Customer Reviews

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire

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I thoroughly enjoyed C. M. Mayo's historical fiction The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. The language was poetic and beautiful and I found myself lingering over this book rather than "gobbling it down." The characters were written with a sense of life and Mayo's style changed accurately with them. The ability to weave a story through the lens of so many social classes and personalities makes it all the more enjoyable to read. I especially enjoyed the differing perspectives on the political situation as it added great background knowledge.
This story follows a strange period of Mexican history, and tells the tale of the political maneuvering which occurred behind the scenes. I was rather unfamiliar with this historical period, but found that Mayo blended the events seamlessly into the story line. Like only the best historical fiction writers can Mayo introduced this period to me and ignited a new interest to learn more!

C.M. Mayo takes an in-depth look into one of Mexico's most turbulent times when its government was plagued by invaders (the Yankees and the French), in-fighting, and disease, like yellow fever.

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire by C.M. Mayo and published by Unbridled Books is a historical novel that chronicles the short reign (about 3 years) of Maximilian, the undercurrent of political ambition, the clash of cultures, and internal familial machinations.

The novel opens in Washington, D.C., with Alice Green who meets and falls in love with Angelo de Iturbide, a secretary for the Mexican Legation. They marry and move to Mexico, where Alice (known as Alicia in Mexico) gives birth to their son, Agustín de Iturbide y Green. Leaving the Mexican shores, readers will journey across the Atlantic to Trieste, Italy, to meet Maximilian von Habsburg who reluctantly agrees to become the Emperor of Mexico. There are a number of nuances political and otherwise that can get confusing for readers unfamiliar with some of Mexico's history, but these instances are easily overcome as the story unfolds. It is clear from the use of multiple perspectives in this novel that the main character is not Maximilian, Agustin, Alice, Angelo, the Iturbides, the French invaders under Napoleon III, or the Republican upstarts led by Benito Juarez. The main "character" of this novel is Mexico and its future and how that future is shaped by all of these players, their decisions, and in some cases their indecision.

Mayo is an impeccable researcher and craftswoman who fleshes out historical figures in a way that remains true to their historical actions and creates characters who are well-rounded and memorable for readers. Her ability to juggle multiple points of view is unparalleled--from the perspective of Agustin's nanny to Maximilian himself.

One of the most captivating sections of the novel occurs between pages 147-153 in which Maximilian is preoccupied with matters of state and the Iturbide family's sudden breach of a contract with the emperor with regard to their son Agustin. Mayo weaves in Maximilian's frantic thoughts, rants, and arguments with his physical tossing about in his bed, as he mashes the pillow into submission, kicks off the sheets, and sits upright in bed as he determines the best course of action to save face and depict Mexico as a strong nation.

Readers will agree that her prose is poetic.

Overall, this epic novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, takes on a convoluted period in Mexico's history and the complicated families ruling or eager to rule in the mid-19th Century. Mayo does exceptionally well with multiple points of view, description, and character development to create a vivid dramatization. The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire would make a great book club selection and discussion.

For most Americans, drinking Tecate and Corona on Cinco de Mayo is the closest they get to remembering the French 19th-century adventure in Mexico when Napoleon III installed Maximilian as the short-lived, doomed emperor (the holiday celebrates one of the few outright Mexican military victories over the French). Readers curious to learn more about this ill-fated adventure can do so enjoyably by reading C. M. Mayo's novel about a little-known aspect of Maximilian's stay in Mexico: his adoption of the grandson of the first emperor of Mexico, Iturbide.

Mayo has a longstanding interest in Mexico (she has lived there for many years and is a renowned travel writer) and brings a deep fundamental knowledge of the nation, its history, and people to the novel. This is in addition to detailed, original research on her part that would do credit to an authoritative work of history. Fortunately, The Last Prince also works well as a novel. Mayo's characters are both believable and interesting. Her depiction of Maximilian's thought processes illustrate very well how a basically decent and intelligent man could bring himself to commit one blunder after another in both the private and public spheres. Other characters, including entirely fictional ones, are also brought vividly to life.

My only disappointment with the book is that the focus was primarily on domestic matters, the private lives of the characters, rather than on the dramatic events of Maximilian's reign. This is particularly true with respect one of the most tragic and pointless events of the whole sad story, the capture, trial, and execution of Maximilian by the Juaristas. This is only discussed in the book in retrospect. I understand that the chief theme of the novel was parental love for a child (especially the love of a mother) since The Last Prince deals primarily with the efforts of the Iturbides to recover their son after they were half-bribed, half-forced into handing him over to Maximilian. Still, a little more attention to the military and political aspects of events might have helped to portray the tremendous upheaval caused by Napoleon III's irresponsible meddling in Mexican affairs.

Despite this caveat, I nonetheless recommend this book to anyone looking for a reasonably good historical novel. The Last Prince should be of special interest to anyone interested in 19th Century European history or in Mexico in general.

