Title: A Rose for Virtue
Subtitle: the Very Private Life of Hortense, Stepdaughter of Napoleon I, Mother of Napoleon III
Description: Hortense Beauharnais finds herself rubbing shoulders with royalty when her mother remarries to become the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. As Napoleon struggles for power on the battlefields of Europe, so Hortense navigates her way through the French court - a precarious chessboard world where the motivations are jealousy and greed and the prizes are the thrones of conquered countries.

Despite attempts to retain her individuality, Hortense soon finds herself married to Napoleon's younger brother Louis - who is later crowned King of Holland. However, Hortense's heart belongs to Charles de Flahaut, a gallant young officer. Unwilling to cross her stepfather, Hortense must bide her time and wait and see whether time will take her to her lover.
Subjects: Fiction, Family, Queens, Large type books, Fiction, general
Places: Netherlands, France
People: Hortense Queen, consort of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (1783-1837), Napoleon III Emperor of the French (1808-1873)
Time periods: 19th Century