Rabin (Casey Over There
) takes the inspiration for her entertaining if far-fetched account of Napoleon Bonaparte's final years from the life of a real British 14-year-old, Betsy Balcombe. The story begins in the fall of 1815, as the defeated French emperor lands on St. Helena, an island off the African coast or, as Betsy puts it, a "miserable wart on the face of the deep." Technically a prisoner of war, "Boney" is housed temporarily on the Balcombe estate, where he and Betsy strike up a nearly instantaneous friendship. Betsy is more Hollywood heroine than girl of her time—she escapes her bedroom by climbing down a vine, and doesn't blush when Bonaparte "hold[s] court from his bath." (She notes his resemblance to "steamed potato dumplings.") The portrait of Bonaparte borders on hagiography. He may have struck terror on the continent, but in exile he tells jokes and loans the family jewels to Betsy for a party. The man even psychoanalyzes his own complex (middle child, teased at school for his Corsican accent and, well, the height thing). The author dresses the set with Haitian slaves, yam farmers and a few mentions of King George and the Duke of Wellington, but this is not meant to be an aid for studying French political history. A light read for those who like their lessons served with a large dollop of froth. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)
