Please welcome, Ruth Hull Chatlien!
1- Please tell us a
bit about your research and what prompted you to write about Betsy?
My husband and I were fans of the Horatio Hornblower television
series in the late 1990s. Then in the 2000s, we discovered an additional four
episodes that had been produced much later. The last of those featured Jerome
and Betsy Bonaparte. I had never before heard that Napoleon’s brother married
an American. When I looked up the facts on the Internet, I discovered that
Betsy’s real life was far more interesting than the snippet shown (and
distorted) in the television show. I researched the novel by reading several
biographies as well as books about Napoleon, Dolley Madison, the War of 1812,
Baltimore architecture, period clothing,and an early
excursion to Niagara Falls. I also took a research trip to Baltimore to visit
historic homes, Fort McHenry, and the Maryland Historical Society.
2- Could you please
share one fascinating or juicy thing about Betsy that is not necessarily in the
book, but that us readers would love to know?
Betsy
had a Parisian porcelain bourdaloue, a portable chamber pot, that she carried
with her on long carriage rides. After Betsy’s death, her grandson’s wife
donated it to the Maryland Historical Society, and the curators there didn’t
know what it was. Assuming it was a large sauce boat, they put it on display as
part of a table setting in a period dining room—until a porcelain expert
explained its real purpose.
3- What major
difference between Jerome and Napoleon would you say most struck you and why?
Jerome
greatly admired Napoleon and wanted to be just like him, but as the spoiled
baby of the family, he never acquired the discipline or work ethic that was
necessary to become a great military leader or ruler. So Jerome took the easy
way out and settled for the trappings of unearned glory. In fairness to Jerome,
there’s one other difference I should note. He was a kinder man than his brother.
4- Please share with
us any future projects you may be working on- Can we expect more on the
Bonaparte family perhaps?
I haven’t
ruled out writing another book about the Bonaparte family, but I’m not going to
do so right away. I want to avoid being too closely tied to any one period or
country. Instead, I see my “brand” as writing about strong women caught up in
times of conflict. I’m currently researching another true story, this one about
an American woman who was taken captive during one of the most brutal Indian
wars in U.S. history. After that, I expect to return to a topic that is
connected to France.
Author Ruth Hull Chatlien
on Tour
March 3-12, 2014
with
The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte
[historical fiction]
Release Date: December 2, 2013
Publisher: Amika Press, Chicago
ISBN: 978-1937484163
484 pages
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SYNOPSIS
As a clever girl in stodgy, mercantile Baltimore, Betsy Patterson dreams of a marriage that will transport her to cultured Europe. When she falls in love with and marries Jerome Bonaparte, she believes her dream has come true—until Jerome’s older brother Napoleon becomes an implacable enemy.Based on a true story, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is a historical novel that portrays this woman’s tumultuous life. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, known to history as Betsy Bonaparte, scandalized Washington with her daring French fashions; visited Niagara Falls when it was an unsettled wilderness; survived a shipwreck and run-ins with British and French warships; dined with presidents and danced with dukes; and lived through the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. Yet through it all, Betsy never lost sight of her primary goal—to win recognition of her marriage.[provided by the author]
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Ruth Hull Chatlien has been a writer and editor of educational materials for twenty-five years. Her specialty is U.S. and world history. She is the author of Modern American Indian Leaders and has published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte (2013) is her first published novel.
She lives in northeastern Illinois with her husband, Michael, and a very pampered dog named Smokey. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found gardening, knitting, drawing, painting, or watching football.
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VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks
Interview at Enchanted by Josephine
Review at The Most Happy Reader
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