How I Came to Love Versailles: 10 tips on how you can love it too by Sandra Gulland (includes giveaway)

Today we are very pleased to welcome Sandra Gulland here to tell us about visiting Versailles. Made me remember my own visit to the splendid palace many years ago. One day I will visit again. One day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When I began to write about the Court of the Sun King, I had to research Versailles, of course. I began with a shelf-full of books, but I resisted actually going there for some time. I feared that it would be overwhelming—and it was!

Here's how I came to love it:

1) Read books about Versailles, both fiction and non-fiction, before you go.

2) Take a car from the Paris airport directly to Versailles and spend the night there. Or two. Or three! (We enjoyed staying at the Trianon Palace, a short walk from Versailles.)

3) Visit Versailles in short stages. (When you are staying in the village, this is easier: you can tour, nap, eat, tour, nap, eat.)

4) It's best to visit Versailles early on week-day mornings, before the hoards arrive. (More than three million tourists visit Versailles every year.)

5) Plan to take only a few personal photos; there will often be people standing in the way of a good historical shot—and the official photos on postcards and in the guidebooks are excellent.

6) Sign up for an official tour (or two), especially for a first visit: these guides get you past the lines, had have lots of great information. I recommend Guidatours.

7) Get lost in the gardens. Dream of the events that were held there. 

8) Make sure you visit the bookstore, and have room in your luggage for all the books you will buy.

9) Ditto for gifts!

10) Go back to Versailles many times. Like the Louvre, one visit, or even two or three, will never be enough.

The Versailles of the period of my novels MISTRESS OF THE SUN and, newly out, THE SHADOW QUEEN, spanned the early days, when it was just a hunt lodge, to the beginnings of construction of the massive chateau that we know today.

I was most interested in imagining what Versailles might have been like under construction, as shown in this painting by Adam Frans van der Meulen: 

I walked from the chateau to the village, and then to where Clagny had been at one time, the chateau the Sun King built for Athénaïs, Madame de Montespan, his second official mistress.

It is no longer there, alas, but walking to where it had once stood gave me a sense of the distances, the views.

Everywhere I walked, my characters had walked before me.

Versailles is a place rich in history, layers upon layers of it. Enjoy it step by step, bit by tasty bit.

Links:

Trianon Palace
Guidatours

About the Tour

Tour Schedule: http://francebooktours.com/2014/01/06/sandra-gulland-on-tour-the-shadow-queen/
Sandra Gulland's website.
Sandra Gulland on Facebook
Sandra Gulland on Twitter.
Sandra Gulland on Goodreads


About the Book

From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy, comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King.

1660, Paris

Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. From an impoverished childhood wandering the French countryside with her family’s acting troupe, Claudette finally witnesses her mother's astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theaters. Working with playwrights Corneille, Molière and Racine, Claudette’s life is culturally rich, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she's socially scorned.

A series of chance encounters gradually pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athénaïs de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athénaïs offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant.

Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed.

Indeed, Claudette's "reputable" new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs, becomes ever more desperate to hold onto the King's favor, innocent love charms move into the realm of deadly Black Magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her own life—and the family she loves so dearly—at risk.

Set against the gilded opulence of a newly-constructed Versailles and the War of Theaters, THE SHADOW QUEEN is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France.

Giveaway details:

- to participate, leave a comment telling us what you would like to see if you were lucky enough to be able to visit Versailles or, if you have already been, a handy tip!  Don't forget to include your email address in your comment.

- there is one hardcover copy of the book to be given away
- open to US/Canada only
- closes 18th May midnight GMT 

The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland

When Claudette des Oeillets first meets the young girl Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente, who will in future be known as Athenais de Montespan, it is a chance encounter. After all Claudette is from a poor travelling theatre family, trying their best to get by in 17th century France and Athenais is the girl who in due course will become 'The Shadow Queen', mistress to Louis XIV of France.

Claudette is forced to grow up quickly, taking responsibility for her mother who barely seems to be able to hold it together unless she is on stage performing where she is exceptional, and also for her brother Gaston who is disabled. Whilst her mother is onstage performing plays by the most notable playwrights of the day, Claudette does anything and everything that she can to bring in a few extra sous to help make ends meet from cleaning and sewing to the occasional small onstage part. Claudette's story provides the viewer with ringside seats in the volatile world of French theatre, a world peopled by playwrights like Racine, Corneille and Moliere, the actors and actresses as well as all the fans from all walks of life.

