The dramatic, untold story of Eugénie de Montijo, the woman who created haute couture, fought for women’s rights, opened France’s schools to girls and ruled the country as its last empress, yet today remains almost unknown.
Although a nineteenth-century woman, her almost twenty-first century outlook was key to the creation of modern France. Viewed frequently as a mere “ornament of the throne” of her husband, Emperor Napoléon III, this Spanish-born aristocrat proved to be almost as fiery as her red hair, fighting against institutional limitations, establishing innovations in childcare and women’s health, scientific research and education, battling anti-Semitism and “sex prejudice,” all the while displaying a political acumen so sharp that her husband gave her sole control of the government during his absences and consulted her daily when he was home. But the triumphs and glamour of her life were coupled with heartbreak and tragedy.
This first definitive American biography of Eugénie restores her far-reaching legacy to history.
Available at your local bookstore, on the HarperCollins website, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.
A few constant passions have led my life: the history of women, literature, music, culture, and travel around the world. Born and raised in Paris, France, in a family with links to England, the US, Japan and Mauritius Island, I developed an early passion for literature and history from various cultures and languages. This passion culminated with a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne on women writers in Europe.
From then on, life became even more interesting: I moved to Los Angeles with my American musician husband, and taught at UCLA. I wrote, published, and edited books and encyclopedias, taught cultural life to Americans and American culture to French students. I then turned entrepreneur: I co-founded and managed a boutique communication firm focused on luxury and international culture.
Curiosity has brought me all over the world: Portugal, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, England, Austria, Germany, China, Japan, Thailand, Tunisia, Mauritius, Cuba (I've certainly forgotten a few countries) and in many American states. I delight in discovering so many cultures, people, landscapes, music, literature... And there are still so many countries to discover and so many people to meet while I continue writing about cultural history in Europe and in the USA.
Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.
Albert Camus (1913-1960), French writer