The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon’s Court
Author: Michelle Moran
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Imprint: Crown Trade
Pub Date: August 14, 2012
ISBN: 9780307953032
Much has been written about Josephine, Napoleon’s lover, wife and Empress, but what about the second empress? To be honest, I’ve never given her much thought. Like most people, I think, I was swept away by the tragic romance of Josephine and never once stopped to think of the second wife, except in passing. When I came across THE SECOND EMPRESS, I was intrigued. Was there much known about this woman? I didn’t have high hopes, though I’d read Michelle Moran’s wonderful historical fiction, Cleopatra’s Daughter and adored it. It wasn’t the writing I was worried about, but rather a character I thought was probably boring and insipid.
I shouldn’t have worried. By now, Michelle Moran books and I are old friends. The book was fabulous. Written in three voices, that of Pauline, Napolean’s sister; Marie-Louise/Maria-Lucia, Empress of France; and Paul Moreau, Pauline’s chamberlain. I got so interested in Marie Louise from the first chapter and not just her. The politics, the intrigue, the family dynamic of the Bonapartes were completely fascinating. It captured me completely and I couldn’t wait to read more. I became so intrigued by this Austrian descendant of Marie Antoinette that I couldn’t put my Kindle down. I also went digging for facts to compare to what I was reading as I often do when reading really good historical fiction. I always want to learn more about the people or times I am reading about.
Michelle Moran really gets the reader into the mind of this young woman who married Napoleon to do her duty to her country in spite of what she must have felt going to France, not even 20 years since the death by guillotine of her aunt/cousin Marie Antoinette. The author manages to temper that fear in the book, while making it terribly present. It’s very skillfully done. I didn’t know that Napoleon’s second empress ruled France for him while he was away fighting wars. How it was both what she was born to (she was trained to be regent to her brother in Austria) and also a source of fear (would she become hated like Marie Antoinette?), makes for interesting reading. It also portrays the Austrian empress as being a very devoted mother, taking a great interest in her child. The parallels and the differences to Marie Antoinette are completely engrossing. I went Googling for photos and found the family resemblance quite striking.
Also of note, is the really great feel of being there back in time during Napoleonic France or in Austria. Reading the descriptions make you feel you have been there, an armchair time traveler. One can almost smell the snow on the trees, feel the cold hallways of the palace in Austria or be amazed by the opulence of Versailles. The night after I read this book, I dreamed of Pauline’s Egyptian rooms in the palace. A book that makes you dream, is definitely one worth re-reading.
All in all, this is historical fiction that is solidly good storytelling while keeping as close to the facts as one can. The book will make a history lover out of you if you don’t love historical fiction already. Highly recommended for good character development, great storytelling and voice. Michelle Moran excels at taking somewhat obscure people in history and bringing them brilliantly to life. As with most historical fiction, there are liberties taken (and noted in the Author’s Notes) with facts, but that is why it’s fiction.
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Book description from the publisher:
It is 1809, and while the French Revolution is over, the bloodshed in Paris continues under the reign of
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Although he has conquered much of Europe and is considered one of the most formidable generals in the world, Napoleon still lacks one important thing — an heir. Convinced that his faithful wife Josephine will never produce one, he divorces her and begins the search for a new bride. His choice lands on the unwilling Austrian princess, Marie-Louise, whose great-aunt, Marie Antoinette, suffered a terrible fate at the hands of the French. But once Napoleon makes his intentions known, not even Marie Louise’s father can save her from what is certain to be an unhappy marriage.
After Marie-Louise arrives in France, she is treated to a spectacle beyond anything she could have ever imagined in Austria. From lavish parties that would have made Marie Antoinette blush with shame, to temper tantrums thrown by the emperor’s spoiled siblings, the French court is wild, juvenile, and extravagant. The worst offender of them all, however, is Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s promiscuous sister who is doing everything she can to encourage Napoleon to divorce his new wife. Her dream is to take the imperial crown for herself–just as the Egyptians did–by marrying her own brother. When Marie-Louise uncovers the relationship that exists between her husband and his sister, she is horrified. Surrounded by duplicitous courtiers and untrustworthy family members, the new empress finds two unlikely allies at court: Hortense, the beautiful daughter of Josephine, and Paul, the insightful mulatto servant Pauline took away with her after visiting the island of Haiti.
Based entirely on primary resources, The Second Empress re-creates Napoleon Bonaparte’s wildly promiscuous court–and the women who tried to control it.
About the author:
MICHELLE MORAN is the international bestselling author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra’s Daughter, and Madame Tussaud. Her experiences at archaeological sites around the world motivated her to write historical fiction and continue to provide inspiration for her novels. Her fifth book, The Second Empress, comes out August 14, 2012.
Disclosure: A free copy of this book was furnished by the publisher for review via NetGalley, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.