I found much of the theatre aspect of the book very interesting, mainly because I don't remember reading a lot about the complex political and religious implications of theatre at this point of time. I was surprised by how badly any one associated with the theatre were treated by the church of the time - not allowed to enter the church or have communion and therefore if they died without renouncing the theatre unable to be buried in holy ground. And yes, despite these efforts to ostracise the performers and their families, there were still many actors and actresses who attracted many fanatics (from where we get some of our modern concepts of fandom), even from among the aristocracy. It is an interesting dichotomy.

Claudette's life changes immeasurably when she moves from the theatre world to the court of Louis XIV after she is appointed as the personal attendant and confidante to Athenais de Montespan, wife to a nobleman, mother of his children who live with him in another country but more importantly mistress to the king, and mother of his children. Athenais is desperate to protect her place as the king's main squeeze, resorting to charms and potions to keep his attention from wandering too far away and Claudette is a key player in helping her with this objective. This  ends up with Claudette being caught up in the Affair of the Poisons which rocked the royal court of the day.

I think that the publishers and marketers missed the mark with this book in a way. Firstly, in relation to the title, I must confess I am not 100% sure of the logic behind giving a book a title that actually doesn't relate to the main character. Sure, Athenais is the shadow queen but the reality is that the book is not about Athenais. It is about Claudette. Yes, for a large portion of the book Athenais is pretty much Claudette's main focus but as a title it didn't work that well for me.

The same could be said of the synopsis. Yes, all the things that are mentioned in the synopsis did happen but I was a little disappointed by how little depth there was when it came to some of those events. For example, in the synopsis it talks about the "increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France". Whilst there was a confrontation I don't think I got the increasingly uneasy vibe let alone anything more. And if you google Claudette's name you will find that she was (in)famous for one thing and yet that was mainly inferred rather than explored and how that all came about felt a bit odd to be honest!

It is a bit disappointing to feel this way about this book, especially seeing as I did find many things in it interesting. I was a big fan of the Josephine B trilogy, and I liked Mistress of the Sun (just not quite as much) and as such I got excited when I learned that the author had a new book out. I think that will probably be still true for her next book but I do wonder how high I should set my expectations. Of course, maybe my reaction is tempered by the fact that in addition to not doing any blogging I haven't been reading much at all. Maybe this is just as much about me as it was about the book.

Rating 3.5/5

About the Book

From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy, comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King.

1660, Paris

Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. From an impoverished childhood wandering the French countryside with her family’s acting troupe, Claudette finally witnesses her mother's astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theaters. Working with playwrights Corneille, Molière and Racine, Claudette’s life is culturally rich, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she's socially scorned.

A series of chance encounters gradually pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athénaïs de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athénaïs offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant.

Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed.

Indeed, Claudette's "reputable" new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs, becomes ever more desperate to hold onto the King's favor, innocent love charms move into the realm of deadly Black Magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her own life—and the family she loves so dearly—at risk.

Set against the gilded opulence of a newly-constructed Versailles and the War of Theaters, THE SHADOW QUEEN is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France.

What is is about Josephine - Guest post by Sandra Gulland

What is it about Josephine?

Josephine who? You rarely have to say. Josephine is one of the few people in history who is known simply by her first name. I think of Cleopatra, Jesus, Napoleon ... and then? Josephine.

Why does her memory linger? What is it we continue to find so fascinating about her? She wasn't dramatic; she didn't do anything particularly showy. In fact, if anything, she was known for being quiet, a gentle personality.

I can't explain what it is that others find so alluring; I can only speak for myself.

For me, the most amazing thing about Josephine was that her extraordinary life was, in fact, foretold. As a young teen on the island of Martinique, a fortuneteller told her that she would be unhappily married, widowed, and then become "more than a Queen." I don't believe that it is possible to predict the future, and yet there is proof: an account of this prediction was printed in a Parisian journal before Josephine had even met Napoleon.

Was Josephine a "king-maker"? As I was writing the Josephine B. Trilogy, it seemed almost spooky the way the men in her life became "rulers" after meeting her. For a short period of time during the Revolution, her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais was considered the man who ruled. After the Revolution, her friend Barras led the country. And then, of course, there was the extraordinary rise of the socially-inept Corsican general she married.

Was she ambitious? Decidedly not. "How unhappy a crown makes one," she wrote to her daughter Hortense. Was she helpful to Napoleon? Absolutely. Supportive? Ditto. But she was not a goal-driven woman. (But for one thing: her constant focus was the wellbeing of her two children, and, later, her grandchildren.) What she was was extraordinarily perceptive, sensitive to people's needs. Madame Rémusat, who was not kind with respect to Josephine in her memoirs (significantly written after Napoleon's fall), said, in a letter (and I paraphrase): "When one spends time with Josephine, one's heart is full." And that, to me, says it all. Napoleon rose to fame on his own merits, certainly, but I personally doubt that he would have won the trust of the people without Josephine at his side. She was someone everyone -- both the conservatives and the revolutionaries alike -- could identify with. She was kindness personified.

