Happy New Year Everyone!!!
I am especially excited to be part of the HFVBT that kicks off with this JOJO Event!!
Heather Webb wrote an amazing book- Read my Review and then on to her Interview- to end with a GIVEAWAY of BECOMING JOSEPHINE!!!!
MY REVIEW
You cannot imagine how excited I was to read this book- and when I finally received it...I could not put it down. Let me begin by saying that it doesn't matter how many books you've already read on Josephine, BECOMING JOSEPHINE, will bring something new and of interest to you.
Written in the first person, BECOMING JOSEPHINE, offers an emotional story of Josephine's life, delivered with clarity, brevity, to the point and so much insight- this book will show you yet another side of our beloved 18th c. icon- I loved it!
I have to say that right from the beginning, Josephine is presented as not being the prettiest of the three sisters, and somewhat of a mischievous and curious young girl- making her so very real and not unlike a typical dreamy young teen. Seeing her off to Paris to marry her first husband and all that he put her through...well that's just the beginning...we all know where the juiciest parts of the story really happen...
All this to say, that no matter if you already know this story- BECOMING JOSEPHINE is a newer and refreshing take that will please not only seasoned readers who already know so much about her, but also a younger adult audience as well. Webb manages to bring us a Josephine that is understandable and relatable. The Josephine in BECOMING JOSEPHINE is real and not the passive, flighty dame that history often makes her out to be. In this book, you read about a business savvy Josephine who was actually
very instrumental in designing her own destiny (Tarot cards aside!).
A quick yet thorough read, BECOMING JOSEPHINE brings you accurate history delivered in an entertaining and fulfilling read- sure to please both historical fictionistas and new Jojo readers alike.
3) What places have you visited for your research of Becoming Josephine - and which was your favourite- why?
4) Who in your opinion is the most detestable (or lovable...if even possible) of Bonaparte's family? Why?
5) Can you compare Josephine and Bonaparte's lovestory to any other couple in history?
A quick yet thorough read, BECOMING JOSEPHINE brings you accurate history delivered in an entertaining and fulfilling read- sure to please both historical fictionistas and new Jojo readers alike.
You will love this book- a 2014 MUST!
On to this Amazing HEATHER WEBB INTERVIEW!
Vixen: Josephine loved her men and had quite a
reputation for being highly sexualized. I suspect some of it is rumor—any major
figurehead or “celebrity” is surrounded by mystery, falsehoods, and exaggerations—but many of her affairs have
been documented as well.
Generous: Not only did she develop and maintain many
charities, but she helped everyone she could, including her enemies. She gave
without bounds in spite of her constantly enraged husband. Ultimately I believe
she did not care about money, but rather what it attained for her in terms of
stability as well as for those she loved.
Cunning:As I mentioned
before, Josephine had many men. She was attractive, certainly, but not exactly
a beautiful woman. But she knew how to work it! She was famous for her Creole
accent and swaying hips, saying precisely the right thing at the right time.
She seemed to know what made people tick and how to soothe their ill spirits or
bolster their confidence. And it wasn’t just men who responded to her, women
adored her as well.
Loving: Josephine had
her faults but at the end of the day, she was an ardent lover of “her people”—to
those who were her followers on a political scale as well as her friends,
family and her dogs. Not to mention she adored her children above all else.
Brave:Josephine faced
slave rebellion, the September massacres, losing several friends and a husband
to the murderous tyrants of the Revolution. She was imprisoned and nearly died.
She graced the halls of some of the most famous palaces in the world and was
even compared to a queen—a very precarious title after such tremendous
bloodshed and unrest. It’s one thing to “face” all of those horrors and
pressures, it’s another to rise above the filth and hate and become a beloved
icon. The woman was tremendous.
2)
What in your opinion was Josephine's biggest
defect...or downfall?
