Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe - Tapa blanda

By casting her narrative in the form of a first-person journal, Gulland invests it with vividness and immediacy, so that one sometimes forgets it is a historical novel, and reads it with a real sense of surprise at each development (Times Metro)

''The second instalment of Sandra Gulland's gripping novel about Josephine Bonaparte finds our heroine ensconced as the initially reluctant spouse of the great man ... Through the gossipy, incident-packed medium of Josephine's journal, we get a breathlessly condensed version of the last days of the 18th century and a warts-and-all account of Napoleon that is both fun and informative. The best thing, though, is the picture that emerges of Josephine herself - capricious, coquettish and alluring by turns, she comes across as eminently likeable and the sort of woman over whom one can well imagine an Emperor losing his head' The Times

'This is a fascinating peep behind the scenes into the humanity of an important period of European history' Good Book Guide

Straightforward and likeable re-telling of the life of Josephine Buonaparte is laced with ribbons and period detail (Independent)

Packed with captivating historical detail (Daily Telegraph)

'[Sandra Gulland] brings the characters and setting to vivid life' Middlesbrough Evening Gazette

Gulland has huge fun ... nothing seems beyond the grasp of her imagination. In her hands Josephine B puts in a stellar performance. Now tender, now triste, she's the Jackie O of her day' (Guardian)

'This book is a traditional treat, a carefully researched and literate historical novel' Western Mail Cardiff

Richly detailed historical novel (Nottingham Evening Post)

'A worthy successor to the first volume' Historical Novels Review

Set in Paris at the end of the eighteenth century, Joséphine begins to awaken to the reality of her recent marriage to 'the Corsican' Napoléon Bonaparte. Through Joséphine's diary entries and Napoléon's impassioned - almost disturbing - love letters, an astonishing portrait of an ingenuous, compassionate woman emerges, set against one of the most tumultuous periods in European history. Written in a spare but compelling style, this beautifully crafted novel brings the amazing drama of the legendary Joséphine to vibrant life.