I LOVE FRANCE!
I plan to publish this meme every Thursday more or less!.
You can share here about any book
or anything cultural you just discovered related to France, Paris, etc.
Please spread the news on Twitter, Facebook, etc !
Feel free to grab my button,
and link your own post through Mister Linky,
at the bottom of this post.

*******

The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.

The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte By Ruth Hull Chatlien Publisher: Amika Press, Chicago Pub. Date: December 2, 2013 ISBN: 978-1937484163 Pages:  484 Genre: Historical fiction Source: Received from the author through Historical Fiction virtual book tour Goodreads Buy Links: Available from Amika Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes.

This book counts for the following Reading Challenges:

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

2014 started very well on Words And Peace and France Book Tours with Josephine Bonaparte. I am delighted today to present another Bonaparte, a bit less known I believe, but thanks to Ruth Hull Chatlien, all historical novel lovers can now meet Betsy Bonaparte.

Elizabeth Patterson was born at the end of the 18th century. She grew up in Baltimore. She was very beautiful, was very smart, and had an amazing memory. And her heart was full of dreams, of living abroad in Europe and marrying some dashing rich noble. One day, she meets just the one: Jerome Bonaparte, none other than Napoleon’s brother. And they do marry, and I won’t tell you more about how her life turned out.

I will only say, probably not at all the way you might imagine . But keep in mind the spirit of the time, when women had to respect their father’s mind and will – and Betsy’s father has definitely a mind of his own.
And things get much more complicated as Napoleon‘s mind was quite formidable as well. The book will show you how he tried to dominate as a tyrant not only over France but also over every member of his own family.

The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is very well done. It gives you an excellent background of the socio-economic and political context of the time, in France, Europe (with Napoleon’s doing and undoing), and in the United States.

The description of culture and literary life in Paris is excellent as well.

It certainly depicts very strong and determined characters, sometimes to the point of obsession, especially if you consider Betsy’s life long fight for herself and then for Bo, projecting on him all she could not attain for herself – I will let you meet Bo yourself. It seems her desires were so strong that they blinded her many a times to what was certainly going to happen.

Betsy was for me a very dreamy and tragic figure, never totally at ease in the world that was hers, never totally feeling at home for long in any country she tried to settle, always fighting for her place in a world of culture and respect of all.

Fittingly, the book ends with a vivid scene produced by Betsy’s powerful imagination.

VERDICT: I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy historical fiction, strong women, and/or reading about the Bonapartes. On a very detailed and informative background, Chatlien manages to draw the lively portrait of a strong woman, victim of history and of her milieu. You will want to accompany Betsy all along and discover what fate has in store for her and those she loves.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

As a clever girl in stodgy, mercantile Baltimore, Betsy Patterson dreams of a marriage that will transport her to cultured Europe. When she falls in love with and marries Jerome Bonaparte, she believes her dream has come true—until Jerome’s older brother Napoleon becomes an implacable enemy. Based on a true story, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is a historical novel that portrays this woman’s tumultuous life. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, known to history as Betsy Bonaparte, scandalized Washington with her daring French fashions; visited Niagara Falls when it was an unsettled wilderness; survived a shipwreck and run-ins with British and French warships; dined with presidents and danced with dukes; and lived through the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. Yet through it all, Betsy never lost sight of her primary goal—to win recognition of her marriage. [provided by the author]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Hull Chatlien has been a writer and editor of educational materials for twenty-five years. Her specialty is U.S. and world history. She is the author of Modern American Indian Leaders and has published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte (2013) is her first published novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

***

WOULD YOU LIKE
TO WIN A  COPY OF THIS BOOK?

Click on the rafflecopter link to win my own copy:
I take very good care of my books,
so it is in very good shape.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*

Visit the Tour to read other reviews of this book,
and get 3 chances to win a brand new copy!

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET?
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NOVEL ON THE BONAPARTES?
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS  IN A COMMENT PLEASE

Just a reminder guys:
If you link your own post on France,
please if possible
include the title of the book or topic in your link:
name of your blog (name of the book title or topic):
example : me @ myblog (Camus)

Thanks!