Marie-Therese: The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter - Susan Nagel
Marie-Therese: The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter - Susan Nagel
Non-Fiction
Pages: 448
I freely confess I know very little about French history. Most of what I do know is largely in connection with English history of the same period, and my primary interest there is medieval, rather than early modern. So I was pleasantly surprised to find myself utterly unable to put this book down, thoroughly engrossed in this life of the daughter of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Marie-Therese had a remarkable life, daughter to a King, royal orphan, emblem of France's monarchy in exile, niece and aunt to Kings in exile, a Queen in exile herself. She lived through revolution, assassination attempts, conspiracies, exile, restoration, exile again, living a nomad life, finding herself in Austria, Russia, Germany, England, Slovenia. Through it all she clung to her memories of her parents, almost sanctifying them in memory, to her belief in the divine right of kings, and her love for France and the French people.
As mentioned, I knew almost nothing about this period, but the author manages to make a complicated tale endlessly fascinating, writing with poise and clarity. This book was an absolute pleasure to read, from start to finish.
Non-Fiction
Pages: 448
I freely confess I know very little about French history. Most of what I do know is largely in connection with English history of the same period, and my primary interest there is medieval, rather than early modern. So I was pleasantly surprised to find myself utterly unable to put this book down, thoroughly engrossed in this life of the daughter of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Marie-Therese had a remarkable life, daughter to a King, royal orphan, emblem of France's monarchy in exile, niece and aunt to Kings in exile, a Queen in exile herself. She lived through revolution, assassination attempts, conspiracies, exile, restoration, exile again, living a nomad life, finding herself in Austria, Russia, Germany, England, Slovenia. Through it all she clung to her memories of her parents, almost sanctifying them in memory, to her belief in the divine right of kings, and her love for France and the French people.
As mentioned, I knew almost nothing about this period, but the author manages to make a complicated tale endlessly fascinating, writing with poise and clarity. This book was an absolute pleasure to read, from start to finish.