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Josephine Bonaparte #1
The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
In this first of three books inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Sandra Gulland has created a novel of immense and magical proportions. We meet Josephine in the exotic and lush Martinico, where an old island woman predicts that one day she will be queen. The journey from the remote village of her birth to the height of European elegance is long, but Josephine's fortune proves to be true. By way of fictionalized diary entries, we traverse her early years as she marries her one true love, bears his children, and is left betrayed, widowed, and penniless. It is Josephine's extraordinary charm, cunning, and will to survive that catapults her to the heart of society, where she meets Napoleon, whose destiny will prove to be irrevocably intertwined with hers.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
312 people are currently reading
23291 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Gulland
34 books840 followersI'm the author of the JOSEPHINE B. TRILOGY, the internationally best-selling novels based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon's wife. The Trilogy has been published in 17 countries.
The Trilogy was followed by MISTRESS OF THE SUN and then THE SHADOW QUEEN, a "sister" novel. Both novels are set in the Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
THE GAME OF HOPE, a Young Adult novel about Josephine Bonaparte's daughter (and Napoleon's stepdaughter), has been published in Canada and the US.
I am now writing another Young Adult historical novel about a young falconer in Elizabethan England.
An American-Canadian, I was born in Miami, Florida, and lived in Rio de Janeiro, Berkeley and Chicago before immigrating to Canada in 1970 to teach in an Inuit village in northern Labrador.
Settling in Toronto, I worked as a book editor for a decade before moving with my husband and two children to a log house in northeastern Ontario, where, in 1985, I began writing full-time.
Our two children grown, my husband and I now live half the year in Ontario, and half in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
For more information about me, my research and work, go to my website at www.sandragulland.com. I also write a blog, and can be found on the Net in a number of locals:
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/sgullandFacebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland
The Trilogy was followed by MISTRESS OF THE SUN and then THE SHADOW QUEEN, a "sister" novel. Both novels are set in the Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
THE GAME OF HOPE, a Young Adult novel about Josephine Bonaparte's daughter (and Napoleon's stepdaughter), has been published in Canada and the US.
I am now writing another Young Adult historical novel about a young falconer in Elizabethan England.
An American-Canadian, I was born in Miami, Florida, and lived in Rio de Janeiro, Berkeley and Chicago before immigrating to Canada in 1970 to teach in an Inuit village in northern Labrador.
Settling in Toronto, I worked as a book editor for a decade before moving with my husband and two children to a log house in northeastern Ontario, where, in 1985, I began writing full-time.
Our two children grown, my husband and I now live half the year in Ontario, and half in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
For more information about me, my research and work, go to my website at www.sandragulland.com. I also write a blog, and can be found on the Net in a number of locals:
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/sgullandFacebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 975 reviews
April 24, 2016
History is Fiction. - Robespierre
This entire book was written in epistolary format, which does not always work for me. In fact I think I may have read this a great deal sooner had my daughter not told me that the story unfolded as diary entries. That would have been my loss as the writing here is sublime. Every sentence just flows into the next and I feel as though I am a fly on the wall looking over Josephine’s shoulder as she writes.
To be accurate though I cannot yet call her Josephine. I met her first at the tender age of fourteen, in 1777, as Rose, on the island of Martinique. The story opens with Rose being told an extraordinary fortune by a voodoo priestess who lived in the shack up the river.
The old woman began to moan, rolling her head from side to side, the whites of her eyes cloudy. Then she looked at me and screamed-a sound I will never forget, not unlike a pig being stuck.
“What is it!” I demanded. I was not without fear. “Mimi!” “Why is she crying?”
The old woman was shaking her head and mumbling. Finally she spoke, slowly, but strangely. “You will be unhappily married. You will be widowed.”
I put my hand to my throat.
The old woman began to shake. She shook her hands, crying out words I could not understand.
“Mimi, what is she saying?”
The old woman began to dance, singing with the voice of a man. I backed away, stumbling over a gnarled tree root. I fell in the dirt and scrambled to my feet.
“You will be Queen”, she said.
Despite the fact that this is a work of fiction let there be no doubt that it has been meticulously researched. I can say this without hesitation as I was swayed on more than one occasion to conduct a little on line research of my own, so fascinated was I by the historic events through which Rose was living. These were the days of The Terror occurring shortly after the onset of the French revolution, a period of violence during which the guillotine became the symbol of the revolution and claimed the lives of 16,594 people, a number which includes King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In truth, Rose herself, nearly fell victim to the guillotine. She was spared (after all she has yet to meet Napoleon) but another historic figure took her place below that blade.
I shiver as I enter The Place de la Concorde. (The public square in Paris where the guillotine had been erected)
Wow I need to read more historical fiction of this calibre.
March 4, 2017
4.5 stars, just a smidgen under a 5 perfection. The form of diary and letters with footnotes was superb. It worked for me far more than other fiction narrative forms. Rose's writing is indicative of her character, her core, so intensely that it gave a window in itself.
But the eyes were the substance here. This is history and circumstance as it was seen, not as it was later or further interpreted. And I don't need a middle man to interpret history for me. First source material is the thing!! The absolute heart, the intrinsic value!
And what a life. The onus for girl children! Especially on Martinique, that Creole based culture of religious, strict heritage, completely aligned directives. The choices nil on a personal or individual level- across the boards.
This was true even within the continental South of USA Louisiana territory where girls were also commanded to return to France for their unseen bridegrooms. No other marriages permitted. And the younger the better too, in most cases. Plus the slavery surrounds and rebellion slaughtering and circumstances for lethal disease, both bacterial and childbirth related. What are the odds of her fortune coming true to a fruition? Infinitesimal!
But in this dense read, which took me twice the time of a "norm"- much closer to the study of a non-fiction than a fiction work? Well, that first 15 year beginning was actually the "easy" part, IMHO.
Because with the voyages, the deaths surrounding her, the nature of Alexandre, her husband! Coupled with the legacy of her father's proclivities? Can there be any survival instinct of self worth that would not have just fallen away to the same patterns? It would have been so facile. But instead she holds her Mother's core- and like her Mother, will often have to experience separation and heartache and DISTINCT when will it end DISTANCE from her most loved (children)- merely to keep them all alive.
