Cover of Désirée

Désirée

by Annemarie Selinko · 1951

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The stunning, massively bestselling story of Napoleon's first fiance

First published in 1953, this riveting true-life tale comes to life in diary form, giving readers an inside glimpse at the young Napoleon and his family. Desiree is enchanted by the young officer, and he asks her to marry him. But he must leave for Paris, where he meets his eventual wife Josephine. A heartbroken Desiree is unsure she'll ever find anyone again. A love story, but so much more, Desiree is the tale of a simple merchant's daughter who ends up with a kind of royalty she never expected: an unforgettable story just waiting to be reborn.

Genre
historical fictionhistorical fictionMore like thisLess of thisRegencyRegencyMore like thisLess of thisromanceromanceMore like thisLess of thishistorical romancehistorical romanceMore like thisLess of thisRegency romanceRegency romanceMore like thisLess of this
Themes
womenwomenMore like thisLess of thisroyaltyroyaltyMore like thisLess of thishistoryhistoryMore like thisLess of this
Setting
RegencyRegencyMore like thisLess of thisEuropeEuropeMore like thisLess of thisSwedenSwedenMore like thisLess of thisAustriaAustriaMore like thisLess of thisGermanyGermanyMore like thisLess of this
Subject
historyhistoryMore like thisLess of thisbiographybiographyMore like thisLess of thispoliticspoliticsMore like thisLess of this
Audience
adult
Length
epic · 677 pages

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Liked Désirée? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Désirée. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

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  4. The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. Sandra Gulland · 1995 Shares historical fiction, France, fiction
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