Un romanzo carino, ma nulla più ( )

So I loved this, predominantly because it was a lovely piece of historical fiction that DIDN'T center around one of the many wives of Henry VIII or the royal court of his daughter Elizabeth I. Unfortunately it feels like that's the majority of what's out there anymore.

ANYWAY! I loved this. Josephine, or Rose, or Yayette (sp?) or whatever name you want to give this spirited woman, was a spectacular character. I really enjoyed her spunk and cunning, even if she was made to seem like a bit of a tramp at times. I wish there was more to her character, but I think the point of the book was really to show what all she went through on her way to the top. Perhaps there wasn't enough information available on any particular point in her life for Erickson to make a complete story? I don't know. It probably worked out better this way anyway because you really got a lot of on Josephine's upbringing, which really helped to explain some of her actions and personality quirks. I particularly enjoyed the strong relationship that was illustrated between Yayette and her half sister/maid Euphemia.

Actually, come to think of it, I think my favorite aspect of this story was the extreme contrasts among many of Josephine's relationships. Both her marriages were... tough, at best and downright abusive at their worst. In contrast, however, her relationship with Donovan was strong, and passionate. Scipion's relationship with the Martinique blue-blood was strong as well, yet gentle. It read like the kind of love story that any woman would love to be a part of, despite there being so little of it, the victim of poor timing. Getting away from the Empress's romantic relationships, we see the caring, mother-like presence of Euphemia and Josephine, likewise, looks to her almost as both mother and sister. Josephine's mother, by contrast, is always shown as harsh and cold. Josephine seems to love her more out of obligation that actual emotion. To continue in a similar vein, the Empress's relationship with her first father-in-law is sweet. We don't get too much information about it, but the man seems genuinely concerned for her well being. In direct contrast, every single one of her in-laws from her second marriage complete loath her and enjoy tormenting her in one way or another. There's no love lost there.

I would definitely tell people to give this book a shot, particularly if you enjoy historical fiction from a perspective that isn't completely war-fuled and are sick of Elizabeth I, the Boleyns, and the rest of Henry VIII's wives. ( )

I gave this a 3 simply because the read was easy.

The problem I had was the embellishment.

However, the author does state that this is historical entertainment and not historical fiction.
She also says the historical Josephine is described in her biographical portrayal.
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This note was listed after the story
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I'll need to go elsewhere to find which characters were truly in Josephine's life. ( )

In an afternote to the reader, Carolly Erickson describes this (and her then-previous novels The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette and The Last Wife of Henry VIII) as "a historical entertainment, not a historical novel" and "a way of blending fact and whimsy...[a] somewhat frothy mix." If you are looking for good historical fiction about Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie de Beauharnais, better known as Josephine Bonaparte, there are far better books out there.

Hopefully readers will see the afternote - unfortunately, it was not included in the audiobook I listened to - as it clarifies that the real Josephine never went to Russia (probably the most ridiculous thing that happened in this book), among other liberties with the truth.  The other inventions I found easier to accept, as they were more in character with the real Josephine, but the trip to Russia during Napoleon's defeat there was just too over the top for me to stomach.

Like Alison Weir, Erickson has written nonfiction biographies of many of the subjects of her "historical entertainments," and I'd be interested in reading one to evaluate its scholarship and readability.

Actress and acting professor Margot Dionne has a perfect voice for Josephine, who narrates the story - just vivacious and coquettish enough.  However, when she put on thick French accents for some of the minor characters, I found her very difficult to understand.

This is a fun read, as long as the reader/listener understands that it is only VERY loosely based on the truth.

© Amanda Pape - 2015

[The audiobook, and a print copy for reference, were borrowed from and returned to my local public library. This review also appears on Bookin' It] ( )

Eh. Deviates from real history SO MUCH it was destressing. It's not like the real story isn't interesting enough. Too much fiction and not enough history. ( )