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, JosĂ©phine, and his sister Pauline, the only woman as ambitious as the emperor himself.
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.
I thought this book would be interesting because I honestly didn't remember much I had learned about Napoleon in school except he was short and grumpy. The Second Empress by Michelle Moran does include the basic history of Napoleon and his two wives. The novel is separated into chapters in which one of three characters narrate. I don't like books written this way because I ALWAYS get confused about who is "speaking" at the time. I muddled through that and found the book an enjoyable read.
I give this book 3 Bookworms.
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