Book Titles: The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe The Last Great Dance on Earth Reviewed By: Kim Murphy Written By: Sandra Gulland Genre: Historical Publisher: Scribner ISBN: 0-684-85606-9 0-684-85607-7 0-684-85608-5 Date: 1995, 1998, 2000 Price: trade paperback $11.20

It truly amazes me how history books treat women. Most women, by virtue of their position in society, are portrayed as manipulative, selfish, and promiscuous--often from unreliable sources. Sandra Gulland resorts to none of these traits in her fictional recreation of Josephine Bonaparte, and has more than likely incensed a few historians with the depiction. Instead, the reader sees a real woman--a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Though her flaws are all too human, Josephine is a fascinating woman nonetheless.      From the opening sentence until the very last word, I was captivated. Written in diary format, the trilogy begins with Josephine as a young, unmarried girl of fourteen. A voodoo mystic predicts that one day she will be queen. The prophecy haunts her for she has no desire to be queen. In The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Josephine makes the long journey from Martinique to France, where she marries, has children, and endures the French terror. Her husband is executed, and she ultimately meets "a strange little man" and destiny.      In Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, Josephine begins her new life as Mrs. Napoleon Bonaparte. She describes the effects of war, including being caught in a battle herself, and Napoleon's rise to power. According to the author, these four and a half years are the most scandalous-ridden of Josephine's life, based on rumors.      The Last Great Dance on Earth is the final volume of the trilogy. Plagued by infertility, Josephine tries every treatment for the one thing missing in her life--another child. She is crowned empress, and the prophecy is finally fulfilled. Unable to produce an heir, she is betrayed by Napoleon's family, which ultimately leads to divorce.      Although each volume can stand alone, I highly recommend reading the novels in sequence. I was totally absorbed by the level of historical research--the details of gowns, carriages, and palaces, and the footnotes were beneficial to someone like me, who was unfamiliar with France of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. But don't be fooled into thinking they are some dry history read. Each book is fast-paced, where Napoleon and Josephine leap off the page and literally come to life. At heart is a beautiful love story that shouldn't be missed. While I can't say with any certainty whether history has maligned Josephine, I hope that historians will someday reexamine her and other prominent women with regard to their sources. Until that time happens, Josephine lives and breathes between the pages of this extraordinary trilogy. Kim Murphy

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