The parts and associations just before the Terror, and within the prison during the period just before Robespierre took his turn were 5 plus star. Can you only imagine the "goods" economics of trying to stay alive, let alone the vermin, the trauma of hearing and listening for your name on those lists every morning. And after a year or two of duplicity / moving/ suspicion and seeing your own husband become fanatic and "inspired" as well. Knowing your household help and close friend may even turn you in for a joke! Much like the Cultural Revolution in China or in "correct" thinking regimes in Russia. But actually far worse, because it was NOT just exile, Siberia, starving in the country for a slower death- but a tumbrel ride among crying teenage "Royalists" all going to the guillotine together in groups every single day. Not just adults either or the middle-aged- but all ages. 70 today, 200 tomorrow, 40 the next day and on and on and on for two years or more. And knowing your help goes to see this every afternoon (when she tells you that she is looking for trade in any goods for consumption) and comes home in high color and with a vigorous attitude! This book puts you there. With that kind of fear and feelings for "liberty" fully dressed in hate.
The legal aspects in this was also 5 star. French bureaucracy never taking a week off during this entire decade- because someone was always "the law" and had written "dictate". Can you imagine what the marriage state itself (by legal definition)actually provided for her? Or her children? Nearly nothing at all but the name itself. She is not even recognized in eventual time within his written will for being a "legal" entity for goods inheritance within his lifetime's proceeds. Plus she is trying to support at least 3 of his illegitimate daughters other than her own two children, and one illegitimate half-sister too, from one of her father's escapades in age.
And to think that you can legislate through pure terror and bloodshed the abolition of faith belief, cultural practice, family loyalty, skills and grasp of knowledge tied within the class structure (like reading, or raising cows purely for cheese, or being able to translate or command water craft or horses)- to me, the absolute futility and ignorance of that entire "restructuring" is ridiculous. Doomed to all failures by the very process of life long mistrust, if nothing else. Let alone the constant and incessant instability.
Waste and poverty as the new badges of "pride" and common sense buried in the pile of the heads.
Rose sees all of this. And feels all of this. And loses so much. The least of it was the material.
The only reason I did not give it a 5 was for a wee bit of detail that I felt Rose curtailed. Like with the state of her teeth, and hair, and within the observations for those she loved in like manner. She tended to overlook the nasty reality of the physical as she disdained to look in her own mirror for long periods of time. If she even had one that is. But that never "realizing" is what probably helped her survive to live another day and not lose her cognition of who she was. Not just what she now looks like she is.
It probably was one of the metals in her soul that got her through. Because she was forged. And Napoleon recognized the quality within that meld. Both sought future advantage- there was no place to go but up. But treading ground that was ever and continuing earthquake.
All their future days? And also with so many of the few surviving under characters. I will continue this after March, 1796 portion, when I can.
This is a Rose who has become a Josephine- her first 32 years. Only 32 years and what she had seen and experienced! The voyages between Martinique and France ALONE.
The charts at the end. The lists of dates. The ever present footnotes. They were top notch magnificent. Would that all fiction writers would herald to such a standard.
But the eyes were the substance here. This is history and circumstance as it was seen, not as it was later or further interpreted. And I don't need a middle man to interpret history for me. First source material is the thing!! The absolute heart, the intrinsic value!
And what a life. The onus for girl children! Especially on Martinique, that Creole based culture of religious, strict heritage, completely aligned directives. The choices nil on a personal or individual level- across the boards.
This was true even within the continental South of USA Louisiana territory where girls were also commanded to return to France for their unseen bridegrooms. No other marriages permitted. And the younger the better too, in most cases. Plus the slavery surrounds and rebellion slaughtering and circumstances for lethal disease, both bacterial and childbirth related. What are the odds of her fortune coming true to a fruition? Infinitesimal!
But in this dense read, which took me twice the time of a "norm"- much closer to the study of a non-fiction than a fiction work? Well, that first 15 year beginning was actually the "easy" part, IMHO.
Because with the voyages, the deaths surrounding her, the nature of Alexandre, her husband! Coupled with the legacy of her father's proclivities? Can there be any survival instinct of self worth that would not have just fallen away to the same patterns? It would have been so facile. But instead she holds her Mother's core- and like her Mother, will often have to experience separation and heartache and DISTINCT when will it end DISTANCE from her most loved (children)- merely to keep them all alive.
The parts and associations just before the Terror, and within the prison during the period just before Robespierre took his turn were 5 plus star. Can you only imagine the "goods" economics of trying to stay alive, let alone the vermin, the trauma of hearing and listening for your name on those lists every morning. And after a year or two of duplicity / moving/ suspicion and seeing your own husband become fanatic and "inspired" as well. Knowing your household help and close friend may even turn you in for a joke! Much like the Cultural Revolution in China or in "correct" thinking regimes in Russia. But actually far worse, because it was NOT just exile, Siberia, starving in the country for a slower death- but a tumbrel ride among crying teenage "Royalists" all going to the guillotine together in groups every single day. Not just adults either or the middle-aged- but all ages. 70 today, 200 tomorrow, 40 the next day and on and on and on for two years or more. And knowing your help goes to see this every afternoon (when she tells you that she is looking for trade in any goods for consumption) and comes home in high color and with a vigorous attitude! This book puts you there. With that kind of fear and feelings for "liberty" fully dressed in hate.
The legal aspects in this was also 5 star. French bureaucracy never taking a week off during this entire decade- because someone was always "the law" and had written "dictate". Can you imagine what the marriage state itself (by legal definition)actually provided for her? Or her children? Nearly nothing at all but the name itself. She is not even recognized in eventual time within his written will for being a "legal" entity for goods inheritance within his lifetime's proceeds. Plus she is trying to support at least 3 of his illegitimate daughters other than her own two children, and one illegitimate half-sister too, from one of her father's escapades in age.
And to think that you can legislate through pure terror and bloodshed the abolition of faith belief, cultural practice, family loyalty, skills and grasp of knowledge tied within the class structure (like reading, or raising cows purely for cheese, or being able to translate or command water craft or horses)- to me, the absolute futility and ignorance of that entire "restructuring" is ridiculous. Doomed to all failures by the very process of life long mistrust, if nothing else. Let alone the constant and incessant instability.
Waste and poverty as the new badges of "pride" and common sense buried in the pile of the heads.
Rose sees all of this. And feels all of this. And loses so much. The least of it was the material.
The only reason I did not give it a 5 was for a wee bit of detail that I felt Rose curtailed. Like with the state of her teeth, and hair, and within the observations for those she loved in like manner. She tended to overlook the nasty reality of the physical as she disdained to look in her own mirror for long periods of time. If she even had one that is. But that never "realizing" is what probably helped her survive to live another day and not lose her cognition of who she was. Not just what she now looks like she is.
