The Life and Letters of Madame Bonaparte (Paperback)

1879. The history of Elizabeth Patterson, who became by her marriage with Jerome Bonaparte the sister-in-law of the Emperor Napoleon and the half-dozen kings and queens whom the French Caesar placed upon the thrones of Europe, as told through her letters written to her father. Her letters display an amazing knowledge of the world, a keen analysis of men's motives, and an eager pursuit of worldly honors. This Baltimore girl, married at eighteen and deserted at twenty, seems to have possessed the savoir-vivre of Chesterfield, the cold cynicism of Rochefoucauld and the practical economy of Franklin.