09 April 2010

The Last Great Dance On Earth


By Sandra Gulland
Published by Headline Book Publishing
First published 2001

"The Last Great Dance On Earth is a work of fiction based on (and inspired by) the extraordinary life of Josephine Bonaparte."

This, the last book in the Josephine trilogy, had me sobbing throughout. What a life! What a power! What a woman! I'm almost at a loss for words. I've always enjoyed historical fiction, but what made this book so spectacular for me was the fact that I was unaware of a huge portion of the history that surrounded the Bonaparte family. The wars are written about in great detail; not just the physical, geographical wars, but the warring within the Bonaparte family. How Napoleon and Josephine managed to stay together as long as they did with the likes of Napoleon's family plotting against them at every turn is astonishing.

Gulland writes these books using Josephine's voice and does such an outstanding job that you feel Josephine's every pain, every worry, and every moment of happiness.

This is such a well-written book that, even though you know how it ends, you read it with a lump in your throat and an eagerness to find out what happens next.

Well done, Sandra Gulland!

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