little bit. Maybe Rosetta felt completely horrible about what happened with her daughter - maybe she just wasn't the parenting type - but for the narrative to take on the "How can a mother abandon her child?" angle was a bit much. But, then, the answers are as made up as a lot of this story...


Paul
ARH

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is clear from this book that Rosetta was an unconventional woman who lived a fascinating life. The author, her great-granddaughter, has taken the known facts of Rosetta's life and filled in the gaps with imagined episodes. Interestingly, the account of Rosetta's life is interspersed with details of the author's research and her response to the details she uncovers. I found this to be an interesting and engaging structure.

Unfortunately, I found that the degree of fictionalisation didn't sit well with the classification of this book as biography or the subtitle describing it as a true story. Dialogue, thoughts, feelings and motivations, and even some characters are the product of the author's imagination. The result is often melodramatic and doesn't always ring true. Some obviously fictional episodes felt unnecessary, not adding anything worthwhile to the story. I also found the writing style was often overly flowery, which distracted from the narrative.

I was intrigued by Rosetta's life but became increasingly frustrated as the book progressed, so unfortunately couldn't rate this book more highly.

[Jennifer Johnsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on a complete whim. I wanted something Australian and the bookshop guy recommended this book, among others, and the book cover was so compelling that I was sold!

It’s a beautiful story and does a really good job of trying to understand multiple perspectives. I also love how it really sets the scene of old Melbourne life.

This is one of those “real life is stranger than fiction” type of books where Rosetta would seem a bit ridiculous if it wasn’t for the fact that she was, well, real! She carved out a very different life for herself than the one she was expected to lead and it makes for interesting reading.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Rosetta. An unconventional women making wild and socially defying choices. In turn of the century Melbourne, the former ‘nice Jewish girl’ leaves her husband and five-year-old daughter to run off with a mystical fortune teller. And that is just the beginning of this unbelievable true story. As the old saying goes, ‘the truth is stranger than fiction.’
•
•
•
•
#bookstagram #bookstacks #read #reading #readersofinstagram #rosetta

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read but enjoyable enough.
This is not strictly biography, the author "fills in" the missing bits of her Great Grandmother's story and uses her imagination based on what she had already discovered.
Her Great Grandmother was a remarkable woman who lived a life worthy of a book. The author digs and finds what she can and then invents the rest.

[Siobhan Considine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. It is easy at times to lose track as the chapters jump and there are many dates and characters to remember. However, the important parts all come together. I have thought of this book long after I finished it.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this down! And it has been a while since that happened to me. A great biography!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be interested to hear more about Thomas's life with Rosetta and Francis/Billie's stories.

[Susan Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an incredible life story of a woman mostly unknown in Australia's history.

[Chris Freudenstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, after several attempts, and getting about halfway, I abandoned Rosetta. I had such difficulty with the author's style.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written story of a unique and amazing couple.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Review comng

[Susan Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this true story of the glamorous and very unconventional Rosetta, great grandmother of Alexandra Joel.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating account of a truly fascinating woman.

[Smitchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really more of a 3.5 stars (Proof Copy). This is a really interesting story, one that would make a great mini series!
But I found that Joel's (author) sense of betrayal / abandonment (not sure if that is the right word for the feeling I got from the text) on behalf of her grandmother Billie (Rosetta's daughter) and the Joel's own issues regarding the abandonment of a child (heightened by the death of her own child in early childhood / infancy) kept bringing the author back to one single fact: Rosetta leaving her child in order to get out of the life and marriage she hated.
Rosetta might very well have felt guilt / shame but the very closeness of the author to her subject and the knowledge of how this had affected her grandmother, and consequently her mother and herself, means that she also fails to consider the fact that Rosetta may simply not have been in any way maternally inclined. She also didn't leave her daughter on the street, she was in the care of her father (possible that a unwritten condition of getting a divorce was not taking her daughter?).

