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Ruth Hull Chatlien

Auteur de The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte

3 oeuvres 58 utilisateurs 7 critiques

Œuvres de Ruth Hull Chatlien

The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte (2013) 47 exemplaires
Blood Moon: A Captive's Tale (2017) 6 exemplaires
Modern American Indian Leaders (2007) 5 exemplaires

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Historical fiction has done it again! Because of reading this novel, I have once again learned about an enigmatic historical figure. How did I not know of this strong and industrious woman?!

Elizabeth Patterson decided early on, after a strange foretelling by an African slave woman, that she would marry a man from Europe, perhaps even marry into royalty. She did just that. She met and married Jerome Bonaparte. Yes, the brother of the one and only Napoleon. As can be imagined, the marriage did not go over well. Napoleon's concern was to have his family make influential marriages that would benefit him politically. What follows is a lot of turmoil and upheaval in Elizabeth's life. However, not one to take things lying down, she perseveres.

I am absolutely delighted to have discovered this new author. Ruth Hull Chatlien has written a fantastic and meticulously researched historical novel about an American historical figure--a woman-- who should be known to all. Her life and experiences living as a strong and independent woman, during a time when very few women did so, are a credit to all women. I have already been looking around online for more information about Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte. I just can't wait to read more about her!

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Signalé
TheTrueBookAddict | 5 autres critiques | Mar 22, 2020 |
I tend to read more Europe based historical fiction than US based but I am trying to change that. I find tales of the Western expansion of particular interest probably because of living in Montana. It was a difficult time for both the settlers and the Native Americans and I think the stories need to be told.

This book is based on true events; Sarah Wakefield lived with her husband and two children in Minnesota. Relations with the Sioux are breaking down in the years just ahead of the Civil War as the payments to them from the government are late and the Sioux are starving because they are no longer allowed to hunt on their ancestral lands. The soldiers at the Agency won’t release the trade goods without money despite it being a government facility.

As conditions deteriorate Sarah’s husband decides to send her to a more settled area but as she is traveling she and her escort are attacked. Her escort is killed and one of the two Indians wants to kill Sarah as well but the other remembers that she and her husband (a doctor) cared for the Sioux and did try and help them. This man, Chaksa takes Sarah and her two children under his care. So starts Sarah’s odyssey as a guest/hostage of the Sioux.

Ms. Hull Chatlien mentions in her author’s note that she kept pretty close to Sarah’s narrative in writing her fictional retelling. The narrative was incredibly fascinating and I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for Sarah to be in this situation with an infant and small child. The only thing keeping her from death was Chaksa and his mother. Many Indians wanted her dead just because she was white.

I found myself very involved in the story, almost as much as I was there. Ms. Hull Chatlien really brought the period to life for me. Sarah was, at times, not a very likable character. Nor was her husband. At times I felt very sorry for Sarah and what she had to endure and at other times I wanted to slap her for some of the things that she did. I guess that makes her a very well rounded character. Whether that is Ms. Hull Chatlien’s doing or the real Sarah was like that I don’t know. I’m very interested in reading the original diary now to see how it compares.

I’m keeping this book in hopes of finding the time to reread it. It is certainly a thrilling story with much going on. I do find fiction based on fact far more interesting than a fully made up tale. It is a difficult story to read for any number of reasons – the hate on both sides is very hard to experience. It is not very different from today but at least today there isn’t wholesale slaughter.
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½
 
Signalé
BooksCooksLooks | Sep 1, 2017 |
This novel reads like a biography. Where there should be a weaving of facts, letters, and narration, there is primarily facts and an occasional letter. It was dry and difficult to keep reading past the 1/3 mark because the action all but stopped. A remarkable woman should have been given a more sweeping portrayal, but this was a drag to read.


While Elizabeth's life is quite interesting, the novel itself fell short of my expectations. There was so much attention given to the monotony of Betsy's travels and livelihood, even the deaths of her family members. This had many good moments, but I can't say I recommend it.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
cemagoc | 5 autres critiques | Aug 8, 2016 |
I had no clue who Betsy Patterson was when I accepted the book for review or really knew anything about Jerome Bonaparte, I just knew of Napoleon from what I learned in school and a few other historical novels I had read that were about the Bonaparte family. Betsy had always thought of herself as a "princess" from an early age and desperately wanted to live in Europe. When she met and fell in love with Jerome Bonaparte, brother to Napoleon, she thought her dreams had come true. They married and wanted to go to France to live but Napoleon would not acknowledge the marriage and forced Jerome to come to France without Betsy.

What happens from that time on in Betsy's life is fraught with disappointments, the biggest with her father and her husband. The only constant in her life is the love for her son "Bo", who is the legitimate son of Jerome, and she will spent her life doing what it takes for Bo to achieve the rank and title of which he deserves. This goal takes her to Europe, where she wines and dines with royalty, but is still not allowed into France, until the death of Napoleon. She is determined to see that her son has a European education. makes a good marriage and is recognized by the Bonaparte family.

I really enjoyed this novel that not only covers these historical families but also the details of Napoleon and his wars, the wars fought with Britain and the societies of both Europe and America at a time when America is still a young country. Betsy's life crosses paths with many notable people in Baltimore, New York, London and many other cities across Europe. Betsy of course is a woman of her times in that she is stymied in the course she wants for her and her son's life. She sacrifices a lot for her son and never marries again, and lives exclusively for the goals she has set for her son.
Ruth Hull Chatlien, in my humble opinion, has done an excellent job in telling the story of this strong, remarkable woman, in a time where women had little say in anything except maintaining a household and raising children. Full of historical detail, this is a novel well worth the read. It combines the history of both the United States and Europe in the 1800's that will capture the attention of the history buff. I highly recommend it.
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Signalé
celticlady53 | 5 autres critiques | Apr 7, 2014 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
3
Membres
58
Popularité
#284,346
Évaluation
3.9
Critiques
7
ISBN
8

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