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The Queen's Fortune

A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire

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A sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty, and changed the course of history—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor's Wife, The Accidental Empress, and Sisi
“I absolutely loved The Queen’s Fortune, the fascinating, little-known story of Desiree Clary—the woman Napoleon left for Josephine—who ultimately triumphed and became queen of Sweden.”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine.
A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister Julie marries his brother Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked. Quickly entering into their own passionate, dizzying courtship that leads to a secret engagement, they vow to meet in the capital once his career has been secured. But her newly laid plans with Napoleon turn to sudden heartbreak, thanks to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais. Once again, Desiree’s life is turned on its head.
Swept to the glittering halls of the French capital, Desiree is plunged into the inner circle of the new ruling class, becoming further entangled with Napoleon, his family, and the new Empress. But her fortunes shift once again when she meets Napoleon's confidant and star general, the indomitable Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree’s life become political rivals and military foes, the question that arises is: must she choose between the love of her new husband and the love of her nation and its Emperor?
From the lavish estates of the French Riviera to the raucous streets of Paris and Stockholm, Desiree finds herself at the epicenter of the rise and fall of an empire, navigating a constellation of political giants and dangerous, shifting alliances. Emerging from an impressionable girl into a fierce young woman, she discovers that to survive in this world she must learn to rely upon her instincts and her heart.
Allison Pataki’s meticulously researched and brilliantly imagined novel sweeps readers into the unbelievable life of a woman almost lost to history—a woman who, despite the swells of a stunning life and a tumultuous time, not only adapts and survives but, ultimately, reigns at the helm of a dynasty that outlasts an empire.
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    • Kirkus

      December 15, 2019
      The rise of Napoleon as narrated by his first fiancee. The Clary sisters, Desiree and Julie, daughters of a recently deceased Marseille merchant, are trying to rescue their brother from revolutionary prison when they encounter Joseph di Buonaparte. Entranced by Desiree's beauty, Joseph uses his influence on the Clarys' behalf. Joseph attempts to court Desiree, but he's edged aside by Napoleon, who pledges marriage after toying with her affections. But as military ambitions increasingly preoccupy Napoleon, Desiree is supplanted by Josephine. Reluctantly, Desiree joins her sister, newly married to Joseph, in Paris. Not overjoyed that her jilter is now an in-law, she is too much the lady to show resentment, which may have served the historical Desiree but not so much the fictional character. When, early in the novel, she is admitted to Napoleon's inner circle, Desiree ceases to be a protagonist and becomes a passive, if acute, observer. Her proximity to the Little Corporal has some benefits--her marriage to Bernadotte, Bonaparte's most trusted general, brings not only love, but riches. Although the politics and contradictions of Napoleon's success, as seen through Desiree's eyes, are riveting, this is well-traveled ground. Desiree's point of view is too nonjudgmental to bring to the fore the ironies attendant on the trajectory of an impoverished Corsican who uses the revolution as a platform to exceed the excesses of the deposed and beheaded Bourbons. Likewise, the struggles of Josephine, who captivates Napoleon in part due to her age and experience and then displeases him for the same reasons, are related by Desiree with no particular insights to distinguish this treatment from the many more direct portrayals of the empress. Pataki's ability to flesh out imperial grandeur and foibles with telling detail, on full display in her Habsburg novels (Sisi, 2016, etc.), is equally evident here; however the dramatic demands of a novel are not met. All that is known of the historical Desiree is that she was a bystander--unfortunately, she remains so here.

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 20, 2020
      This impeccably researched, expertly rendered historical from Pataki (The Traitor’s Wife) gloriously recreates the personal dramas surrounding Napoleon Bonaparte. Following the French Revolution, Napoleon falls hard for beautiful Desiree Clary, a sheltered and wealthy 16-year-old. They become engaged, and their siblings also marry, but Napoleon has second thoughts when he meets socialite Josephine de Beauharnais. As Napoleon racks up military victories, Desiree and Josephine become friends, and they both end up in places they never expected to be. Desiree leaves a Catholic convent school in the south of France for glittering Paris parties, and later joins the Swedish nobility. Pataki’s skill in chronicling Napoleon’s transformation from an idealistic young soldier to a ruthless, callous leader drives the story, and her sumptuous scenes allow the reader to easily examine the political machinations and extreme luxury of the monarchy. Readers who enjoy Elizabeth Chadwick will want to take a look. Agent: Lacy Lalene Lynch, Dupree/Miller & Associates.

    • Library Journal

      February 1, 2020

      Young, rich, and beautiful, Desiree Clary conducts a torrid love affair with Napoleon Bonaparte at the start of the French Revolution. However, his wandering eye quickly fixes on the alluring Josephine, and Desiree is left abandoned and heartbroken. Meanwhile, her beloved sister Julie marries Napoleon's brother Joseph, and the extended family frequently spends time together--not the most comfortable situation for Desiree. Fortunately, she finds solace with the handsome Bernadotte, a rising star in the French army. His clashes with Napoleon don't prevent him from being named heir to the throne of Sweden, giving Desiree a crown she never imagined she'd wear. Their descendants rule Sweden to this day. Pataki (The Traitor's Wife) successfully creates believable settings and relationships, and carefully manages regular time jumps as she tells Desiree's story over the decades. VERDICT Breathing life into historic figures can be challenging, and Pataki does a solid job of showcasing a remarkable woman. Desiree's proximity to Napoleon and her place on the European royal stage will attract readers who enjoy historical fiction by Alison Weir or Stephanie Dray. [See Prepub Alert, 7/15/19.]--Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

      Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      January 1, 2020
      Desiree Clary, the first fianc�e of Napoleon and eventual queen of Sweden, is the subject of the latest novel from Pataki (Sisi, 2016) featuring an understudied woman in history. Spanning the decades encompassing the French Revolution, Napoleon's rule, and the Bourbon Restoration, the narrative begins with Desiree's childhood in Marseille as the daughter of a bourgeois family fearful for their survival in Revolution-era France. Their fates take an advantageous turn when Desiree's sister marries Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of a certain general and future emperor. Desiree catches Napoleon's eye?and, briefly, his heart?resulting in a secret engagement that ends when Napoleon woos and weds his beautiful first wife, Josephine, instead. Desiree, meanwhile, falls in love with one of Napoleon's generals, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, though the couple's marital bliss is soon overshadowed by Bernadotte's increasingly heated conflicts with Napoleon, which ultimately alter the course of Bernadotte and Desiree's lives. Desiree is a fascinating, intelligent, sympathetic protagonist, and historical fiction fans will relish this richly detailed, engrossing story of a woman whose name is well worth knowing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

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