It probably was one of the metals in her soul that got her through. Because she was forged. And Napoleon recognized the quality within that meld. Both sought future advantage- there was no place to go but up. But treading ground that was ever and continuing earthquake.
All their future days? And also with so many of the few surviving under characters. I will continue this after March, 1796 portion, when I can.
This is a Rose who has become a Josephine- her first 32 years. Only 32 years and what she had seen and experienced! The voyages between Martinique and France ALONE.
The charts at the end. The lists of dates. The ever present footnotes. They were top notch magnificent. Would that all fiction writers would herald to such a standard.
February 6, 2008
This was a beautifully crafted book. Written in the voice of Josephine after nearly a decade of research by the author, it is intensely captivating and is one of my all time favorite books- along with the two that follow it in the trilogy. If you're a sucker for historical fiction it is an absolute MUST read.
April 26, 2011
This purports to be the diary of Josephine Bonaparte from the time she was a fourteen-year-old plantation owner's daughter in Martinique in 1777 to her marriage to Napoleon in 1796. That's its weakness and it's strength. The weakness, I think, being that diary format. There are novels told in diary form that I've found moving and riveting: Bridget Jones's Diary, Flowers for Algernon, and even, believe it or not, a Buffy novel, Go Ask Malice. I think what all of them have in common are very strong voices and the way the entries show a change in the character. Without a strong personality, diary format can come across as sketchy, with a jerky, stop and go quality, and I'm afraid I found the voice created for Josephine very bland and the voice doesn't vary from inexperienced creole girl to a mature sophisticated woman deeply involved and influential in the the politics of Revolutionary France. I don't feel the story gained from being in diary form or even first person.
The strength? That this is the story of Josephine Bonaparte, and if the story it tells comes anywhere near the historical truth, she's a far more interesting character than I could have guessed. A generous, compassionate woman who took risks to save others against the backdrop of "the Reign of Terror" where she almost lost her own head to the guillotine. The content of her life and the history she lived kept me riveted, in spite of spare, restrained, dare I say dull, writing. The picture of Revolutionary France, that turned into a totalitarian state in the name of "liberty" was fascinating. However, I often found the footnotes in the book of real history more revealing, making Josephine sound more complex and interesting than the voice created for her telling her own story. As for Napoleon, he only enters the story in the last 50 pages or so, and comes across as a rather cold fish, while history (and his surviving letters to her) marks his love for Josephine as one of the great passionate affairs in history--not something that comes across in the book. I admit in the end I'm much more likely as the result of this novel to pick up a biography of her, than the next volume in the trilogy.
The strength? That this is the story of Josephine Bonaparte, and if the story it tells comes anywhere near the historical truth, she's a far more interesting character than I could have guessed. A generous, compassionate woman who took risks to save others against the backdrop of "the Reign of Terror" where she almost lost her own head to the guillotine. The content of her life and the history she lived kept me riveted, in spite of spare, restrained, dare I say dull, writing. The picture of Revolutionary France, that turned into a totalitarian state in the name of "liberty" was fascinating. However, I often found the footnotes in the book of real history more revealing, making Josephine sound more complex and interesting than the voice created for her telling her own story. As for Napoleon, he only enters the story in the last 50 pages or so, and comes across as a rather cold fish, while history (and his surviving letters to her) marks his love for Josephine as one of the great passionate affairs in history--not something that comes across in the book. I admit in the end I'm much more likely as the result of this novel to pick up a biography of her, than the next volume in the trilogy.
July 26, 2010
Gulland certainly goes under the petticoats of this pivotal period in history, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, to provide a day by day commentary of events as they unfolded, narrated by the enigmatic but charismatic Rose, aka Josephine, as named by her second husband.
Born in Martinique off Creole heritage and married off to French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauharnais as a replacement to his original choice of her younger sister Catherine (who died suddenly and conveniently), Rose charms and ascends the ranks of Parisian society during the period of unrest following the French Revolution. Her first marriage is one of convenience as Alexandre continues to pursue his career, take mistresses and sire illegitimate children, despite having a son and daughter by Rose. The Reign of Terror descends and Alexandre is imprisoned and later guillotined for his failure to win a key battle. Rose follows him into prison but escapes on a reprieve when Robespierre himself (the patriarch of the Terror) is executed.
A released Rose continues her survival and the protection of her fledgling family by artfully affiliating with the right power brokers of the shifting political hierarchy. While other histories chronicle her as being the mistress of several powerful men during her widowhood, this novel shows her with only one lover, a married man, General Hoche, until she meets Napoleon, and agrees to another marriage of convenience: for her, to dispense an obligation to the all-powerful Deputy Barras who is paying for her children’s education and is one of the "rulers by committee" of the new Republic; for Bonaparte, to legitimize his Corsican heritage with the French and be appointed Chief of the Italian Army.
The novel is written as Rose's diary and hence certain events occur off-stage, and yet the on-stage happenings are vividly re-created with penetrating intimacy. What is fascinating is the portrayal of the shifting allegiances of the time: people in-favour one day are out of favour the next, the aristocracy is forced to become ordinary “citoyen” while the common man steps into seats of power and influence and are seen "drinking water from finger bowls" and "blowing their noses on table cloths." Marriages are formal and loveless, while passion is found only with lovers. Even Rose and Alexandre take different lovers while sharing the same prison and awaiting their impending execution. Peculiar customs of the time: footmen arranging women's hairdo's, young women being "bled" to give them a fair and pale complexion in public, rinsing with urine to numb a toothache, maids standing by with needles and thread for emergency garment repairs during the Queen's ball, "having flowers" aka having a menstrual period, drinking port and beer during a pregnancy - very interesting indeed!
I believe I will read the other two books in this trilogy, for this indeed is a “Sodom and Gomorrah” period of recent history and Gulland deserves kudos for the meticulous research behind this effortlessly delivered novel.
Born in Martinique off Creole heritage and married off to French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauharnais as a replacement to his original choice of her younger sister Catherine (who died suddenly and conveniently), Rose charms and ascends the ranks of Parisian society during the period of unrest following the French Revolution. Her first marriage is one of convenience as Alexandre continues to pursue his career, take mistresses and sire illegitimate children, despite having a son and daughter by Rose. The Reign of Terror descends and Alexandre is imprisoned and later guillotined for his failure to win a key battle. Rose follows him into prison but escapes on a reprieve when Robespierre himself (the patriarch of the Terror) is executed.
A released Rose continues her survival and the protection of her fledgling family by artfully affiliating with the right power brokers of the shifting political hierarchy. While other histories chronicle her as being the mistress of several powerful men during her widowhood, this novel shows her with only one lover, a married man, General Hoche, until she meets Napoleon, and agrees to another marriage of convenience: for her, to dispense an obligation to the all-powerful Deputy Barras who is paying for her children’s education and is one of the "rulers by committee" of the new Republic; for Bonaparte, to legitimize his Corsican heritage with the French and be appointed Chief of the Italian Army.
The novel is written as Rose's diary and hence certain events occur off-stage, and yet the on-stage happenings are vividly re-created with penetrating intimacy. What is fascinating is the portrayal of the shifting allegiances of the time: people in-favour one day are out of favour the next, the aristocracy is forced to become ordinary “citoyen” while the common man steps into seats of power and influence and are seen "drinking water from finger bowls" and "blowing their noses on table cloths." Marriages are formal and loveless, while passion is found only with lovers. Even Rose and Alexandre take different lovers while sharing the same prison and awaiting their impending execution. Peculiar customs of the time: footmen arranging women's hairdo's, young women being "bled" to give them a fair and pale complexion in public, rinsing with urine to numb a toothache, maids standing by with needles and thread for emergency garment repairs during the Queen's ball, "having flowers" aka having a menstrual period, drinking port and beer during a pregnancy - very interesting indeed!
I believe I will read the other two books in this trilogy, for this indeed is a “Sodom and Gomorrah” period of recent history and Gulland deserves kudos for the meticulous research behind this effortlessly delivered novel.
December 25, 2012
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It's a little embarrassing to review a book I wrote, but I will say this:
First: Readers have been over-the-moon about Joséphine.
Second: This e-book edition is the first of my e-book publishing enterprise, Sandra Gulland INK, and I'm very proud of it. I read e-books a lot, and I often find myself grumbling at the poor design and layout. For example, shouldn't a book always open at the cover? In the absence of a jacket cover, we need the information that we would normally find there: what the book is about, glowing reviews from others ... etc.
All this to say that I wanted my INK editions to be the type of ebook I myself would love to read.
But about the book itself? What can I say but that it was originally published 17 years ago, and I'm STILL getting wonderful fan letters from readers. It has been published in 17 countries. Readers report the book being loved by many generations in one family.
See what you think? Try it!
I'm offering it free to Kobo and iBook readers. For now, it's only £.77 on Kindle (hopefully they will pricematch to free at sometime soon.)
I'm sorry, but this edition is only available outside Canada and the US, where my publishers do a very good job of selling all my books in all formats, both e-book and print.
Let's see if I can manage a link or two:
The book's page on my website.
Download now from Kobo: it's FREE.
Download now from Kindle for only £.77.
It's a little embarrassing to review a book I wrote, but I will say this:
First: Readers have been over-the-moon about Joséphine.
Second: This e-book edition is the first of my e-book publishing enterprise, Sandra Gulland INK, and I'm very proud of it. I read e-books a lot, and I often find myself grumbling at the poor design and layout. For example, shouldn't a book always open at the cover? In the absence of a jacket cover, we need the information that we would normally find there: what the book is about, glowing reviews from others ... etc.
All this to say that I wanted my INK editions to be the type of ebook I myself would love to read.
But about the book itself? What can I say but that it was originally published 17 years ago, and I'm STILL getting wonderful fan letters from readers. It has been published in 17 countries. Readers report the book being loved by many generations in one family.
See what you think? Try it!
I'm offering it free to Kobo and iBook readers. For now, it's only £.77 on Kindle (hopefully they will pricematch to free at sometime soon.)
I'm sorry, but this edition is only available outside Canada and the US, where my publishers do a very good job of selling all my books in all formats, both e-book and print.
Let's see if I can manage a link or two:
The book's page on my website.
Download now from Kobo: it's FREE.
Download now from Kindle for only £.77.
January 15, 2019
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is never tiring, always compelling, a definite page-turner. Truly recommend it!!! Full review you can find on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...
February 2, 2013
I had a lot of issues with this story. While I found the beginning engaging, the story didn't make much sense starting about a third of the way through. Her husband tells her she needs to work on her writing skills, yet the novel is in diary form so the reader can see for herself whether her writing needs improvement. And, of course, it doesn't. Her writing also doesn't change at all as she gets older and more experienced. Same verse, same insight. Since the author chose to use a diary format, she needs to be true to the character's own personal growth. I also found all of the names of the various characters a bit confusing and I couldn't really believe Rose would befriend some of the politicians she meets after her marriage. Another flaw with the story was her relationship with her husband. it wasn't believable. He was not a nice guy, he never was. Yet, she felt such an obligation toward him which just didn't resonate with me. While the novel may be based in fact, I felt like the author just didn't provide enough depth and complexity within Rose's character. Rose is a strong woman, so at times, her choices just didn't make sense. This book is one of three, but I highly doubt I will be reading the next two. The story just lost my interest towards the end.
April 15, 2010
NO SPOILERS
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first of Sandra Gulland's trilogy concerning Josephine Bonaparte. I have completed ALL three books of the trilogy. I think it is very important to read them as one book. For that reason I will write one review and let it stand for all three books. I think it is wrong to evaluate them differently. All three were marvelous. Why? Well because youu got under the skin of Josephine, who in fact was called Rose until Napolean decided to change her name! Well, Napolean decided to change his own name too. You truly understood what she went through - her youth in Martinique, her life with her first husband, her relationships with her two children by this first husband, her experiences of the French Revolution and of course Napolean. The primary reason why I give these books five stars is b/c you REALLY get to know the people - Josephine, her children and Napolean and his unbelievably yucky family. Somehow this author makes these people and their lives and the times they lived through REAL! The style of writing is not extraordinary, but what the author achieves is extraordinary. Don't be put off that the book is written as diary entries. It doesn't read like that. The dates are simply helpful so you know exactly when the historical events are occurring. The footnotes are interesting and informative.The chronological summary at the back of the books is helpful if you ever want to see the historical events at a glance, but honestly it is not necessary b/c everything is so interesting that you never get confused. In my view this trilogy better describes the French Revolution than Hillary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety! Mantel has risen to such popularity for her book Wolf Hall. In Gulland's trilogy you become more involved. You understand how it might feel to fight for fraternity, liberty and equality and then see it being torn away again by the Royalists. Over and over again! The French Revolution was really a civil war with friends becoming foes and everyone changing sides all the time. What the Terror meant to the people living through it is heart wrenching. You come to understand how after all these troubles, Napolean and his Empire came into being. How can the French people seek freedom and then back the formation of an empire, and emperor with hereditary succession. All this becomes very, very clear and you think the same yourself.
