The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court by Michelle Moran

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First, you have to know this is one of my favorite writers so you know I was going to add it to my library and was pretty sure I was going to like it.

I loved it! I learned so much I didn't know about the time, Napoleon, his second empress, and some of his female relations!

I knew nothing about Marie-Louise! She comes across as a very bright, loving person and mother who had to endure a lot from Napoleon (who would have been considered an old man). Her father, King of Austria, really left her no choice in the marriage because not marrying the Napoleon would have put her beloved country into war with France. I don't want to ruin her story for you but I will tell you she and her son out lived him!

I've read of Josephine prior but the bits from her letters and seeing her from the eyes of others.

Ah, and then there is the sister-in-law, Pauline! She's something else! A great beauty of her day who would have herself married to her brother as was done in Egyptian times!

I learned that it was during the Napoleon's comeback that the French abolished slavery. Also a bit about the treatment of social diseases during the time (UCK).

Read this book for the history but also for a really good story!

O, if you like to listen to your books, this is great for there are multiple readers who are each good narrators!

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WORD

Source: sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net via Skip_Conover on Pinterest

I needed this!

a good friend sent me this and i just had to share!   There is a factory in Essex which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms. Well, Shelley is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am. The next day at 8:45 am there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.  The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stands Shelley surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush Red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.  The 2 men watch in amaze-ment as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs. The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Shelley. 'I'm sorry,' he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, 'but I think you mis- understood the instructions I gave you yesterday...' 'Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.    If you don't send this to five friends right away, there will be five fewer people laughing in the world!