Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: When one thinks about Napolean Bonaparte, perhaps one thinks about conquest and exile, Josephine, and the advice never to fight a land war in Asia. But what about the woman who loved him when he was still just Napoleone Buonaparte, an upstart military officer from Corsica? Those who read Annemarie Selinko's book Désirée, published in 1951, know her story, but it's taken 70 years for anyone to take another look at her. And her life is worth looking at! Although neither Selinko nor Pataki portray Désirée as having had much agency in life, let alone in world events, she was witness to a lot of history, from the French Revolution to the beginning of the Victorian Era, seeing much of it from her perch as the Queen of Sweden. How did a French girl from Marseille become Queen of Sweden? Pataki (and Selinko) bring Désirée's history and France in this era to life.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment