books that make you go hmmm...

Hmmm... 

Leonie and the Last Napoleon is the first novel of Tony Boullemier and was originally published in 2007.  I haven't read anything set in that time period, during the reign of Napoleon III so I think I will be picking this one up when it gets released on July 5, 2010.  It will also serve as research for the book I am attempting to write.


SYNOPSIS:  This remarkable novel is based on the diary of the author's great-grandmother Leonie Michel, born at the height of the 1848 revolution in Paris. Deadly illness and danger stalk her early life and her father, a doctor, faces ruin when he is prosecuted for treating patients with a revolutionary new cure before he is qualified. But when the Emperor Napoleon III calls on his brilliant medical skills, Leonie finds herself catapulted into glittering Paris society. As a blonde beauty of 17, she naturally catches the eye of the ageing emperor and his son and Napoleon encourages her to become an actress. Leonie finds herself mixing with celebrated writers, musicians and artists, plus the dashing soldiers of the Imperial Guard and their gilded women. But her life is threatened when she is kidnapped and held to ransom. And then France stumbles into war. When the enemy invades, Leonie's circle is torn apart and some of her closest friends are killed. She flees to England for safety, where she discovers that the exiled emperor is planning one last throw of the dice.

So, what think you?


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11 comments:

  1. i love these sort of stories - gorgeous girl who thinks herself beautiful, catches eye of someone in power -rises to power and swishes about the place, and then realises power is danger and has to run for her life....very anne boleyn!

    So, I would totes read it, in other words!

    x
    Aimee
    http://myflutteringheart.blogspot.com

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  2. Oh, this sounds like an excellent read! Thanks for posting this...it's going on the list!

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  3. Well THAT sounds intriguing!!! Yet another book added to my ever growing list! Many thanks!

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  4. It isn't a time period many authors have dealt with. I've not read anything by Tony Boullemeir, but I like the sound of this book. Should be interesting.

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  5. This sounds good. Sort of history mixed with a bit of cabaret!

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  6. This sounds really interesting, I would love to read this one.
    Thanks for the heads up!

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  7. I'm reasonably familiar with American history because of my own writing, but I'm woefully short on knowledge about European history, so probably anything about that time period would be good!

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  8. Oooh this is a great time period! I'm imagining the wardrobe just reading your review. I'll have to check this one out during my next trip to B&N!

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  9. Ew. I honestly do not think I would be able to handle a book where Napoleon III gets all sleazy with a 17-y-o. Yuck a muck. Although I do think the setting's fun.

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