Finding Napoleon

“Even more than the complex portrait of Napoleon in his waning years, Rodenberg creates an exciting anti-heroine in Albine, a fading aristocratic beauty in survival mode. . . A novel of conflicting and intertwined stories, desires, and loyalties, Finding Napoleon offers an intriguing new look at one of the most famous men in history.” —The Washington Independent Review of Books

“Napoleon’s last years, awash in intrigue and poignant with loss . . . this intricate tapestry . . . brings to life the twilight years of a captivating historical figure.” —Kirkus Reviews

“In this romantic and earthy novel, Rodenberg has given us a fully fleshed-out Napoleon in his many facets—father, lover, friend, and warrior.” —The Literary Hill

“Napoleon Bonaparte’s life was an incredible, inspiring, and ultimately tragic epic. In Finding Napoleon, readers enter deep into both the beginning and the end of that exceptional drama as Margaret Rodenberg brings to life the inner circle of the ailing emperor as he spends his final years in exile on the remote island of St Helena. No one is more qualified to tell this sweeping tale than Margaret Rodenberg—her research is in a league of its own, and her writing is beautiful and poignant.” —Allison Pataki, New York Times best-selling author of The Queen’s Fortune

“Finding Napoleon is a fascinating look at Napoleon as a writer of romance, a tender father, and a mature lover examining happier times amid the trials of his life in St. Helena—a side to him not often explored, and one I found completely enrapturing. His forgotten lover, Albine de Montholon, adds an intriguing dimension. Rodenberg’s sense of revolutionary culture and period detail sparkle and her storytelling is truly absorbing. A winner!” —Heather Webb, coauthor of Ribbons of Scarlet and author of Becoming Josephine

“From the first words, Finding Napoleon enchanted me. Exceptionally well researched, the writing is vibrant, the details evocative. The story of Napoleon’s final years is conveyed with moving compassion, humor, and wit. I love Margaret Rodenberg’s writing and I look forward to reading more by her. Highly recommended!” —Sandra Gulland, author of The Josephine B. Trilogy and The Game of Hope

“Rodenberg inventively uses Bonaparte’s own unfinished novel to tell the story of the despot’s rise to power, which she juxtaposes against the story of his last love affair. Told creatively and with excellent research!” —Stephanie Dray, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of America’s First Daughter and The Women of Chateau Lafayette

“Vive l’Empereur! In Finding Napoleon, the Bonaparte endgame becomes a new beginning—and a rousing, delightfully peopled adventure. Margaret Rodenberg’s superior scholarship, exquisite scene-setting, and crackling storytelling mark her as a historical novelist to watch.” —Louis Bayard, New York Times notable author of Courting Mr. Lincoln

“Margaret Rodenberg has an outstanding knowledge of and empathy for the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, especially his time in exile on St. Helena. And unlike many, she has actually visited that remote island and seen the actual conditions of his captivity. In Finding Napoleon, she combines that knowledge and empathy with her exceptional ability to weave her imaginative story of Napoleon and Albine de Montholon. In so doing, she leaves readers greatly entertained and, I hope, wanting to read more about one of history’s most fascinating personalities. I highly recommend this fine book by an outstanding author.” —J. David Markham, president of the International Napoleonic Society; Knight, Order of the French Academic Palms; and author of Napoleon for Dummies and Napoleon and Dr. Verling on St. Helena

“A tale within a tale, Finding Napoleon creates three vivid characters—Napoleon in exile, Napoleon becoming a young military hero, and Albine de Montholon, his last and little-known love. Through superb writing, Margaret Rodenberg brings history to life while offering insights into the passions that drove this man to greatness. Highly recommended.” —M.K. Tod, author of Paris in Ruins and Time and Regret and creator of the popular website WriterOfHistory.com

“In her haunting historical novel Finding Napoleon, Margaret Rodenberg bookends the Emperor’s life. She enlarges upon his own semi-autobiographical novel, giving us insight into his early days, contrasting them with the contracted, duplicitous court that accompanied him into captivity on St. Helena after Waterloo. And yet it is through unexpected friendships forged on the island, his tumultuous final love affair with Albine de Montholon, and a longing for the son he’s lost that we truly do find Napoleon during these his last days. Highly recommended.” —Michelle Cameron, author of Beyond the Ghetto Gates