The fact that she didn't have any more children or reach out in any way to Billie via family or even acknowledge Billie in her will speaks to me of someone who just didn't care. Also in many ways there was a lot less stigma attached to leaving a child in those days - children were often left at orphanages if parents could not afford them.
Apart from that, the style of the book means that the 'historical' section of the story when we are seeing things from Rosetta's POV are interrupted by sections wherein Joel explains the research / documents that lead to her knowledge of Rosetta's actions. I found that this was a bit distracting - I would have prefered either one style or the other but that is just my personal preference. It did also make me wonder how she knew so much about her Great Grandma's sex life (explained to some degree in the final couple of chapters of the book).

[Teagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More so 3.5..

The first thing that struck me about this novel was the beautiful cover. So unusual with the yellow background and striking image of Rosetta, a dark haired, pale skinned, beauty who is swathed in flowers, pearls and lace. It is one of my favourite covers on my shelves!

Things I enjoyed about this book:
-The leading lady Rosetta, certainly a character given the time in which she lived and her scandalous actions. A story that deserves to be told. She was defiantly depicted as resourceful and cunning woman, some one to admire.
- Australian setting, love reading anything with Australian history. This book also wove world events in to the characters life.

Things I didn't enjoy
-The self indulgent style of narration, I think I would have preferred if this was fiction based on the story of Rosetta as the author (Rosetta's great granddaughter) makes it clear that she has fabricated conversations (with famous people as well as family and friends) and thoughts of her great grandmother throughout. So why not do it the whole time?? I wasn't really interested in her heartfelt reflections about where she was and what she was doing and what she felt visiting the places her great grandmother left.
-Third person Rosetta! Reaaaaallllly bothered me at first. I got over it but, again, would have preferred a fictional story from first person, as mentioned above.
-Being a childless person it was difficult to connect with the authors problem of "how could a mother leave her child?" I think she perhaps spent too long on this issue and, if the book was a fictional work she could have woven that predicament more cleverly throughout. I understand that this is what motivated the author to write, but put it in the notes at the end!

In summary: I was intrigued by Rosetta's tale BUT, I wanted a fictional version!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intriguing story of Alexandra Joel's 'wicked' great-grandmother reads like a novel. It's a fascinating Edwardian tale.

Beautiful dark-eyed Rosetta broke every social convention in Edwardian Australia by leaving her husband and daughter for an oriental fortune-teller. Unhappily married, Rosetta immediately fell for the charming exotic half-Chinese Zeno and her new life began... They worked at Sydney's amazing Wonderland City for a while, but true success came when they 'ran off' to London where Zeno pretended to be a Japanese professor and started rejuvenating radiation treatments and Rosetta pretended to be an American! These treatments became popular with aristocrats such as Lady Diana Cooper and even royalty. Princess Charlotte of Prussia and even former Empress Eugenie were clients.

Joel combines this tale with the details of her detective-like search for Rosetta in a moving way. Questions about her great-grandmother remained in the back of her mind, and she felt that the fact that Rosetta had deserted her only child was part of her identity so one day she decided to search for the truth...

I just loved this book. This is highly recommended for lovers of biography and history.

[Warren Gossett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soignée. The heroine of this biography Rosetta is a marvel. The author brings her to life and brings her times to brilliant clarity. Prepare to be immersed in a marvellous Melbourne and a spectacular Sydney around 1900. And feel the intensity of life in London and in the playgrounds of the wealthy in France at this time just before the War that that changed so many things.

This is a magical recreation of an era and of a woman who lived through it. And she lived on into a twentieth century future that was not foreseen, but is where we grew up. It is sad that women had to survive wars and social restrictions that were often created by men who sought power.

Vision and charm is better.

[Colette Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bones of this family history are interesting enough, and the author did a great job of fleshing out the story, bringing life to turn of the century Melbourne/Sydney and prewar Europe. At first I found the style a little over imaginative and discordant but I soon grew to appreciate it.

[btayla10gmail.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with an intriguing cast of characters. I think this book would make an amazing movie. There was a blandness in the telling and an underlying sense of loss for the author writing about the great-grandmother she never knew personally.

[Rosanna Afford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging and interesting. Elements are fictional but pull from actual events and information.
I enjoyed the "fictional" elements as it created an idea of what might have happened, what the people might have experienced. It helped bring you into the time in Australia and Europe in the early 1900s.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandoned