With its delightful adaptation of Napoleon Bonaparte’s real attempt to write a novel, Finding Napoleon offers a fresh take on Europe’s most powerful man after he’s lost everything. A forgotten woman of history–Napoleon’s last love, the audacious Albine de Montholon–narrates their tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal.
We chat with Margaret about her debut novel Finding Napoleon, writing, book recommendations, and much more!
Hi, Margaret! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m the author of FINDING NAPOLEON, a historical novel that includes an adaptation of Napoleon Bonaparte’s own attempt to write a romantic novel and co-stars Albine de Montholon, Napoleon’s last lover. I’m an avid traveler who’s visited over sixty countries, secretary of the non-profit Napoleonic Historical Society, and an escapee from the business world. I’m as happy in a kayak as in a museum.
How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?
Since my debut novel came out this spring and I’m vaccinated, I’m overflowing with energy and hope. This time last year? I was hunkered down and half-frozen with fear. Yet, as eager as I am to move forward, I hope we don’t forget the losses and lessons of 2020.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
My earliest book memories are of Little Golden Books, especially The Little Engine That Could. I had a bookcase in my bedroom. How lucky is that?
When I was ten, my parents gave me James Thurber’s The Thirteen Clocks, a beautiful fairy tale, chockfull of words I didn’t understand. I memorized most of its 124 pages. From then on, I wanted to write fiction.
Years ago, I read Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis’s retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche from the point of view of the “ugly sister.” It’s meant to ask theological questions, but I took it as a human quest of self-discovery when the sister asks, “How can we meet face-to-face till we have faces?” That sentence has motivated me through thick and thin.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
When I was in seventh grade, we had to write a short story every week for two months. That taught me both the joy and difficulty of writing fiction on demand.
Your debut novel, Finding Napoleon, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Intimate, surprising, poignant, authentic, and (sometimes) tongue-in-cheek.
What can readers expect?
My novel FINDING NAPOLEON juxtaposes Napoleon’s own youthful attempt to write a romantic, idealistic novel against the defeated emperor’s desperate years after he’d lost everything. His last love—audacious Albine de Montholon—helps narrate their tale of intrigue, loyalty, and betrayal on St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic. Readers will experience a slice of history in a remote place with characters and events they barely knew existed. By the end, I hope they’ll be filled with that most human of emotions: compassion for both the least and the most powerful among us.
Where did the inspiration for Finding Napoleon, come from?
The moment I learned that young Napoleon Bonaparte tried to write a romantic novel of love and betrayal, I vowed to finish writing it for him. To my delight, his scribbled manuscript still existed. Now, that soldier’s love story provides Napoleon’s “origin story,” told from the aging, ex-emperor’s point of view.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I set myself the goal of portraying Napoleon as a person, separate from the wars and geopolitics of his middle years. But for most of us, he’s a stick figure: a short man in a funny hat with his hand stuck in this vest. I wanted to show him as a flesh and blood human being, a flawed genius. To do that, the reader sees him at the start of his life, who he was at the end, and how he felt when he looked back at his early potential. His last lover, Albine, as well as other friends and traitors, provide additional insight.
What kind of research did you have to do?
Reportedly, over 60,000 books have been written about Napoleon. (My husband claims I bought most of them.) Since Finding Napoleon focuses on Napoleon’s youth and his life after defeat, I avoided the complicated middle years of wars and politics.
Still, to understand Napoleon as a person, I read scores of books and papers in French and in English. I crafted my own translations of early publications of Napoleon’s Clisson manuscript. Trips to France and Corsica added color, inspiration, and detail. After attending several Napoleonic Historical Society conferences, I joined their board of directors.
The big research prize was St. Helena Island, the site of Napoleon’s second exile and where much of the novel takes place. A tiny British-governed island in the South Atlantic, it remains one of the most remote inhabited spots in the world. Not counting a diversion in South Africa, my voyage lasted three weeks, including ten days on a British transport ship. On St. Helena, standing alone in the musty, haunting rooms where Napoleon and Albine lived, I found inspiration to write an authentic story.
If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love Albine de Montholon, an endearing, scrappy, sexy survivor who can’t always afford to fuss over morals. My favorite scene occurs after Napoleon has caught her selling information to their British captors. I like how power seesaws between the two of them during the confrontation.
What was the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Over my years writing historical fiction, three different professional editors have told me “Story always trumps history.” That’s terrible advice for a historical fiction author, because if you ignore the historical record, you’ll lose credibility with most of your readers.
On the other hand, if you remove the word “Always,” and change “trumps” to “springs from,” it’s the best advice. Historical fiction writers find deep truth and memorable entertainment within historical settings. That requires imagination, workarounds, and short-cuts to create story, but it doesn’t supersede the arc of history. So, I settle on “Story springs from history.”
What’s next for you?
My novel-in-progress is a French Revolution-era, dystopian novel about social justice. It’s going to be a dramatic story of a woman’s survival against the odds, with some unfortunate parallels to our time.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Historical fiction author Stephanie Dray just released The Women of Chateau Lafayette, which weaves together three fascinating stories spanning 150 years. I’m also a big fan of Louis Bayard’s historical fiction, including Courting Mr. Lincoln. For non-fiction, I recommend the brilliant, important book Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson.
You can find Margaret on Facebook and Instagram, along with at her website.