For me, personally, it was her courage that inspires me. "If Josephine could do it, I can do it." It's a curious word to use, for she wasn't exactly doing battle on a field of war. Yet it's a word that comes to my readers, as well, writing to me about how Josephine has given them courage. (The stories I get bring tears: I can't tell you how many letters I've gotten from readers who read the Trilogy in the hospital.) The courage Josephine had was to step up to the challenge presented to her, as well as the courage to bow gracefully to defeat. And yet always—always—with an open heart.

I've been away from Josephine's world for over a decade now, and yet she continues to haunt me. Last summer, I was invited to be part of a documentary on her: In Search of Josephine. (It's now out: I recommend it.) I was in the process, at the time, of releasing the Trilogy in e-book form under my own imprint; the files were in need of proofreading. The timing was perfect: for the first time in well over a decade, I read my own novels, and was moved, yet again, by Josephine's powerful story. Then, in November, I was offered a contract to write a Young Adult novel about Josephine's daughter Hortense—an offer I gladly accepted once I realized what a wonderful story Hortense had to tell. And then, shortly after the release of the documentary, I learned that it was official that Michael Hirst (scriptwriter for the Tudors and the Elizabeth movies) had written the script for a TV mini-series based on the Trilogy, that a producer was in place, and Josephine cast. (Sorry! I can't reveal names at this time.) It appears that Josephine will be, yet again and again, beloved by all.

"I win battles, but Josephine wins hearts," Napoleon said. How true.

=========

Sandra Gulland is the author of The Josephine B. Trilogy, which has been published in 17 countries. Her most recent novel, also internationally-published, is Mistress of the Sun, set in the 17th century court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. She has recently launched Sandra Gulland INK, an e-book publishing company, so that her work would be available to readers worldwide. For more about Sandra and her work, go to her website: www.SandraGulland.com. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. If you want to receive her e-newletter, sign up here.

Oh la la! Why I Love the 17th Century

Our week in the 17th century with the Hoydens and Firebrands comes to a close with our final guest post, this time from Sandra Gulland.

*********

The 17th century was a period of vast change, bridging the Middle Ages and the Englightenment. Everything was happening, everything changing— and that makes for great stories.

I adore the 17th century, especially the later half, in France. The French experienced this exciting period of time in quite a different way from people in England. The 17th century in England was torn by revolution, witch-hunts, the Black Plague, and the Great Fire. Although France also suffered witch-hunts and Plague, it was not nearly to the same degree. In France, the 17th century was a period of great cultural flowering. In France, it was a party.

During this period, for example, the French discovered comfort (eyed with puritanical suspicion across the Channel), fresh vegetables (and all that we think of when we think of French cuisine), and privacy (and the romance that came with it).

Before the concept of privacy was born, people were always in company. A bathtub would be set up in the warmest room — usually the kitchen. With the concept of privacy, however, things changed: the lay-out of rooms, how one slept, bathed, relieved oneself.

The comfort revolution began with French gowns (enough of that rigid corset!), and from there came such innovations as the chest of drawers (instead of trunks) and padded armchairs (instead of wooden stools). The armchair led to the invention of the sofa  . . .  and, with that, of course, came the complete unraveling of all moral standards.

Oh la la!

(Illustration: Jean François de Troy’s  painting, "Reading Molière," illustrates the relaxed clothing, furniture and social interactions that came into vogue in France during the later part of the 17th century.)



Sandra Gulland is author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun, which is set in the 17th century court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. She is currently writing another novel set in the same period.

Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Sandra Gulland - Why I Love Unhappy Endings

Why I love unhappy endings
by Sandra Gulland (www.sandragulland.com)

I like a good cry — when it's for a good reason, and forming an attachment to a fictional character that's so strong that it reduces me to sobbing tears is indeed a good reason to weep. It's also quite rare; weeping indicates that I've made an emotional bond with a character that I will never, ever forget.

My favorite historical novel is A Walk with Love and Death by Hans Koning. It's a slim novel that shimmers with elegant beauty, an enchanting love story that ends with the ultimate sacrifice: as the enemy approaches, the hero kills his beloved and then himself — to spare her.