I haven't said a word about Josephine's relationship with Napolean. THIS is the most moving part of the book. This is a true love story. She knew her husband. He loved her AND she loved him! DON'T on the other hand think that Josephine is a weak, head-over-heels in love woman. She has an excellent brain and she uses it. She is a business woman. She loves winning a game, a gamble. She is marvelous. There have always been strong women. Everyone says women have no rights and they are constantly pushed down, but some women defied all the cutoms of their times. And they get away with it marvelously! That I understand Josephine and what is going on in her head and what her emotions were is perhaps LESS surprising than that I ALSO com to understand Napolean - the general, the emperor. I highly recommend this trilogy. History that goes down like a spoonful of Tom and Jerry ice cream. :0) Personally, I think you learn more from this book than a dry history book that makes no attempt to put flesh and blood on to the bones of the historical entities. Don't forget the epilogue and the postscript. Furthermore, the comments below also discuss why I loved this trilogy.
Through page 146: Althought this reads like engaging fiction, the known facts of Josephine Bonaparte's life are accurately documented. Personally I find her sojourns at Martinique very much as engaging as her time spent in Paris. It is very interesting to read of diverse issues occurring at the time of the French Revolution and not JUST the polical trends. You get a more complete view of the times. You experience storms at sea and on the island. These storms actually occurred. Grain was destroyed and made the people in Paris hungry and is an important cause for the social and political unrest. You learn of how the peopled suffered from illnesses and old age. Josephine's love for her children feels true. Napolean still hasn't entered the scence.
Through page 129: Life seems so terribly dangerous. It is now 1788. The conditions described concern a family that is privileged! The conditions for the poor are horrendous. The events and the conditions feel very, very real.
Through page 97:How the aristocrats lived in the late 1700s (before the French Revolution) in Paris is well described. Childbirth, sexual relationships, dress, food, theater, literature, the salons, Rousseau's political beliefs, the Royalty's behavior and more are all viewed through the eyes of Josephine and her new acquaintances in Paris. Did you know that Voltaire's writings are full of spelling errors.?! I like knowing that. I feel a bit better! So the story is interesting. The language is fine, but nothing exceptional. There is no reason to quote anything. The characters are interesting, but I wouldn't say I am emotionally drawn to anyone. So far it is a light, intersting read. Oh, and Josephine has still not met Napolean.
Through page 43: The book reads like a novel. It consists of short paragraph entries in Josephine's diary which she received on her 14th birthday. I am thoroughly enjoying this, which actually surprises me for two reasons. First of all you do not doubt that it is a novel. Secondly, I usually hate epistolary writing. Here again, all rules can be broken. Josephine's voice rings true for a young girl in the late 1700s. It is however not written in a stilted voice. The diary entries are very short, so they are in no way clumsy. It is just like reading intereting paragraphs with an added date. Historical notes are added at the bottom of the page to give indepth information. I like reading them. The reader may do as they choose. Did you know that the "green flash", the line of green that can appear in the sky at sunrise or sunset, was thought to bring you good luck? Or that Britain at that time was preventing shipments of salt to Martinique b/c the French were helping the Americans in their War of Independence from Britain. I am also curious about the belief in voodoo mystic on the island at this time. I have always been taught to call the island Martinique, but the back cover uses the name Martinico - why?! And let me add that much has already happened in only 43 pages.
What a relief after Pnin! Good descriptive writing, but so terribly mean spirited. Ughhh.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first of Sandra Gulland's trilogy concerning Josephine Bonaparte. I have completed ALL three books of the trilogy. I think it is very important to read them as one book. For that reason I will write one review and let it stand for all three books. I think it is wrong to evaluate them differently. All three were marvelous. Why? Well because youu got under the skin of Josephine, who in fact was called Rose until Napolean decided to change her name! Well, Napolean decided to change his own name too. You truly understood what she went through - her youth in Martinique, her life with her first husband, her relationships with her two children by this first husband, her experiences of the French Revolution and of course Napolean. The primary reason why I give these books five stars is b/c you REALLY get to know the people - Josephine, her children and Napolean and his unbelievably yucky family. Somehow this author makes these people and their lives and the times they lived through REAL! The style of writing is not extraordinary, but what the author achieves is extraordinary. Don't be put off that the book is written as diary entries. It doesn't read like that. The dates are simply helpful so you know exactly when the historical events are occurring. The footnotes are interesting and informative.The chronological summary at the back of the books is helpful if you ever want to see the historical events at a glance, but honestly it is not necessary b/c everything is so interesting that you never get confused. In my view this trilogy better describes the French Revolution than Hillary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety! Mantel has risen to such popularity for her book Wolf Hall. In Gulland's trilogy you become more involved. You understand how it might feel to fight for fraternity, liberty and equality and then see it being torn away again by the Royalists. Over and over again! The French Revolution was really a civil war with friends becoming foes and everyone changing sides all the time. What the Terror meant to the people living through it is heart wrenching. You come to understand how after all these troubles, Napolean and his Empire came into being. How can the French people seek freedom and then back the formation of an empire, and emperor with hereditary succession. All this becomes very, very clear and you think the same yourself.
I haven't said a word about Josephine's relationship with Napolean. THIS is the most moving part of the book. This is a true love story. She knew her husband. He loved her AND she loved him! DON'T on the other hand think that Josephine is a weak, head-over-heels in love woman. She has an excellent brain and she uses it. She is a business woman. She loves winning a game, a gamble. She is marvelous. There have always been strong women. Everyone says women have no rights and they are constantly pushed down, but some women defied all the cutoms of their times. And they get away with it marvelously! That I understand Josephine and what is going on in her head and what her emotions were is perhaps LESS surprising than that I ALSO com to understand Napolean - the general, the emperor. I highly recommend this trilogy. History that goes down like a spoonful of Tom and Jerry ice cream. :0) Personally, I think you learn more from this book than a dry history book that makes no attempt to put flesh and blood on to the bones of the historical entities. Don't forget the epilogue and the postscript. Furthermore, the comments below also discuss why I loved this trilogy.
