The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

Rating:
Summary: Easy read, historically fairly accurate.
Review: I have all the books in Gulland's trilogy on Josephine's life and to be honest, I couldn't wait for the last two to come out after I read this first book. The book can be categorized as historical romance but at the same time, Gulland's extensive historical research on the subject adds a certain kind of authority to the book usually romances lack. It was a fast and easy read, just like the rest of the books and very enjoyable. I liked it a lot!

Rating:
Summary: Remarkably Inspirational
Review: I happened to stumble upon this book and because of my fascination with French history I had to pick it up. I must say that I find this book to be the most inspirational book I've ever read. Rose (Josephine) is a remarkable woman who deserves to be read about. This book is my favorite and even if you do not have an interest in the history of it, it makes wonderful reading.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic historical fiction!
Review: As a fan of historical fiction, I found this book extremely absorbing. It is written in very readable prose, the French in it is always correct, and the story a captivating one, sometimes it's hard to believe that the protagonist actually existed! Josephine is portrayed as a real woman who endures hardship and still manages to hold on to compassion and love for others less fortunate than herself, she is a woman whose influence is powerful, a "modern" woman to be admired today. I highly recommend this novel, especially for book clubs, and look forward to reading the sequel. This one is hard to put down!

Rating:
Summary: A captivating mix of historical fact and fiction!
Review: This book is excellently written with great attention to detail. The author gives a unique insight into this contreversial figure and breaths life into Josephine's often larger than life persona.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Fiction at it's Best!
Review: I love feeling educated and entertained at the same time. Rose is a very likable woman - and I'm looking forward to getting to know Josephine in Book #2! The significance of the name change? We'll see!

Rating:
Summary: Yummy! Excellent beach read!
Review: This beautiful novel follows the early life of Josephine Bonaparte (born Rose Tascher)...luscious, easy to read, and chock full of historical detail, this book is so easy to devour. Take it to the beach, spend a few hours--you'll be hooked!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read, Great Historical Reference
Review: This was a wonderful book, filled with fabulous tidbits of French life. An example would be-did you know that women used mouse fur to enhance their eyebrows? This is a wonderfully researched book. Besides being great to read it would make a wonderful reference book for someone writing a report, or learning about the French Revolution. The author gives you a true insight into who, what, when, where and why. While this is about a woman, this book would also be a great read for a man with its' explanation of the war and jails of the period. The entire book is footnoted. I've never read a more insightful book about any of the Bonapartes.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent page turner!
Review: I thought this was an excellent book. It started slow but I became engrossed as Josephine goes off to get married. I loved the diary format and felt that was much more interesting to read than normal text. You felt as though you were sharing Josephine's life by reading her diary. She lead an engrossing life and the book involves you in every turn. I would recommend this book and the next in the series. I can't wait to read #3 this fall!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: What a great book! I highly recommend it to anyone. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read "Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe"!

Rating:
Summary: Great story - no depth
Review: Like many of the other reviewers here I was drawn into Rose/Josephine's life and couldn't put the book down. The story is a fascinating one. But at the same time I also felt cheated. There's too much recitation of fact (a common problem in historial fiction diaries) and not nearly enough emotion. Too many of the diary entries seem to be only a device to move us from one event to the next without exploring Josephine's feelings about them. It seemed to me that when her husband sent her to a convent she would have shown her emotions more. Instead she seems to take it pretty much in stride. And if this is the man the blurb on the back of the book calls her "one true love" there's no evidence in the diaries that Josephine feels that strongly about him. Gulland obviously did painstaking research, the other characters and 18th century Paris are remarkably drawn and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. But I still don't have the sense that I know Josephine.