I like literary historical fiction, and literary fiction, as a general rule, tends to end unhappily. Why is that? I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with what one looks for in a novel: comfort . . . or reality. One is not superior to the other, just different.

I'm not adverse to a happy ending. I find Austen's worlds, where everything works out as it should, deeply satisfying. But when it comes to my own work, I seem to like to make my readers weep. Cruel, I know — but at least I'm weeping with them as I write.

Writing the ending of my Josephine B. Trilogy reduced me to a puddle of tears: I could hardly see the computer screen as I wrote. My editor's husband was alarmed to find her sobbing at the kitchen table after reading the draft of The Last Great Dance on Earth. "Josephine!" was all she could say, in anguish. Later, at a meeting with my editor and agent, we joked about packaging this last novel with a package of tissue. At readings, I sometimes warn people not to finish that novel in public, and invariably stories emerge: of a young woman who wept so hard on an airplane flight the man sitting next to her asked if she was okay; of woman who alarmed her young children with the violence of her grief.

I'm trying to get over it, frankly, this apparent attraction to misery. My last novel, Mistress of the Sun, does not, in romantic terms, end happily — but the ending is a lot happier than what I had first intended, a brutal, gut-wrenching scene in which the heroine shoots her beloved horse Diablo. (To spare him, interestingly enough: is this not a theme?) An editor I work with argued against this: "I'm only trying to save Diablo's life!" he exclaimed at one point, with considerable emotion. I had written two endings, and ultimately, I had to choose. Days before I sent the final draft to my publisher I opted in favor of life . . . and I'm really glad I did. The ending is sad, still — quite, for me! — but at the same time, there is something glorious about it now, I think. (I won't say more: no spoilers allowed!) But, of course: sad-sweet tears, as well.

Right now I'm working on my next novel. The forty-page "rough" plot has gone through eleven drafts. It was only with this last round that I realized how dismally the story ended. The poor heroine never got what she wanted! And so, I've worked in a little softener, a sweet-hearted man to temper a harsh reality. There will be smiles in that last scene, I think ... as well as tears. At least I hope so.

Other stops on Sandra Gulland's April blog tour are:

April 7 -- Historical Tapestry: http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/ Guest blog: "Why I love unhappy endings."

April 10th -- Reading Group Guides: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/content/index.asp Guest blog: "How a bookclub changed me as a writer."

April 15 -- Reading the Past: http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/ Guest blog: "What to leave in . . . and what to leave out: crafting a story from history."

April 16 -- Marta's Meanderings: http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

April 17 -- Travels of the Bookworm: Hosting a giveaway right now! http://travelsofthebookworm.blogspot.com/

April 20 -- Historical Novels: http://historicalnovels.info

April 23 and 24: Peeking Between the Pages:http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com

April 24 -- Epicrat: http://epicrat.blogspot.com

April 29 -- Planet Books: http://planetbooks.wordpress.com/

April 29 -- Booking Mama: http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/

May 1 -- The Tome Traveler: http://thetometraveler.blogspot.com/

May 1 -- Racous Royals: http://blog.racousroyals.com

May 4 -- Shhh! I'm Reading: http://shhhimreading.blogspot.com/

May 5 -- My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/

May 7 -- Enchanted by Josephine: http://enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com

May 8 -- Skrisha's Books: http://www.skrishnasbooks.com

May 14 -- Linus' Blanket: review and give-away http://linussblanket.com

May 15 -- Kris Waldherr http://kriswaldherr.com/blog

Yet to be scheduled -- Scandalous Woman: http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland

Rich Details and Decadence of 17th-Century Court

This is the story of real life Louise de la Vallière, mistress to France's King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. At a young age, Louise, lovingly nicknamed Petite by her father, uses bone magic to tame a wild stallion.

Though of minor nobility, her family doesn’t have enough money for her dowry to marry, let along to get into a convent. Thus she starts a new chapter in her life, that of maid in waiting to a princess of a bit higher nobility than herself. After the princess moves away, Louise moves to the court of the Sun King and is maid of honour to a high nobility princess. Soon after she becomes mistress to the king.

Set against the breathtaking background of France, this enchanting piece of historical fiction displays the extravagant opulence of the time of King Louis XIV’s reign.

Sandra Gulland has made me crave more of King Louis XIV. She must have suspected that this would be the case with some readers, as she suggests a book to learn more ‘Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King’ by Antonia Fraser. I have added this to my TBR (to be read).

This is the first book I have read by Sandra Gulland but it won’t be the last! I look forward, with great anticipation to reading her Josephine B. trilogy.