Through page 146: Althought this reads like engaging fiction, the known facts of Josephine Bonaparte's life are accurately documented. Personally I find her sojourns at Martinique very much as engaging as her time spent in Paris. It is very interesting to read of diverse issues occurring at the time of the French Revolution and not JUST the polical trends. You get a more complete view of the times. You experience storms at sea and on the island. These storms actually occurred. Grain was destroyed and made the people in Paris hungry and is an important cause for the social and political unrest. You learn of how the peopled suffered from illnesses and old age. Josephine's love for her children feels true. Napolean still hasn't entered the scence.
Through page 129: Life seems so terribly dangerous. It is now 1788. The conditions described concern a family that is privileged! The conditions for the poor are horrendous. The events and the conditions feel very, very real.
Through page 97:How the aristocrats lived in the late 1700s (before the French Revolution) in Paris is well described. Childbirth, sexual relationships, dress, food, theater, literature, the salons, Rousseau's political beliefs, the Royalty's behavior and more are all viewed through the eyes of Josephine and her new acquaintances in Paris. Did you know that Voltaire's writings are full of spelling errors.?! I like knowing that. I feel a bit better! So the story is interesting. The language is fine, but nothing exceptional. There is no reason to quote anything. The characters are interesting, but I wouldn't say I am emotionally drawn to anyone. So far it is a light, intersting read. Oh, and Josephine has still not met Napolean.
Through page 43: The book reads like a novel. It consists of short paragraph entries in Josephine's diary which she received on her 14th birthday. I am thoroughly enjoying this, which actually surprises me for two reasons. First of all you do not doubt that it is a novel. Secondly, I usually hate epistolary writing. Here again, all rules can be broken. Josephine's voice rings true for a young girl in the late 1700s. It is however not written in a stilted voice. The diary entries are very short, so they are in no way clumsy. It is just like reading intereting paragraphs with an added date. Historical notes are added at the bottom of the page to give indepth information. I like reading them. The reader may do as they choose. Did you know that the "green flash", the line of green that can appear in the sky at sunrise or sunset, was thought to bring you good luck? Or that Britain at that time was preventing shipments of salt to Martinique b/c the French were helping the Americans in their War of Independence from Britain. I am also curious about the belief in voodoo mystic on the island at this time. I have always been taught to call the island Martinique, but the back cover uses the name Martinico - why?! And let me add that much has already happened in only 43 pages.
What a relief after Pnin! Good descriptive writing, but so terribly mean spirited. Ughhh.
September 4, 2018
This novel takes a look at the life of Josephine Bonaparte, before she was Josephine Bonaparte. The story begins on the French island called Martinique, where a young woman called Rose dreams of going to Paris one day.
Rose is offered in marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais, an up and coming political figure for the French Revolution, and the story follows her life as she moves to France, becomes a married woman, and deals with life in a politically tumultuous France.
The book is written by way of diary entries and letters, which was surprisingly effective and kept the story moving along at a fast pace. I though that the use of footnotes was a bit strange and unnecessary, but it was fine.
I really enjoyed this book and it was a great introduction to an historical figure that I didn't know much about, and would love to read more of. This book covers more of her early life and first marriage, and ends pretty soon after she meets Napoleon, so I would love to get hold of the next books detailing more of her life with Napoleon.
Rose is offered in marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais, an up and coming political figure for the French Revolution, and the story follows her life as she moves to France, becomes a married woman, and deals with life in a politically tumultuous France.
The book is written by way of diary entries and letters, which was surprisingly effective and kept the story moving along at a fast pace. I though that the use of footnotes was a bit strange and unnecessary, but it was fine.
I really enjoyed this book and it was a great introduction to an historical figure that I didn't know much about, and would love to read more of. This book covers more of her early life and first marriage, and ends pretty soon after she meets Napoleon, so I would love to get hold of the next books detailing more of her life with Napoleon.
June 15, 2016
I found this a very exciting smooth read and after every session looked forward to coming back for more. Takes is from Josephine aka Roses Tascher's ' childhood on the Caribbean island of Martinique through her troubles marriage to Alexandre De Beuharnais and pre-Revolutionary France, the French Revolution and the horrors of the Reign of Terror in which the protagonist' husband is executed and she herself escapes execution only by Robespierre's death and the Thermidore coup.
Follows on with sharp insight into post Terror France and the time of the directory, with intimate portrayals of French politcians of the time such as Barras, Tallien and Fouche
It is towards the end of the novel where we get to explore the courtship of Rose by the brash young general Napoleon Buonoparte, the protege of the leading figure of the Directory, Deputy Barras.
The book makes one feel excited to see into the private life and thoughts of Josephine, but he way the politics and society of the France of the time (as well as the focus on the slave rebellion on Martinique inspired by the revolution) is analysed and presented in a worm's eye view. What we see in the heroin (She is named Rose for most of the novel but as we know her by Josephime B that is her name in the title because not many of us know her as Rose Tascher) is complex woman, a proud libertine but with a thread of strong compassion for the impoverished masses and horror at the depredations of the terror.
Follows on with sharp insight into post Terror France and the time of the directory, with intimate portrayals of French politcians of the time such as Barras, Tallien and Fouche
It is towards the end of the novel where we get to explore the courtship of Rose by the brash young general Napoleon Buonoparte, the protege of the leading figure of the Directory, Deputy Barras.
The book makes one feel excited to see into the private life and thoughts of Josephine, but he way the politics and society of the France of the time (as well as the focus on the slave rebellion on Martinique inspired by the revolution) is analysed and presented in a worm's eye view. What we see in the heroin (She is named Rose for most of the novel but as we know her by Josephime B that is her name in the title because not many of us know her as Rose Tascher) is complex woman, a proud libertine but with a thread of strong compassion for the impoverished masses and horror at the depredations of the terror.
June 9, 2013
I fell in love when I read this book. Josephine, yes, Napoleon's Josephine became my bff. Written in diary form, this book is an intimate portrait of a woman, who happened to live and be a part of interesting times. When I started the book, I didn't know the players, and have since researched them all. Guilland writes of a real flesh and blood woman, used, abused, honored and ultimately tossed aside. I cried knowing the outcome, but Guilland writes to the heart. A wonderful read, I zoomed through all three books. After finishing them, I was left with an finely drawn picture of an fascinating person who shaped the world. Sometimes it's not just about the guys!!
