The Rose of Martinique
by Andrea Stuart
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Description
The acclaimed biography of Josephine Bonaparte, the Caribbean-born Creole who became the first wife of Napoleon and Empress of France. One of the most remarkable women of the modern era, Josephine Bonaparte was born Rose de Tasher on her family's sugar plantation in Martinique. She embodied all the characteristics of a true Creole-sensuality, vivacity, and willfulness. Rescued from near starvation, she grew to epitomize the wild decadence of post-revolutionary Paris. It was there that show more Josephine first caught the eye of Napoleon Bonaparte. A true partner to Napoleon, she was equal parts political adviser, hostess par excellence, confidante, and passionate lover. Josephine managed to be in the forefront of every important episode of her era's turbulent history: from the rise of the West Indian slave plantations that bankrolled Europe's rapid economic development, to the decaying of the ancien re gime, to the French Revolution itself, from which she barely escaped the guillotine. Using diaries and letters, Andrea Stuart brings her so utterly to life that we finally understand why Napoleon's last word before dying was the name he had given her: Josephine. "A comprehensive and truly empathetic biography. Andrea Stuart, who was raised in the Caribbean, combines scholarly distance with a genuine attempt to understand her heroine." - The Washington Post show lessTags
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Mrs. Bonaparte was born Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de La Paerie on June 23, 1763 on the Caribbean island of Martinique (hence, the title of the book). Andrea Stuart feels a connection to Mrs. Bonaparte because of "personal identification" (p xi). Having grown up on the island of Martinique, Stuart is able to set the stage for us with wonderfully lush descriptions. She is able to tap into the beauty of the landscape because she experienced for herself. This commonality allows the reader an accurate portrait of Rose's childhood home. That personal connection slips away when Rose is 15 and marries for the first time. She is sent to Paris where cultures and feminine expectations are completely different. Rose's new husband sets up to show more educate Rose in the art of sophistication, a la Pygmalion style. But, when Rose does not rise to the challenge and cannot meet her husband's unreasonable expectations, she is banished to a convent. Subsequently, Rose, mother of two, is separated by the age of 21 and the marriage has all but ended. Of course, Rose finds marriage again (notice I didn't say love). Almost like the wolves of Washington, marriage is a partnership of business, while love is reserved for lovers. From here on out, Rose is Josephine.
I could go on and on about Stuart's attention to detail. It's obvious the woman did her homework. She refers to other biographies written about Mrs. Bonaparte and seems particularly interested in correcting the misconceptions about Josephine's sexuality and relationships with other women. All in all, I found the writing fascinating. show less
I could go on and on about Stuart's attention to detail. It's obvious the woman did her homework. She refers to other biographies written about Mrs. Bonaparte and seems particularly interested in correcting the misconceptions about Josephine's sexuality and relationships with other women. All in all, I found the writing fascinating. show less
Didn't know anything about Josephine before this so it was very interesting to read. Good book and I really enjoyed it.
A delightful story of this remarkable woman. I was especially interested in the second on her Caribbean life.
The Josephine B. Trilogy had been published when I first met Andrea Stuart, author of The Rose of Martinique, in London, England. It was electric! We had so much to talk about: how we hated Josephine's first husband Alexandre, how we had crushes on Napoleon, how we loathed certain historians and admired others. After, we kept touch, exchanging information. It's a connection I will keep up.
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Author Information
3+ Works 399 Members
Andrea Stuart was raised in the Caribbean. She studied English at the University of East Anglia, and French at the Sorbonne
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Rose of Martinique
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Josephine de Beauharnais; Madame de Rémusat
- Important places
- Martinique, France; Château de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison, Île-de-France, France
- Epigraph
- We are shaped and fashioned by the things we love Goethe
- Dedication
- For my loved ones
- First words
- At the heart of a glittering archipelago that encircles the waist of the Americas lies the birthplace of Empress Josephine.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When Napoleon died, in the spring of 1821, the last word to leave his lips was the name he had given her: 'Josephine'.
- Original language
- English UK
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 944.05 — History & geography History of Europe France and Monaco France First empire 1804-1815
- LCC
- DC216.1 .S78 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania France – Andorra – Monaco History of France Modern, 1515- Revolutionary and Napoleonic period, 1789-1815
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 186
- Popularity
- 175,872
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.98)
- Languages
- English, German, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 3