4/5

Monday, November 19, 2007

Happy New Year!

Or at least, I wish the new year would hurry up and get here! Once the fall gets over I find myself in a 'lull' period, impatiently awaiting the books that I am looking forward to in the New Year. I find that more often than not I suffer from 'feast or famine' periods with my book purchases. I know that the book publishers do this on purpose, but it does not mean it is enjoyable!

So, what am I looking forward to in the New Year, you might be asking? The new Sandra Gulland book, the new Anne Easter Smith book, and the new Conn Iggulden book to name a few. Not to mention the next book in Ariana Franklin's series! Sandra Gullan keeps rereleasing the same books over and over again with different covers and styles, so it is about time that she came out with a new book. I think anyways!

Her new book is titled Mistress of the Sun. I wonder if she is nervous. The first three books she wrote were highly successful, but will this one match up is the question...

The author of the internationally acclaimed Josephine B. trilogy returns with another deeply enchanting historical novel, this one based on the life of an extraordinary horsewoman, Louise de la Vallière, the brave and spirited child of minor nobility who, against all odds, grows up to become one of the most mysterious consorts of France's King Louis XIV, the charismatic Sun King.

Set against the magnificent decadence of the 17th-century court of the Sun King, Mistress of the Sun begins when the eccentric young Louise falls in love with a wild white stallion and uses ancient magic to tame him. This one desperate action of youth shadows her throughout her life, changing it in ways she could never imagine.

Unmarriageable and too poor to join a convent, she enters the court of the Sun King as a maid of honour, where she captures - and then tragically loses - the King's heart. Mistress of the Sun illuminates, through the resurrection of a fascinating female figure from the dark corners of history, both the power of true love and the rash actions we take to capture and tame it.

Sandra Gulland's previous work brought Josephine Bonaparte magnificently to life in three immediately addictive bestselling novels. Beginning with The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Gulland established an entirely new gold standard for the art of historical fiction. Mistress of the Sun - a riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its centre - is a welcome reward for all those who have waited so patiently for its arrival.

Then, FINALLY, I get a new book from Anne Easter Smith. Her first novel, A Rose for the Crown, was one of my favourite reads of 2006, so I am so excited to see her next effort. It is called Daughter of York.

Following A Rose for the Crown, Anne's new book, Daughter of York, tells the compelling story of Margaret, Plantagenet princess and sister of Edward IV and Richard III. Daughter of York also re-visits some of the characters from "A ROSE FOR THE CROWN," as we follow Margaret from the court of England where, as a pawn in Edward's political schemes, she is kept single until she is 22, when a Burgundian alliance is forged through her marriage to Charles the Bold, the new Duke of Burgundy.

Recently, I became a bit of a Conn Iggulden fangirl. I am just not always very interested in 'female' literature. Conn Iggulden is more compelling with his novel about Genghis Khan. I do not mind a bit of battle and bloodshed in my novels. I am so thrilled that he has a new book out so soon after I read the last one. I just hope that it does not suffer from second book problems!
I have not been able to find a description, though. This one comes out pretty soon into the New Year, so it will be a Christmas present for myself, that is for sure!

Lastly, I will mention Ariana Franklin. Her previous novel, Mistress of the Art of Death, surprised me because I did not think it would be my sort of novel. I loved it, though, and I cannot wait to revisit the characters!

Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.

Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father.

Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.

Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .

All I can say is

Dear Santa,

It would be most wonderful if you could hurry up the next book release period because I would very much like to find out what happened next and I am not enjoying this whole 'waiting thing'! And, that is not even all the books I am looking forward to next year. If it could come just a little quicker I would be most happy!

Sincerely,

A Very Impatient Book Worm!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland

The Last Great Dance on Earth is the triumphant final volume of Sandra Gulland's beloved trilogy based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte. When the novel opens, Josephine and Napoleon have been married for four tumultuous years. Napoleon is Josephine's great love, and she his. But their passionate union is troubled from within, as Josephine is unable to produce an heir, and from without, as England makes war against France and Napoleon's Corsican clan makes war against his wife. Through Josephine's heartfelt diary entries, we witness the personal betrayals and political intrigues that will finally drive them apart, culminating in Josephine's greatest tragedy: her divorce from Napoleon and his exile to Elba. The Last Great Dance on Earth is historical fiction on a grand scale and the stirring conclusion to an unforgettable love story.

Kailana says:


From other people that have read this trilogy, they say that this book is their least favourite of the three. I find myself wondering if that is because of a decrease in writing style, or because this is the book where everything falls apart. It really is a depressing novel, one bad thing seems to happen after another, but that is not Gulland's fault, that is histories fault. It is not like she can suddenly change history in book three to make for a happier story.

