THE MANY LIVES AND SECRET SORROWS OF JOSEPHINE B.

Louise Pitre's command of French accents is excellent. Her depiction of Josephine Bonaparte, both as child and adult, places the listener firmly in revolutionary Paris. This fictional account captures Josephine's youth, first marriage, and the births of two children. Gulland paints a portrait of a woman who was destined to be both a young widow and a queen. Told through the vehicles of Rose's (as she was known pre-Napoleon) diaries and correspondence, the story weaves a life of both a poor Creole outsider and a rising socialite. One woman's experiences meshed with history create a compelling tale. However, approximately thirty years are abridged to three compact discs, giving the feeling that her life was lived at 100 miles per hour, with Napoleon just a speed bump. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]