Annemarie Selinko

Desiree

Maxime van der Wal

This is a history novel I inherited from my great-grandmother, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Selinko certainly impressed me. The diary form was smart on her side - it made it possible to smoothly skip months/years in the storyline. Désiréé is such a likeable character, and her story was extraordinary and ordinary at the same time. I particularly liked the diary entries of her youth (getting to know Napoleon, her marriage, etc.) and the latter part of the book. 

I’m giving it 4 stars, because I thought the story got a little redundant about midway through and there was too much emphasis on the political events that occurred at that time (although they did teach me a lot about the French revolution!). I’d recommend this to anyone who is interested in French history and royalty.

Janet Doré

If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl, you'll love this book. The story of Napoleon's first love, before Josephine. Desiree led an incredible life even after Napoleon.

Desiree

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