BLOG TOUR: The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien

Blurb:

Tell the emperor that Madame Bonaparte is ambitious and demands her rights as a member of the imperial family. 

As a clever girl in stodgy, mercantile Baltimore, Betsy Patterson dreams of a marriage that will transport her to cultured Europe. When she falls in love with and marries Jerome Bonaparte, she believes her dream has come true—until Jerome’s older brother Napoleon becomes an implacable enemy.

Based on a true story, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is a historical novel that portrays this woman’s tumultuous life. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, known to history as Betsy Bonaparte, scandalized Washington with her daring French fashions; visited Niagara Falls when it was an unsettled wilderness; survived a shipwreck and run-ins with British and French warships; dined with presidents and danced with dukes; and lived through the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. Yet through it all, Betsy never lost sight of her primary goal—to win recognition of her marriage.

   About the Author

Ruth Hull Chatlien has been a writer and editor of educational materials for twenty-five years. Her speciality is U.S. and world history. She is the author of Modern American Indian Leaders and has published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is her first published novel. 

My Review:

“The Ambitious Madam Bonaparte” by Ruth Hull Chatlien is a fantastic work of historical fiction. I love when I come across amazing books like this one when I’m doing blog tours. It definitely makes blogging about books on my free time completely worth it! This novel grabbed my interest from the beginning, and I became genuinely interested in Betsy’s welfare. I like that I didn’t know a lot about Napoleon or his brother Jerome’s lives, because I had no idea how it would end and was kept guessing throughout. Betsy had a strong personality, but she was also very endearing. I don’t know how she got through some of the situations she was put in emotionally, a weaker woman may have given up.

The author really brought these figures of historical fiction to life for me. I can imagine that this was almost a first-hand account of how they acted and felt during these situations. Everything just felt so real to me, and I was able to get completely lost in this novel, lost in a good way! I could totally see this novel made as a movie. It has all the makings of a good movie, there is a passionate love affair that Betsy and Jerome defy family members in order to pursue, there is the action of Napoleon trying to conquer all of Europe, and there is also the strength of a woman who is able to get through heartache in order to make a better life for her son.

I had difficulty putting this book down, because I really needed to know what was going to happen next. That’s saying a lot for me, because I have 9 month old twin boys who are constantly demanding my attention! I ended up staying up later than usual, so that I was able to get some alone time in order to read and enjoy this novel.

I would recommend this novel to any lover of historical fiction. Even those whose favorite genre is not historical fiction would enjoy this novel. It is an overall great book, and I honestly cannot think of one negative thing to say about it!

I give this novel a FIVE out of FIVE stars!

Review

"With her first novel, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte, author Ruth Hull Chatlien delivers." --Copperfield Review