Betsy Bonaparte [Paperback]

Helen J. Burn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2010

Over the past 130 years, Elizabeth "Betsy" Patterson Bonaparte has inspired countless books, movies, articles, and fictionalized accounts. None captures the full measure of her fascinating life. The product of thirty years of study, Helen Jean Burn's life of Betsy Bonaparte surpasses its predecessors in scope, depth, and soul.

Born in Baltimore to a wealthy family in 1785, Elizabeth Patterson shook local and Parisian society when she wed Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor Napoleon. Insisting on a better future for his brother, the emperor annulled the marriage, but not before it produced a son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte. Betsy's failed quest to win royal status for her son and grandsons consumed the remainder of her seventy-four years, decades that transformed her from the glamorous "belle of Baltimore" into a shrewd and successful businesswoman determined to protect her family.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Helen Jean Burn spent most of her working life in television, and as head writer for Maryland Public Television, she specialized in historical documentaries. She is the author of two books: Savannah, a historical novel, and Better than the Birds, Smarter than the Bees: No Nonsense Answers to Honest Questions about Sex and Growing Up. She has also published work in such magazines as Redbook, McCall's, and Good Housekeeping.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (October 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984213503
• ISBN-13: 978-0984213504
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( B ) > Bonaparte, Napoleon
  • #79 in Books > History > Military > Napoleonic Wars

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not to be missed!, December 1, 2010

By 

Melissa Lea Leedom "Author, 'To Forgive, Divine'" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Betsy Bonaparte (Paperback)

Helen Jean Burn was my Novels class instructor and the head of my Master's thesis committee at Towson University. So when I learned that her biography of Betsy Bonaparte was due for release, I eagerly pre-ordered it; she often spoke of her research on the topic in class. My eagerness was well rewarded.

"Betsy Bonaparte" reads like a well-crafted novel--I found it nearly impossible to put down. Yet it is clearly the product of extensive and exhaustive research (painstakingly documented with copious footnotes). The historical backdrop, both American and European, against which the events of the story take place conveys the enormity of Madame Bonaparte's problems. The depth and scope of what Ms. Burn has accomplished with 200-year-old information is breathtaking.

Gleaned largely from correspondence of all the principals, Betsy Bonaparte's saga of a brief but happy marriage to one of Napoleon's younger brothers followed by years and years of struggle to survive financially, to preserve her good name and that of her son, and to gain acceptance as a woman of intellect and education, unfolds blow by heartbreaking blow. I found myself constantly in awe of how this story was literally pieced together yet proceeded seamlessly, providing great insight into the character of each person involved.

Far from being "dry history," "Betsy Bonaparte" is a moving, engrossing story that any reader with an enthusiasm for matters of the heart and home will find immensely satisfying. Buy a copy for yourself and a copy to lend to your reading friends--you won't want to risk losing your own!

Melissa Leedom

Author, "To Forgive, Divine"

4.0 out of 5 stars New View of Betsy Bonaparte, June 18, 2011

By 

D. Rubel (Brighton, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Betsy Bonaparte (Paperback)

Burn's biography of Betsy Bonaparte is written quite conversationally with short chapters, which will make it easy for the layperson to read. It wasn't until the end of the book where she discusses other portrayals of Betsy that you learn she has taken a completely different view of her than most of her source material. Instead of a disobedient gold-digger who defied her father's wishes to pursue a royal husband, Jerome Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother), Burn presents an engaging and smart woman who knew who she wanted to be with and where she wanted to live. Unfortunately, due to Napoleon's interference, her marriage to Jerome was declared void and she spent the rest of her lifetime trying to establish legitimacy for her son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, in hopes he could inherit and marry well. However, like his grandfather, her preferred America to Europe and chose an America wife that Betsy thought was beneath him. She eventually softened and approved the marriage but her daughter-in-law never got over her initial reaction and thus limited Betsy's influence over their son Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, Jr. who eventually moved to France and became involved with politics there. Highly detailed but not burdensome, like listening to a good friend tell a compelling story, Burn's biography of Betsy Bonaparte paints a good picture of a complicated woman searching for her happiness and later moral redemption within the Bonaparte family.