Tag Archives: michelle moran

Pamela’s Picks: The Second Empress : A Novel Of Napoleon’s Court by Michelle Moran

Most people have heard of the famous love between Emperor Napoleon of France and his wife Josephine but it’s not very well known that Napoleon divorced Josephine because she couldn’t bear him an heir and married for a second time. But who was that second wife? This story tells you all about her. Marie-Louise was the daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria and was only nineteen when she was told she must marry Napoleoan to cement an alliance. Before she was married Marie-Louise was in love an equerry in her father’s court whom she had to give up when she married though she still loved him. Napoleon was far from an ideal husband since even though he was divorced from Josephine he was still in love with her and he treated Marie-Louise pretty dreadfully. Fortunately for her Napoleon was exiled only four years after their marriage and died a few years later which left Marie-Louise free to marry the love of her life and go on to have a happy future.

Pamela’s Picks: Madame Tussaud: A Novel Of The French Revolution by Michelle Moran

Most people know about Madame Tussaud’s wax museum but probably don’t know much about the woman behind it. While this is a fictionalized story we still learn in Madam Tussaud: A Novel Of The French Revolution by Michelle Moran much about  who Madame Tussaud really was. Marie Grosholtz was born in Germany and later moved with her family to France. Her mother worked as a housekeeper for Dr. Curtius who was a physician skilled in wax modelling. It was Dr. Curtius who taught Marie the art of wax modelling. In adulthood Marie had connections both to the French royal family (she became a sculpting teacher to one of the sisters of King Louis XVI) as well as the revolutionaries who played prominent parts in the French Revolution. Her family was careful to play both sides during the revolution since they did not know which one would emerge victorious. Marie was imprisoned by the revolutionaries and was lucky to emerge alive. She married Francois Tussaud in 1795 and although the marriage did not last she kept her new last name. Later Marie moved to London where she opened a museum. Marie Tussaud died in 1850 but her name and fame live on.

Pamela’s Picks: Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

cleopatras-daughter1Most people know the story of Cleopatra the Egyptian queen who committed suicide after her country was overrun by Roman forces as told in Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. But the story didn’t end there. Cleopatra and Marc Antony had three children who survived and Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran is the story of the only daughter Cleopatra Selene and how she adapts to being taken prisoner by the Roman Ceasar Octavian and brought to Rome to a place and culture that is totally foreign to her. At first she is unsure that if she will even have a future (prisoners were often killed) but as time goes by she learns how to adapt to her new homeland and experiences things that are common to girls of every age such as friendship, development of special talents, and first love. Based on historical facts, Selene’s story is captivating and intriguing. So come experience life in ancient Rome with Selene, you will not be disappointed.