In this first of three books inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon, Sandra Gulland recreates the astonishing world of a young girl who transforms herself into one of the most powerful women in history. Told in an imaginative and historically accurate diary form, this is an utterly absorbing novel of magical proportions.
The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Amazon
Since completing high school history, few of us have managed to keep straight the details of the French Revolution. Beyond suggestions of eating cake and the effectiveness of the guillotine, this sordid time period has remained--for many--somewhat obscure. Now, through the novel The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., not only do we learn of the many differences between Robespierre and Rousseau, but we gain insight into the marriage of one of history's greatest political couples: Napoleon and Josephine.
Standing beside the charismatic Napoleon, Josephine's own importance and fascinating history have often been overshadowed. In a fictionalized account of Josephine's diaries and her correspondence, author Sandra Gulland has shed light on Josephine's pre-Napoleon life. This, the first of three books about Josephine, covers her childhood in Martinique, her first marriage, the birth of her children, her life during the revolution, and her marriage to Napoleon.
A poor Creole outsider as well as a rising socialite, Josephine experienced both the horrors of imprisonment and the privilege of connections. Utilizing these different perspectives, Gulland takes special care to bring forth the reality of life in late 18th-century France. Though she can only theorize on Josephine's emotions and desires, Gulland's talented writing and the restrained use of footnotes keep the reader properly informed on pertinent details, whether they be obscure political events or voodoo beliefs. While professional historians may bristle at the artistic license Gulland employs, most readers will find her novel a satisfying and engaging introduction to this dramatic period. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From Library Journal
When Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher was a girl in Martinique, a voodoo priestess predicted that she would be unhappily married, would then be widowed, and would become queen. With the profits from her father's sugar plantation spent largely on his gambling and drinking, the final prediction seems unlikely. An arranged marriage takes Rose to France, where she finds herself woefully uneducated and unprepared for high society. But in 1779 no one is prepared for the bloody upheaval that will convulse France for years. Rose endures her husband's infidelity and abandonment before his execution leaves her a widow. Combining charm, intelligence, empathy, and luck, she copes with poverty and prison, surviving the revolution with her children. Gulland skillfully re-creates the era's turbulence without confusing readers. A chronology and genealogy provide assistance, and Rose is a character worth caring about and remembering. Her marriage to Napoleon ends this first volume in a projected trilogy, leaving readers eager to know the rest of her story. [First published in Canada as a hardcover, this series is being issued in trade paperback in the United States.AEd.]AKathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., M.
-AKathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., MN
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
-AKathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., MN
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
I am fourteen today and unmarried still. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
I am fourteen today and unmarried still. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Angie
Format:Paperback
Wonderful story, we just read it in our book club. First of a Trilogy. The author researched France before, during and after the French Revolution. Written in Diary form, it was an amazing experience to read. Highly recommended. Note, Napoleon doesn't enter the story until close to the end!
By Y. Dumoulin
Format:Paperback
I simply just LOVED IT! I love history and this book provides you entertainment and knowledge about how they lived back then. I definitely recommend it.
By C. McIntyre
Format:Paperback
I bought this from the bargin bin at a large book sellers. I was one lucky woman, I would have paid much more for it. I read this and the rest of the series is quick succession. A great way to do it if you can. It gave me a really great story arc and a fabulous over all general understanding of the time. These books have got me super interested in that time and now I am even reading non-fiction books on the subject! I didnt find the authors writting self involved or heavy handed with historical details. I really enjoyed it from a story as a view into anther womans life relationships and marriage. It was very good.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 98 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book!
I had never heard of this book before I saw it at a book fair. I am so glad I picked it up! I have talked about it so much, that all of my friends are reading it. Read more
Published on April 19 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
Josephine's life via her diary--fabulous!
I'm not a big fan of the whole 'history via a character's diary' thing. But I grabbed this book on a whim and was quickly absorbed. Read more
Published on Mar 5 2002 by Jill Myles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, Eye-opening Tale of a Future Queen
I only recently heard about this popular series of books on Josephine Bonaparte. I started reading this first one and could not put it down. Read more
Published on Feb 13 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting Reading
The book, written in diary format, documented the early life and formative years of Rose Tasher (aka Josephine Bonaparte). Read more
Published on Jan 9 2002 by M.A.E.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exelent book
This book is exelent. After I picked it up I couldn't stop reading. It taught me a lot of things, and I know it will teach everybody something. Read more
Published on Dec 30 2001
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overdone
Although this book has some fine moments where I think the author really speaks to the readers and lets them know what Josephine's interior life might of been like, these moments... Read more
Published on Dec 17 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done Historical Fiction
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is interesting and entertaining historical fiction. Read more
Published on Nov 4 2001 by Elizabeth Hendry
5.0 out of 5 stars
A pleasant surprise!
A friend of mine read this book while on vacation in Hawaii. He loved it so much he immediately went to the bookstore to buy the second and third books in this trilogy. Read more
Published on Oct 29 2001 by L. M Prestwidge
4.0 out of 5 stars
my review
In this first book of the series on Josephine, be are introduced to a shy girl of 14 living in the Island of Martinico (later know as Haiti). Read more
Published on Oct 4 2001 by Ana Maria Barrenechea
5.0 out of 5 stars
a green flash
I love the woman Rose-Josephine so much. She is so human and yet so goddesslike. She has faults and she has courage. Passion and fear. This is not a "historical fiction. Read more
Published on July 27 2001
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
