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| The Second Empress (click here to purchase) |
After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the cruel, capricious Napoleon, leaving the man she loves and her home forever, or say no, and plunge her country into war.
Marie-Louise knows what she must do, and she travels to France, determined to be a good wife despite Napoleon’s reputation. But lavish parties greet her in Paris, and at the extravagant French court, she finds many rivals for her husband’s affection, including Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine, and his sister Pauline, the only woman as ambitious as the emperor himself. Beloved by some and infamous to many, Pauline is fiercely loyal to her brother. She is also convinced that Napoleon is destined to become the modern Pharaoh of Egypt. Indeed, her greatest hope is to rule alongside him as his queen—a brother-sister marriage just as the ancient Egyptian royals practiced. Determined to see this dream come to pass, Pauline embarks on a campaign to undermine the new empress and convince Napoleon to divorce Marie-Louise.
As Pauline's insightful Haitian servant, Paul, watches these two women clash, he is torn between his love for Pauline and his sympathy for Marie-Louise. But there are greater concerns than Pauline's jealousy plaguing the court of France. While Napoleon becomes increasingly desperate for an heir, the empire's peace looks increasingly unstable. When war once again sweeps the continent and bloodshed threatens Marie-Louise’s family in Austria, the second Empress is forced to make choices that will determine her place in history—and change the course of her life.
Based on primary resources from the time, The Second Empress takes readers back to Napoleon’s empire, where royals and servants alike live at the whim of one man, and two women vie to change their destinies. [GoodReads]
Having recently read Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, I decided that I had to jump right in to The Second Empress.
I had never read anything relating to Napoleon in all of my life. I always imagined him to be a slimy, dirty little bug (and he was just that), so I didn't ever want to invest any time in him. The Second Empress is the story about a Hapsburg princess (the great-neice of Marie Antoinette) who is ordered by Emperor himself to marry him. Maria Lucia, our main lady, is a sweet, good-natured woman who is already in love with one of her father's men. She does not seek the "high life," nor does she have any interest in a man who's done nothing short of decimate her father's kingdom once already. Crushed by the decision to either marry Napoleon or watch him destroy her father's kingdom for a final time, she realizes that keeping her home country alive and flourishing seems to be the duty of a princess and decides to go through with the marriage.
This novel is split up by characters' voices. The chapters alternate: one chapter is seen through the eyes of Maria Lucia, one chapter is told by Pauline (Napoleon's manic sister), and one chapter is explained by Paul (Pauline's Haitain chamberlain). Normally I don't like this method, but it worked amazingly with this story. Having read the novel, I really feel that I've received a very true account of Napoleon's court because I've seen it from multiple angles: Maria despises Napoleon, Pauline is in love with her brother and his power, and Paul has watched his home and family be destroyed by Napoleon, but he exhibits a fierce loyalty to Pauline.
I still think Madame Tussaud is my favorite of the two, but throughout this novel, I really grew close to Maria Lucia and all she experienced (emotional abuse from Napoleon, a pregnancy that could have ruined her life (Napoleon's last wife was incapable of producing a male heir during their marriage, so he threw her aside), heartbreak for her own kingdom and lover back home, etc.).
This is a book that I will reread multiple times. I didn't want it to end, and while Michelle is currently working on a new novel set in India, I really hope she circles back to the French culture.
To visit Michelle, follow these sites:
Michelle Moran SITE
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| Michelle Moran |
See also:
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| Madame Tussaud: A Novel of Napoleon's Court |
UPCOMING BOOK: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
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