The Secret Life of Josephine - Napoleon's Bird of Paradise A Novel

Carolly Erickson

Summary

The bestselling author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette and The Last Wife of Henry VIII returns with an enchanting novel about one of the most seductive women in history: Josephine Bonaparte, first wife of Napoleon.Born on the Caribbean island of Martinique, Josephine had an exotic Creole appeal that would ultimately propel her to reign over an empire as wife of the most powerful man in the world.  But her life is a story of ambition and danger, of luck and a ferocious will to survive.  Married young to an arrogant French aristocrat who died during the Terror, Josephine also narrowly missed losing her head to the guillotine.  But her extraordinary charm, sensuality, and natural cunning helped her become mistress to some of the most powerful politicians in post-Revolutionary France.  Soon she had married the much younger General Bonaparte, whose armies garnered France an empire that ran from Europe to Africa and the New World and who crowned himself and his wife Emperor and Empress of France.  He dominated on the battlefield and she presided over the worlds of fashion and glamor.  But Josephine's heart belonged to another man--the mysterious, compelling stranger who had won her as a girl in Martinique.

Available since: 09/04/2007.

Print length: 356 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Riders of the Purple Sage

Zane Grey

The first great Western, a story of courage and adventure in Utah canyon countryWhen Jane Withersteen’s father dies, he leaves her in sole possession of the family’s cattle ranch, situated on one of the most valuable pieces of land in Utah. The river that runs through the property gives Jane control of the local water supply—and the great power that comes with it. Coveting the property, a local Mormon leader named Tull tries to force Jane into a polygamous marriage—a fate that she resists. As Jane’s defiance grows stronger, so does the ire of the townsfolk, and the marriage seems all but inevitable until the infamous gunslinger Lassiter rides into town, bringing a quick trigger and frontier-hardened bravery that just may be Jane’s last great hope.Renowned for its rich depiction of the West, Riders of the Purple Sage is an unforgettable adventure story of love, honor, and courage, and perhaps the most popular Western of all time.This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Show book

The Rainbow Trail

Zane Grey

A disillusioned minister searches the Utah desert for a girl who went missing years ago in this sequel to western classic Riders of the Purple Sage.With Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey invented the western literary form. His timeless novel tells the tale of a mysterious gunman named Lassiter and a Mormon woman named Jane Withersteen, who risk everything to escape the tyranny of a polygamist Mormon minister. Together with a little girl named Fay Larkin, they trap themselves behind a boulder in the lush but secluded Surprise Valley. Ten years later, a disillusioned minister named John Shefford comes looking for Surprise Valley—and Fay. Though his faith in God is shaken, he refuses to lose hope that she can be saved. But as the trail leads Shefford to a secret Mormon village, he begins to wonder—even if he does find her—who she has become.

Show book