We spend many years in history classes and most of us end up retaining the major themes and facts of US history, some European major events and a smattering of the rest of the world's story. Of course the 1860s were tumultuous years in America with the Civil War occupying the main stage for five years. But, how many of us are aware that just across the Rio Grande, Mexico was going through a similar upheaval and that the events are fascinating.

C. M. Mayo relates an utterly absorbing story, putting faces, feelings and emotions into a intense, brief episode in Mexican History, when Archduke Maximilian I of Austria reigned as Emperor of Mexico for three years. This seemingly incongruous situation was the result of the bizarre intersection of European and Mexican politics. A group representing the conversative, monarchical movement in Mexico, took advantage of the chaos following the overthrow of Benito Juarez and with French support, offered the crown of Mexico to Maximilian, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

The imposition of a European royal court upon the political structure of 19th century Mexico is an interesting story in itself and Mayo tells it well. But, the author narrows her focus further by putting at the center two year old Augustin Iturbide y Green, the "last prince of the Mexican Empire." The childless Maximilian and Carlota decided to identify an "heir presumptive" and in 1865 selected the grandson of Mexico's first "emperor" Augustin Iturbide, as a means to increase acceptance of the struggling monarchy. Young Augustin's parents, Angel Iturbide and his American wife, Alice Green, welcomed the proposed arrangement. In return for this designation, the new heir was to be raised in luxury, educated in the best schools in Europe and groomed to become Maximilian's successor and restore the fortunes of the Iturbide family. But, when the child is actually cut off from all contact with his parents, and his parents forced to leave Mexico, Alice Green Iturbide begins a relentless campaign to reclaim her son, a quest that takes her to the court of Louis Napoleon and to the Vatican. Her quest, and the efforts of Maximilian and Carlota to retain their tottering throne make a spellbinding conclusion to this truly fresh and well-crafted novel.

Satisfying historic fiction contains the best elements of any good novel: excellent writing, strong plot, conflict, believable characters and an interesting setting. C. M. Mayo has brought all of these elements together around an intriguing and completely mesmerizing story. The impact of the novel was very strong and that has led me to read some background articles, do further research and given me some ideas for my next trip to Mexico. Hat off to Ms Mayo for a job well done. I eagerly look forward to her next effort.

This novel recreates a period in the history of our southern neighbor that few Americans know much about. It centers around the tragic figure of Maximilian, a Habsburg prince who for three years tried to establish himself as "emperor of Mexico" backed by the French army. When the French withdrew, his support collapsed. He was captured by Republican forces and executed.

C.M. May has researched the period extensively and has an amazing ability to see through the eyes of her vast cast of characters. It includes princes and princesses, soldiers, servants, peasants, revolutionaries, diplomats and a small child, Augustin Iturbide, heir to a distinguished Mexican family stolen from his natural parents to be adopted by Maximilian.

I was enormously impressed by the author's ability to bring the period to life and the sheer ambition of this novel. She inhabits the skin of each of her many characters. This is a very impressive feat of imaginative historical reconstruction.

Margaret Mitchell made readers care about the US Civil War from new perspectives -- the women caught there during and after the war. Once you start reading about Scarlett and Rhett, you just can't put the book down and never again are sometimes dull historical names like Sherman's March to the Sea ever the same. The same for C.M. Mayo's The Last Prince for same time period, but for Mexico, not the USA.

Until I read this book, I thought of Mexico in the mid-19th Century as a confusing mess bracketed by Santa Ana laying siege to the Alamo, and a back and forth between Benito Juarez and a bizzare historical footnote of a "French" intervention to install monarchs from Europe in Mexico. But now, I have for those times a Scarlett and Rhett, a Melanie and Ashley - their real-life counterparts - to make sense of the big mess thanks to C. M. Mayo. Suddenly, I care, deeply, as Gone With the Winds readers do for Scarlett after Sherman marches through Atlanta that there was Alice Green, the mother of the "Last Prince" of Mexico, a young woman from Washington D.C., who rose up even stronger and braver than Scarlett to save the day not just for her family but also as it turned out, to ensure Mexicans would not be subjects of a crown but citizens of a republic.

C.M. Mayo spent ten years digging out Alice's story long buried in archives from Vienna, Washington D.C., New York City, and Mexico City. Who knew until now how much Mexico owed to a young lady from Washington D.C.?

So often we are quick to categorize a people or nation with simple adjectives: third world, dull, uninteresting, poor, etc.
C.M. Mayo simply explodes every previous perception of this most remarkable period in Mexican history. Completely ignored in the study of American history, France sought to establish an empire in Mexico while the storm of civil war raged in the United States.
Mayo skillfully brings to life the principle characters of Carlota, Maximilian and the heartbreaking saga of Alice Green trapped by her own willingness to sacrifice her child for social prestige. Give yourself ample time to read the spellbinding story. When you read the last line, "The End", you will simply sigh and say, "Wow!"

