Unabridged Chick

I'm Audra, a 30-something married lesbian. I love interesting heroines, gorgeous prose, place as character, and the occasional werewolf.

Imaginative novel of Napoleon's campaign in America

Napoleon in America - Shannon Selin

Full review here.

 

A very fun read -- what if, instead of getting sicker, in February 1821 Napoleon escaped from St. Helena and ended up in New Orleans?  He petitions for asylum and promises Americans he wants to be an ordinary citizen.  But the lure of empire is too much, and eventually -- humbly -- he accepts the call to liberate Mexico.

 

Selin's writing style isn't precisely 19th century but has some of that philosophical wordiness I associate with the era, and made the novel read delightfully.  I found the situations felt rather credible, save for the inevitable meeting of Napoleon and Marie Laveau, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.