Desiree: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love

By: Annemarie Selinko

Narrated by: Nicole Quinn

Length: 25 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

To be young, in France, and in love....

Fourteen-year-old Desiree can't believe her good fortune. Her fiance, the dashing and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, is poised for battlefield success, and no longer will she be just a French merchant's daughter. She could not have known the twisting path her role in history would take, nearly breaking her vibrant heart but sweeping her to a life rich in passion and desire.

A love story, but so much more, Desiree explores the landscape of a young heart torn in two, giving listeners a compelling true story of an ordinary girl whose unlikely brush with history leads to a throne no one would have expected.

An epic best seller that has earned both critical acclaim and mass adoration, Desiree is at once a novel of the rise and fall of empires, the blush and fade of love, and the heart and soul of a woman.

©1953 Annemarie Selinko (P)2012 Nicole Quinn

Critic reviews

"An epic love story...irresistible reading." ( Chicago Tribune)

"This is a fascinating panorama, from the blood-and-sawdust reek of Robespierre's guillotine to the final collapse of the Hundred Days." ( New York Times)

“Presented as a series of diary entries over the course of her eventful life, Désirée's story not only sheds light on the life of a fascinating woman but also captures in haunting detail some of the century's most extraordinary personalities. Quinn admirably captures Désirée's unique voice at each stage of her life, from teenage petulance and crushing heartbreak to the confident tones of her eventual rise to royalty in the heyday of Napoleon's reign.” ( AudioFile)

Such a lovely story, highly recommend!!

I loved every bit, I would suggest a read through and a listen. You won’t be disappointed!!

Deliciously Entertaining Seductive Novel

Would you consider the audio edition of Désirée: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love to be better than the print version?

I have not read the book, but I was so entertained by the reading of it by Nicole Quinn I am looking forward to re listening!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the depth and richness of all of the characters in this historical Novel. I was stunned by the beauty and depth of the characters.

What does Nicole Quinn bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

. Nicole' Quinn's voice is a pleasure to listen to. Her characters all so delicious and delightful.

Who was the most memorable character of Désirée: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love and why?

Desiree herself since the story is told through her diary

Any additional comments?

You will not be disappointed with this tale nor with the narrator.

Thoroughly entertaining

Love this book. Being a Napoleonic fan I will read anything that has a connection but this book is excellent as it shows another side. Mostly the court life of Napoleon rather than the politics, battles or the man himself. Written as a diary style the story is fiction but based largely on fact. Désirée did exist, was Napoleon's first love and was a big part of his life if not directly. Her husband General/Marshal/Crown Prince Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte - King Charles XIV John; comes off looking rather good. Most of Napoleon's family not so. Even her sister Julie who married Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's oldest brother) is not all that well portrayed. Saying this, Desiree isn't portrayed being all knowing and the only 'smart cookie' in the house, she saids herself she is stupid at times. Nicole Quinn narrates this book and she does an excellent job changing from young girl to queen of Sweeden with the right amount of age and style as to not lose Désirée personality. Well worth the money, well worth the time spent listing to. Annemarie Selinko has created a wonderful peace of historical fiction that borders on creative non-fiction very nicely.

Enthralling from cover to cover.

One of the best books I have ever read. I was completely captivated by the unique perspective into history.

Historical Romance

A sugar-coated way to learn the history of the Napoleonic era. The heroine narrator is present at all the dramatic twists and turns of Napoleon's eventful life. If you enjoyed War & Peace, you might want to see how the war looked from the French point of view.

Oldie but goodie - Desiree

I wanted to listen to this because I read it as a teen in the late 1960’s— and I still enjoyed it! It IS long but the complexity of the many linked characters and scope of the story require that length. I enjoyed this audio version because the narration was entertaining, the story ultimately uplifting and steadfastness, love, family, self-value and bravery were all celebrated. So happy I listened!

Great Narration

Nicole Quinn just made this audiobook such fun to hear. Although Selinko's book is not totally accurate history, the engaging story made the historic events interesting and mrmorable.

Loooong

I like a long book that captivates me, but this one was a bit of a chore to get through. I was interested to learn (per Wikipedia anyway) that, by and large, the historical elements of Desiree’s life were all true. The author gives our protagonist a somewhat childlike persona and the narrator certainly read her that way. And gave a distinct whine to some other characters, such as her sister, Julie. I don’t particularly recommend the story, but I don’t recommend against it either.

Boarding

Very long and boring and slow, I couldn’t even finish it and I tried very hard .

a bit dated but still fun

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I read this book when I was a teenager and LOVED it. That was more than thirty years ago though and it doesn't totally stand up. Desiree is portrayed as not very smart (though she does smart things) self-deprecating and there are somewhat painful passages where old romance is retread. It is also clear that the reader is not quite right for this - the story starts when she is 14 and ends in her late 40s and the reader doesn't do either justice. It is a great way to live through the Napoleonic Wars though. Also it is very disappointing that she leaves her husband and child and returns to paris. I realize that is not the authors doing but made her a much less interesting person in my mind.

I did listen to most of the last half at 1.5x time and that worked perfectly!