This is one of my favorite books. The author did an amazing job at researching many of the facts and events of the time, which lead me in to discovering and adding to my interest of the complex and interesting Mexican History and the development of the Americas. What a treasure of a book; highly recommended.

Summary via the publisher:

"The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is a sweeping historical novel of Mexico during the short, tragic, at times surreal, reign of Emperor Maximilian and his court. Even as the American Civil War raged north of the border, a clique of Mexican conservative exiles and clergy convinced Louis Napoleon to invade Mexico and install the Archduke of Austria, Maximilian von Habsburg, as Emperor. A year later, the childless Maximilian took custody of the two year old, half-American, Prince Agustín de Iturbide y Green, making the toddler the Heir Presumptive. Maximilian's reluctance to return the child to his distraught parents, even as his empire began to fall, and the Empress Carlota descended into madness, ignited an international scandal. This lush, grand read is based on the true story and illuminates both the cultural roots of Mexico and the political development of the Americas."

This work of historical fiction really sounds just like something I would love. In some ways, I definitely did. The prose is luminous and the story is compelling. As a reader, I wanted to know what happened next and whether or not Alicia and Angelo got their son back. I enjoyed feeling like I was learning something; this is a period I know very little about and I always enjoy learning more. I appreciated in huge amounts the author's note with bibliography in the back of the book, particularly the bit about how she became interested, and I know I will now go off to read about Agustín and his family.

I loved the descriptions of scenery, too. Before I quote, I'd like to clarify that my copy is an ARC, and this text may not be the final version. Anyway, take a completely random example:

"On the other side of the glass, the horizon, jagged with mountains, is paling, and the snowcaps of the volcanos tinged a fiery lavender, the exact shade, it occurs to Maximilian, of the inner lip of a Phalaenopsis orchid. For the past month, it has rained almost every afternoon, and sometimes all through the night, but this afternoon, the clouds, titanic puzzle pieces, have sailed apart to reveal a stretch of translucent ocean blue. To the east, a cloud bank soft as charcoal smudges the sierra; closer in, an island cloud shoots out swords of gold. The bids are coming in to their roosts around the lake in the park below. An eagle skims the tops of the ahuehuetes. In the distance, church bells begin to gong and chime.

A southern twilight: can there be anything in this world more sublime?"

- p. 164

Beautiful, isn't it? The whole book is like that. Mayo has a way with words.

All that said, I had one definite problem with the book. I found my mind wandering, usually when the story was focused on Maximilian or one of the other European leaders. I had a very hard time relating to any of the characters, in fact. The emperor and his wife were extremely unsympathetic, particularly Maximilian. I could not understand or agree with any of his decisions. This is in no way the fault of the author or even of the book, since I don't think I'd have liked the real life guy any better than his fictional representation. As an example, he complains about a contract his cousin bullied him into signing only to bully Alicia into signing a contract in the same way, then he is shocked when she protests. The history is interesting, the people are a little infuriating. Of course, this is probably an entirely accurate picture of a 19th century monarch, convinced of the superiority of his own bloodline over every other person on the planet, but it absolutely annoyed me. I believe the way he was written didn't help much, though, using "one" instead of "I" and putting everything in the third person. It gives a very accurate picture of his spoiled and superior behavior but makes it more or less impossible for the reader to feel any affection towards him. Then again, who would feel sympathy towards a man who basically stole a child from his mother?

I did like the characters who weren't self-serving and self-righteous, but there weren't many of them. Lupa, Alicia at times, and Dona Juliana all endeared me to them, but their parts in the story are small and scarce.

My honest opinion is that this is a very good book. The writing is lovely, the setting is amazing, and the story is intriguing. The characters, however well-developed, were impossible for me to feel anything for, though, and that was a bit of a disappointment. I would recommend it if you can get past their arrogance.

In 1864 with the Monroe Doctrine in limbo due to the American Civil War, French Emperor Louis Napoleon installs Maximilian von Hapsburg as the emperor of Mexico. However, Maximilian obsesses over having no heir as he and his wife remain childless. He persuades a couple to give him their two years old son Agustin in exchange for money.

When Maximilian decides to adopt Agustin and name him his heir to the Mexican throne, the infant's American mother Madame Alice de Iturbide objects. Outraged by the affront to his power, he deports Alice back to the States. Her being separated from her son leads to an international squabble especially as the war to the north is ending over the rights of babies and their biological mothers. With his country collapsing and his wife Carlota becoming mentally unhinged, Maximilian has too much on his plate in order to maintain his rule so he lets the child join his mom.

Based on a true story, this is an engaging, though at times verbose with too much detail, historical biographical thriller that brings alive an intriguing point in the country's history. The key characters come alive with Maximilian as the most fascinating as he struggles with the economy, his wife and his subjects on the brink while also battling to keep his adopted heir. C.M. Mayo provides a well written interesting look at THE LAST PRINCE OF THE MEXICAN EMPIRE.

Harriet Klausner