May 30, 2021
I will confess that, before reading this novel, I was not familiar with Napoleon Bonaparte's wives. Although this is a fictional version of Josephine Bonaparte's life, I like how Gulland includes factual events within the footnotes. I have since purchased the second novel, "Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe" and look forward to it arriving in the mail. My only criticism is a mild one. At one point Rose purchases a single "milk cow" desiring the milk that will come from it. Unless the cow recently had a baby calf, she would not naturally produce milk. Just as humans need to have babies to produce milk, cow's and goats are the same. Like I said..mild critique. I enjoyed the novel very much.
January 6, 2012
This is another very good novel about the French Revolution told through the diary of Rose who will becomes Napoleon's Josephine!!! She comes to France as a naive young girl and becomes a successful player in Frances ever changing political tide!!! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!!
February 17, 2020
Very readable! I enjoyed this installment a lot but I wish I had realized beforehand that it's part of a trilogy.
September 11, 2011
Ah finally. A book that I could just sink my teeth into and enjoy wholeheartedly! This is the first book of a trilogy about Josephine B., as in Bonaparte. I knew absolutely nothing about her background, but only as a famous appendage of Napoleon, as in Romeo and Juliet. Although the book is fiction, it is heavily research with some footnotes. What I love is knowing that it's heavily based on fact, but that the research doesn't seep through into the story. Josephine, whose original name of Rose was changed by Napoleon, was born on the French island of Martinique, to cane grower parents. A local fortune teller predicted some very important events in Rose's life (I won't be a spoiler and tell you)
In this first book of the trilogy Napoleon plays a very small role but the bloody background and Roses's own experiences are succificient to keep the reader engrossed and fascinated. By the time Rose meets Napoleon, she is no virginal innocent by any means, and he is still pretty rough along the edges. I immediately proceeded to the second volume!!
In this first book of the trilogy Napoleon plays a very small role but the bloody background and Roses's own experiences are succificient to keep the reader engrossed and fascinated. By the time Rose meets Napoleon, she is no virginal innocent by any means, and he is still pretty rough along the edges. I immediately proceeded to the second volume!!
May 12, 2011
C'est magnifique!!!
July 30, 2015
An interesting, fun and fast read.
June 30, 2018
This historical fiction novel about Josephine Bonaparte (throughout the story known as 'Rose'...until Napoleon prefers her as 'Josephine') kept my interest all the way through. Beginning with her life on a sugar plantation in the Caribbeans, Rose is only a young teenager when a fortune teller predicts she will someday become queen. Her first marriage brings a son and daughter, but Rose is disappointed with her husband's indifference to her and eventual infidelities.
"In church we learned that the Queen is expecting another child. There was much rejoicing. I felt the festivities as if they were for me, for I know what she feels, I know her joy."
When the Reign of Terror begins with many political intrigues and dangers, Rose learns to navigate Parisian society, but not as successfully as she would hope. Eventually both she and her husband are imprisoned. Rose's imprisonment lasts several months.
"The tocsins began ringing again at dawn. I went to the window, pulled back the drapes. A group of men, ruffians, were in the street, two carrying pikes. One was wearing the blue tunic of a dockman of Marseille. He saw me at the window and screamed, "Death to the aristocrats!" I backed away from view."
Rescued by the death of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror, Rose is eventually freed from prison.
Rose has many friends and learns to become adept at both domestic and political affairs, often writing letters of support or attempting to help free those who remain imprisoned. It is a very difficult time with personal danger (being careful not to address each other as "Madame" or "Monsieur", but instead, "Citizen"), food shortages, and financial woes in addition to concerns for her son who is serving in the military.
"The Austrians have cut off supplies to Paris - we are entirely without. We whisper - not of gossip, but of grain: where it might be found. (Those who know stay silent.) Every day there are riots for food."
It is late in this first book in a trilogy of her life that Rose finally meets Napoleon Bonaparte.
I really enjoyed the diary format of the novel (although fictional), and the skill the author had in bringing a young girl's hopes and fears to life. The upheaval of the French Revolution is realistically portrayed (as are the loose morals of some of the characters). Life in Paris both pre- and post-Revolution is sharply contrasted and Rose finds many opportunities to assist those in need. I found it so interesting, I could not put it down and am ready to continue her story with the next book in the series.
"In church we learned that the Queen is expecting another child. There was much rejoicing. I felt the festivities as if they were for me, for I know what she feels, I know her joy."
When the Reign of Terror begins with many political intrigues and dangers, Rose learns to navigate Parisian society, but not as successfully as she would hope. Eventually both she and her husband are imprisoned. Rose's imprisonment lasts several months.
"The tocsins began ringing again at dawn. I went to the window, pulled back the drapes. A group of men, ruffians, were in the street, two carrying pikes. One was wearing the blue tunic of a dockman of Marseille. He saw me at the window and screamed, "Death to the aristocrats!" I backed away from view."
Rescued by the death of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror, Rose is eventually freed from prison.
Rose has many friends and learns to become adept at both domestic and political affairs, often writing letters of support or attempting to help free those who remain imprisoned. It is a very difficult time with personal danger (being careful not to address each other as "Madame" or "Monsieur", but instead, "Citizen"), food shortages, and financial woes in addition to concerns for her son who is serving in the military.
"The Austrians have cut off supplies to Paris - we are entirely without. We whisper - not of gossip, but of grain: where it might be found. (Those who know stay silent.) Every day there are riots for food."
It is late in this first book in a trilogy of her life that Rose finally meets Napoleon Bonaparte.
I really enjoyed the diary format of the novel (although fictional), and the skill the author had in bringing a young girl's hopes and fears to life. The upheaval of the French Revolution is realistically portrayed (as are the loose morals of some of the characters). Life in Paris both pre- and post-Revolution is sharply contrasted and Rose finds many opportunities to assist those in need. I found it so interesting, I could not put it down and am ready to continue her story with the next book in the series.
January 10, 2019
2.5 stars - It was alright, an average book.
I read this mainly because I find Napoleon Bonaparte to be a fascinating historical figure that I would like to know more about, including what type of older woman was able to divert his laser focused attention. Sadly, he did not come into the picture until the last few pages. Though those scenes were interesting so I will most likely continue the series.
As for this installment of the series, it focused primarily on her childhood and first husband who was a worthless dolt. Much of the book drug by and felt like a bit of a chore to continue at times. While it worked for many other readers, I also did not prefer the journal format that the author uses to tell the story.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: As a youth one dreams of love; by the time one wakes, it is too late.