When the book opens, Josephine and Napoleon have been married for four years. Josephine is a few years older than her husband, and as I mentioned in the post for the previous book, unable to have children. This is not her fault, it is just the way things are, but it becomes very important in this book. It is strange to see the two of them now. Josephine was unsure if she even wanted to marry Napoleon in the beginning, but yet here they are and she seems quite happy to be with him. She knew him before he was anything, and she loves him even if he has nothing.

There are good moments in this book, though, I might add. The book starts out on a happy note, but Napoleon begins to have affairs with other women that play a more central role in this novel than they did in others. He loves his wife, there is no question there, but it seems that men just had to be unfaithful from time to time back in those days. We will not get into today's culture. Josephine really battles with the whole idea of turning a blind eye to what her husband is doing, but she tries. It is hard when someone you love is cheating on you, and while other women of the time seem easily to turn the other cheek, Josephine worries. I think for her it is more that she is worried he will divorce her than anything else.

It is not hard to tell through the course of this trilogy that Josephine and Napoleon loved each other, I just wish that things could have been different. Napoleon finally has what he set out to have, the life that he has been planning and working for, and his family is pushing him from all sides to divorce Josephine. You can tell that it really is the last thing that he wants to do, that he honestly loves her, but sometimes the good of the country has to come over the good of your heart. It really is a shame that things could not have gone another way, but in this time, men were more interested in having an heir (someone had to carry on the family name), and less about the love of a good woman. It is clear that with or without an heir, Josephine was better for him, but you can decide that on your own should you choose to read this book.

I found this book sad, I will give people that. I really felt for Josephine near the end. Even when you are reading something that you know the outcome, it still is sad to see it all come crashing down. Not to mention, I was sad to see this trilogy end.

4.5/5

Marg says:

The third and final book in the excellent Josephine B trilogy starts approximately four years after the marriage of Napoleon and Josephine. The couple are at first happily married, but there is always pressure on the two of them, both externally and internally! It is Napoleon's greatest wish to have a child, and Josephine is forced to endure many different 'cures' to try to become pregnant, but it is likely that her period of incarceration during the Revolution has caused the early onset of menopause for her.

It was quite interesting to me to read this trilogy, because most of the books that I read have France as the enemy, so it is easy to forget how much Napoleon actually achieved, and to not really appreciate how popular he really was in France during his reign, particularly the early years. The fact that he was able to achieve as much as he did as well as deal with his grasping and petty, jealous family is quite amazing. The appointment of the Bonapartes onto the thrones of the countries that Napoleon conquered was very thorough, even if the jockeying for the most tasty of these morsels (thrones) was at times farcical!

I did find it quite ironic that the Revolution overthrew the Bourbon kings, and yet, in effect, Napoleon introduced a very similar court, albeit calling himself Emperor, but the rigid rules, formality and excesses were all there, as was the need to have a structure in place to determine who would be Emperor next...to have an heir.

There is less to be cheerful about in this book than there were in the previous books, and Josephine's diary reflects this as she begins to understand her fate. Josephine struggled with the implication of being created Empress, and struggled with the numerous affairs that Napoleon had and was expected to turn a blind eye too, although on one occasion she was the one who had to end one of the relationships on Napoleon's behalf. She also had to constantly be on guard against the whole Bonaparte clan who had been against her since the very early days of her marriage.

History shows that Napoleon divorced Josephine because she could not provide him an heir, and yet, Napoleon seemed to still care very much for her, which in a way makes this love story even more poignant.

Gulland has written an excellent trilogy about a fascinating woman, living in a volatile and tumultuous time.

Rating 4/5

The three books in this trilogy are listed below. Click on the links to go to our reviews of the other books in the trilogy.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe
The Last Great Dance on Earth

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland

I fear I have made a mistake

Set in Paris at the end of the eighteenth century, Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe opens as Josephine awakes to the reality of her recent marriage to 'the Corsican' Napoleon Bonaparte, now General-in-Chief of the Army of Italy. Through Josephine's diary entries and Napoleon's impassioned - and at times disturbing - love letters, an astonishing portrait of a canny and compassionate woman emerges set against one of the most tumultuous periods in European history. Written is a spare but compelling style, this beautifully crafted novel brings the amazing drama of the legendary Josephine to vibrant life.

Kailana Says:

I have to admit that I finished this book and almost immediately started book three, so I might have a hard time remembering what happens in book two and what happened in book one.