This is tough. I could argue that being a
spendthrift (it was practically an addiction) led Josephine to make decisions about
sleeping around to secure her station…but I think her biggest fault was taking
so many men that she did not love. You give away a piece of yourself, your
soul, each time you take on a new lover. I’m sure there are those who would
disagree, but especially in Josephine’s case, I think, her promiscuity not only
caused her grief, but it sparked a downward spiral in her relationship with
Napoleon (though in the long run, I believe he would have wrecked it anyway. He
was so power-hungry and domineering , it would have only been a matter of time
before he took other women.)
3) What places have you visited for your research of Becoming Josephine - and which was your favourite- why?
I haven’t been to many of Josephine’s
haunts, I’m afraid. I studied in Eastern France near the Alps in college and
have returned about a half dozen times to many regions in France for various
trips, but I’ve never been to Malmaison. This coming summer I’ll be returning
to France for research and plan to take the unofficial Josephine tour. I have
been to many of the palaces she stayed in temporarily with Napoleon or
Barras—the Luxembourg Palace, the PalaisEgalite, Versailles, the Tuileries
gardens. I have a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies (cultural
geography) so I’ve spent some time in the Caribbean and have a very good
understanding of the melting pot of cultures there, the climate and the
history, though I’ve never been to Martinque. As you can see, I need to book a
few trips! So yes, I have a solid grasp
of the culture and the soul of each place, but need to get over there again!
4) Who in your opinion is the most detestable (or lovable...if even possible) of Bonaparte's family? Why?
Another tough question! If we put Napoleon
aside (such a murderous little tyrant he was), hmmm…I could find faults or
reasons to sympathize with each of the Bonapartes, but I think I’d have to say
Madame Mère, Napoleon’s mother. She was shrewd and angry and condescending and
that affected each of her offspring in a very negative way. She began the chain
reaction that screwed up the entire family…I don’t know. Joseph and Caroline
were pretty hideous as well. It’s a tough call.
5) Can you compare Josephine and Bonaparte's lovestory to any other couple in history?
There are many stories where royals fall in
love, but someone in the relationship cheats and the other discovers it and
ruins their love. Also, there are many of wives who didn’t fulfill their duty
to sire an heir and faced execution or banishment. Still, I think Josephine and
Napoleon had a fairly unique relationship set during a fascinating time that is
difficult to compare to any other.
THANK YOU Heather for this FANTASTIC Interview!!!
If you'd like to hop on this tour and read all the other fabulous reviews and interviews check out the schedule at HFVBT HERE.
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
To Enter please leave your comment and email address
FOR EXTRA CHANCES: Please Post on FB, TWitter...All Social Medias and Come Back to Post the Link
Finally- for 5 EXTRA CHANCES- Become a Follower of this Blog or Get someone Else to Follow (and let me know)!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!
congrats & good luck to Heather!!
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read Becoming Josephine!!
thank you for the giveaway!!!!
oops, forgot my email.....
Deletecyn209 at juno dot com
shared on my FB wall: www.facebook.com/cyn209
ReplyDeletecyn209 at juno dot com
I follow this blog via GFC as Cyn209........
ReplyDeletecyn209 at juno dot com
Thank you for the giveaway. I do hope its open to all. If it is please count me in.
ReplyDeletemystica123athotmaildotcom
Hoping, as you say, to find a new picture of this fascinating woman. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletelcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com
I have been wanting this book since I heard about it being released!
ReplyDeleteCampbellamyd at gmail dot com
https://mobile.twitter.com/AmyBooksy/status/418724901550567424
ReplyDeleteCampbellamyd at gmail dot com
I follow via bloglovin as amybooksy
ReplyDeleteCampbellamyd at gmail dot com
I know I am dating myself, but anyone remember the miniseries Napoleon and Josephine starring Armand Assante and Jacqueline Bissett? It came to mind as I reading this post. I wonder if the portrayals of Josephine are similar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. Raquel36m (at) gmail (dot) com.
Very interested in Napoleon & Josephine.I've read lots I hope to include this one.
ReplyDeleteJulie at Lilstr@aol.com