First Sentence: I am fourteen today and unmarried still.
I read this mainly because I find Napoleon Bonaparte to be a fascinating historical figure that I would like to know more about, including what type of older woman was able to divert his laser focused attention. Sadly, he did not come into the picture until the last few pages. Though those scenes were interesting so I will most likely continue the series.
As for this installment of the series, it focused primarily on her childhood and first husband who was a worthless dolt. Much of the book drug by and felt like a bit of a chore to continue at times. While it worked for many other readers, I also did not prefer the journal format that the author uses to tell the story.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: As a youth one dreams of love; by the time one wakes, it is too late.
First Sentence: I am fourteen today and unmarried still.
February 23, 2024
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is the first in a series of historical fiction novels about Josephine Bonaparte's life. Since my partner studies this time period (and because we'd recently watched the Napoleon film), I was interested in getting a more in-depth look at this era, its major events, and its iconic historical figures. And the novel delivered on all fronts! Written as a series of diary entries, the narrative flies by in an engaging way. Josephine (or Rose as she's called throughout the novel) is an easy heroine to root for - and the ending chapter left me with so many remaining questions that I couldn't help but start the next book immediately afterwards. Overall, I'd recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in the French Revolution!
May 14, 2024
FINALLY - its actually a v interesting book i just kept getting distracted
January 9, 2012
This novel is written as if it was the secret diary of Rose de Beauharnias, the young woman who would become known to history as Empress Joséphine, wife of Napoleon. It begins when Rose was a young girl living with her family on the island of Martinique, and she is told a strange prophecy by a native fortune-teller: ‘You will be unhappily wed. You will be widowed. You will be Queen.’ The novel then follows Rose’s life as she moves to France, is married to a French nobleman who ends up being guillotined, and through to her marriage to the brilliant young general, Napoleon. The style of the book is most unusual – it actually really feels like a personal diary, unlike most novels written in this form. Although I have read biographies of Napoleon and Jospehine before, this novel feels incredibly real and immediate. I’ve already ordered the following two books in the trilogy – a really gripping novel.
February 8, 2008
I would have never chosen this book on my own. My boss recommended it and I started reading slowly at first. This week I've stayed up every night until at least 2:00 a.m. reading it. It's not an easy read since it's in diary form (I find that more challenging for some reason) and some words are in French (names/locations and slang mostly). I took two years of French in high school but I don't recall much at all.
It's a historical fiction, of which I haven't read many. I loved it though. It makes me want to go back to France to visit these places with a better, more educated perspective than I had on my visit at 15 years old. I cared more about cute boys or my hair back then I'm sure!
It's a historical fiction, of which I haven't read many. I loved it though. It makes me want to go back to France to visit these places with a better, more educated perspective than I had on my visit at 15 years old. I cared more about cute boys or my hair back then I'm sure!
August 8, 2011
I reallllly liked it!! It moved very quickly and was sad, fun, informative.... Excited to keep reading the series. Napoleon seems like quite a character! Rose/Josephine has real emotions most women can relate to... Gulland did a great job describing the chaos of the French Revolution and the impact it had on the French. Life in prison was painful to read. Anyway, I loved it the more I think about it.
May 20, 2013
I've been meaning to read this novel, by fellow Killaloe-ian, for awhile now. It's a time in history (French Revolution) I hadn't realised I'd wanted to learn more about. The book is well written and researched and Josephine/Rose's story is an interesting one. I recommend!
July 11, 2013
Captivating, wonderful. I can't say it better than the cover blurb from the Edmonton Journal - "It is that rare thing: a smart book you can read as compulsively as a beach-blanket thriller." My experience EXACTLY.
Truly a great writing accomplishment.
Truly a great writing accomplishment.
April 6, 2008
The first book of this trilogy. A excellent research work by Sandra Gulland which cannot be missed.
February 28, 2025
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is the first of three volumes about Josephine Bonaparte. Told in the form of diary readings and correspondence to young Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (later Josephine) the first volume reveals her early life, adolescence, first marriage, children, imprisonment, and introductory relationship to Napoleon. During these years, Rose is surrounded by revolution, intrigue, poverty and fear. We meet numerous characters through Rose's diary, many of them both familiar and famous. We read about her unhappy marriage to the philandering Alexander de Beauharnais and about the births of her children, Eugene and Hortense. A pragmatist who became a politician's mistress, she later marries the young Bonaparte to gain security and respectability. The reader will also learn more about the influence that women have in political and historical events.
Usually I'm not a fan of the diary narration format, but this was a fast read and I felt like a fly on the wall of Josephine's life and that tumultuous time of history when a young girl from the Colonies will eventually become Empress of France.
The first volume covers Rose's life up to the point she marries Napoleon and it's an absolute page turner. I found it completely engrossing and look forward to reading Volume 2, Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and Volume 3, The Last Great Dance on Earth.
Usually I'm not a fan of the diary narration format, but this was a fast read and I felt like a fly on the wall of Josephine's life and that tumultuous time of history when a young girl from the Colonies will eventually become Empress of France.
The first volume covers Rose's life up to the point she marries Napoleon and it's an absolute page turner. I found it completely engrossing and look forward to reading Volume 2, Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and Volume 3, The Last Great Dance on Earth.
November 10, 2021
What an entertaining way to learn about history! Aside from there being so many people involved it was a little hard to keep track, I really enjoyed this historical novel about Rose "Josephine" Bonaparte, husband to Napoleon. Gulland starts when Rose is a teen living on her family's sugar cane plantation in Martinique, a French-colonized Caribbean island. She has her fortune read, and she is told that she will be unhappily married, widowed, and she will be Queen. It follows her departure for France where she is engaged to marry Alexandre Beauharnais, who initially is a selfish, philandering boor who later redeems himself somewhat. This first book in the trilogy covers part of the French Revolution, where all the Royalists are condemned and the Republicans take power. Many former aristocrats are imprisoned and beheaded, including Alexandre, leaving Rose and her two children Eugene and Hortense at the mercy of wealthier friends. Rose, whose family were failing aristocrats, has many contacts in the government as well as many high-ranking social contacts who help guide her in widowhood. Eventually, she is introduced to Napoleone Buonaparte, a Corsican of no important hertigae, 6 years Rose's junior, and they wed mainly out of idea that they are destined to be together as powerful partners. He loves her, but she does not feel much romantic love for him.
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