In the first book the main character was known as Rose, but now she is the beautiful wife of Napoleon. I really liked this trilogy. Josephine is a very interesting character. Some people are not fond of the diary-style of writing, but I thought it worked well for this trilogy. It feels more personal that way. You cannot help feeling bad for Josephine. She has not had a very easy life, most people in France at this time have not, but her luck does not seem to ever fully recover. As a result of her imprisonment during the Terror, she is unable to have Napoleon's child. They try all these methods, but we know that that the stress of her imprisonment likely resulted in her starting menopause at a young age. She can have children, she has two with her first husband, the timing is just wrong for her to give Napoleon any.

I thought that Napoleon is also an interesting character. You are not really sure if Josephine and Napoleon are going to hit it off at first, if you go into it with an innocent impression of what is going to happen. For those that know what happened in history, though, Gulland does a very good job sticking to the main historical facts. I cannot say that I liked Napoleon, though, he just had his good points. He loved Josephine, I never questioned that. He just tried to do what was best for France, and he had an atrocious family. At the end of the third book it tells what happened to all of them, actually.

Another thing I liked about the books were the footnotes. They explained things that happened in the previous book so you understood references, but they also included letters and things from historical records of Josephine and her family, plus providing references for off-hand remarks that were not explained. To someone living in Josephine's time, they likely made sense, but to people living today, unless you are very up on the time period, you might miss the reference. I have to admit that while I like history, and have taken many history courses in university, I have never had a course that covered the Napoleonic Wars in any great detail. They were mentioned, I know who they were, but even if it is a fiction book, this is the most I have ever read on Napoleon. When I graduate and reading non-fiction history books becomes fun again, this is a subject matter I would like to read more about.

I also have to briefly comment on the medical practices of the time. Normally I might have overlooked them, but I am taking a history of medicine course this year, and we just talked about medicine in about the time that this book covers, so it was interesting to see the methods I learned about in use in this novel. I mean, obviously I have seen it before, but in the past I did not have a medical history course to provide background information.


Marg says:

The events portrayed at the beginning of this book following on almost directly from the end of The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.. Napoleon and Rose (now known as Josephine) are newly married, not without opposition from her children. Napoleon is rapidly rising through the ranks, and Josephine is along for the ride. They have a very strange relationship in some ways. He is jealously devoted to Josephine and yet she has to pay her own way, and finds herself deeply in debt on several occasions. This debt is exacerbated by the fact that the Caribbean islands are now pretty much incommunicado with France due to the problems with the British. Napoleon's family has also made it very clear that they do not want Josephine as part of the family and can be quite malicious in their treatment of her.

Napoleon goes off to fight in Italy and misses Josephine so much that he sends for her, but not before her enemies (also known as Napoleon's family) have planted doubts in his mind about her faithfulness. On arrival, she is feted like royalty and she begins to understand exactly how much power and authority her husband now wields, and once reconciled to him, continues on a journey with him that will take her far from her roots as a humble planter's daughter.

Once again, Gulland manages to make the diary format work. She brings alive the excitement and the tribulations of the life of Josephine during this time when her husband's star is rising in the sphere of French politics, to the point that she is close to the point of fulfilling the prophecy that she was given as a young woman, but that, I guess, is what will be covered in the next book.

Another very entertaining read from this author! I am looking forward to the third and final book in the series!

Rating 4/5

The books in this trilogy in order are:

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe
The Last Great Dance on Earth

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B by Sandra Gulland

You will be unhappily wed.
You will be widowed.
You will be queen

To the fourteen year old Rose, eldest daughter of a poor plantation landlord, the fortuneteller's prophecy is both thrilling and laughable. Poorly educated and without a dowry, it seems unlikely that she will find any husband - much less a king. But history tells a different tale, for Rose not only marries into a wealthy aristocratic family, she survives the French Revolution, outlives her first husband and is one day known as Josephine Bonaparte.

In this beautifully crafted novel, Sandra Gulland pulls back the veil of history to reveal an extraordinary life. From her simple childhood on the French island of Martinique to her first heady experience in French revolutionary Paris and her unhappy marriage to the unfaithful Alexandre, Rose's destiny lives with a man determined to rule all of France, determined to make her Queen.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B is the first book in the incredible trilogy inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte.

Marg Says:

On the odd occasion that I have read books that are in diary format, particularly historical fiction, they haven't necessarily worked for me, so if I had of realised that this was the format of this book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. This is, however, one of those books where the diary format really, really works.

We meet the legendary Josephine Bonaparte when she is Rose, a young planter's daughter who lives in Martinique. She visits a fortune teller who tells her that she will be married unhappily, she will be a widow, and she will be a queen - all very unlikely given that she is uneducated, and from a poor family. Following tragedy within her family she is however betrothed to a man she has never met before and therefore has to make the trip to France - a country in uproar.

She marries Alexandre, Vicomte de Beaurharnais, and eventually provides him with two children, but the marriage is an unhappy one, and he is unfaithful to her many times. Eventually they undertake a legal separation, but there are many custody issues, particularly around their son, Eugene.

All of this takes place against a background of revolution, and eventually Josephine has to try and walk the fine line between being a revolutionary (necessary if one wants to keep one's head intact), but still being loyal and doing all she can to save her aristocratic friends. As Alexandre becomes more and more important in government, Rose finds herself under more and more scrutiny because she is still his wife, and when the tide turns against Alexandre they both find themselves in Carmes prison. Even during such a worrying time as that, Alexandre and Rose still find ways to torment each other, until finally Alexandre's name is on the list - which means that he is on his way to meet Madame Guillotine. Rose's name is also called, but she is deemed too sick to be killed, and luckily, through her influential friends, she is released, thus narrowly avoiding the same fate as her husband.

Once out of prison, life in post revolutionary Paris begins, and Rose, now a widow, becomes the mistress of several men. Whilst never rich, she does have influence, and does seem to fraternise with many men who form part of the new government. It is through these men that she meets Napoleon. At first, she is unimpressed, but as he pursues her, she eventually begins to see some advantages to being linked with this man.

This book is the first book in a trilogy, and focuses mainly on Rose's life prior to meeting Napoleon. He only appears in the last few chapters of the book, presumably as a kind of teaser for the next book in the series. And if that was the intention then it definitely works, because I have already requested the next book in the series.

Gulland is very successful at giving some idea of what life must have been like for people in France during this turbulent time - never knowing whether or not your neighbour that you have known for years might be the one person who will turn you in for disloyalty, not knowing if each time you see your friends may be the last time you see them, struggling to provide food and education to your children.

Through it all Rose manages to maintain her dignity, humour and grace. Overall, this was a very entertaining read, about a very interesting woman who lived in very turbulent times, and is still remembered today.

Kailana Says:

I have had this book since March of last year. I bought it when it first came out as a 3-in-1 book, and it is has been on my to be read pile since. I have no idea why, but I was on my way out the door the other night to work, and while I had a book picked out to read, I came back downstairs and selected this one off my shelf. It was really random and a spur of the moment thought, but I am glad that I read it!

I have a strong liking for historical fiction novels, so when I heard about this trilogy I knew I had to eventually buy it. Other than Naomi Novik's historical fantasy series about the Napoleonic wars, this is the first time that I can remember reading a book about this particular period in time. It was not an intentional thing, but for whatever reason, this is the first time I got around to reading about this time period.

I really liked this book. Let me point out that I am totally clueless. I was reading the book, and the main character in the novel is named Rose. It never even came to mind that it should be Josephine. I really wonder about myself sometimes, as it was clear that she was going to be the main character in all three books. It was not until she met Napoleon that her name became Josephine. I am still kicking myself for being so totally unobservant!

It is amazing what Josephine becomes in this novel. She begins the book living with her family, having never even been to France before, but one of her aunts sends a letter looking for one of her nieces to marry a young man that her aunt knows, Alexandre. For a large period of the novel, he is an important person in France's history. This naive young girl comes to France, and winds up married to a very important man. Too bad that he is not a very nice husband, and treats her more like a friend than anything else. He does give her two wonderful children, that present themselves and their personalities several times during the course of the book. It is hard to believe that the woman that marries Alexandre becomes Empress of France, because she can be quite naive. She is brave, but she holds onto romantic notions that make you wonder how she ever gets ahead. She grows up, though.

During the course of just this first book you see her go from this naive little girl to this very important woman in France. She may not have a lot of money, but she is very brave and puts her fellow man ahead of herself more times than I can count. She does not seem to care what happens to herself, she is more interested in helping others. She makes wonderful connections in doing so, though, that help her out in the end. I have to say, I know who Napoleon is, of course, but he was never given a lot of study in the history courses that I took. As far as I can tell, Sandra Gulland put a lot of time into making this diary-format book as close to accurate as possible. I learned a lot, and plan to track down a non-fiction book in the future to get a clearer idea of the validity of this historical fiction novel.

Overall, a very enjoyable start to a trilogy.

The books in this trilogy in order are:

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B
Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe
The Last Great Dance on Earth