New Book Alert: Madame Pommery:The Creator of Brut Champagne A Champagne Widows Novel by Rebecca Rosenberg; Historical Fiction Novel About the Female Vintner Entrepreneur is Sweeter Than Wine or Champagne
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: Rebecca Rosenberg gave us, Champagne Widows, a sparking novel about the rise of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, a Frenchwoman who became
the first female wine entrepreneur creating Veuve Clicquot during the backdrop of Napoleon's reign.
Her latest historical fiction novel actually surpasses her previous effort. This time she gives us Madame Pommery, about Jeanne Alexandrine Louise Melin Pommery, creator of Brut Champagne during the Franco-Prussian War. It is a captivating novel about a woman's struggle to survive war, run her own business in a male dominated society, provide a future for her children, and create something beautiful, unique, and lasting.
Right away Rosenberg gives us different people with her two leads. Champagne Widows presented Barbe-Nicole first as a young woman rejecting arranged marriages, helping out in the vineyards with her powerful sense of smell, and studying the business side of selling wine. She is a young woman at the start of her life's journey.
Alexandrine is in the middle of her journey. She is close to her 50's and still recovering from the death of her husband, Louis. She is trying to retain a brave front for her two year old daughter, Louise and curtailing the sharp criticisms from her school aged son, Louis who blames his father's death on his need to return to work after Louise's surprise birth. Alexandrine also has to contend with the loss of her family finances and that unless something is done soon, they will be left destitute.
Alexandrine's character arc shows her challenging the role expected of her as an upper class Frenchwoman. She was originally someone who read and followed etiquette books to the letter and got involved in philanthropic activities like teaching and helping reformed prostitutes all with a sense of detachment and noblesse oblige.
After her husband's death those detached standards no longer exist when she has to be the sole breadwinner. At Louis' funeral, she responds with emotion and breaks the protocol because of her grief. She realizes for the first time that these etiquette rules are no substitute for human emotions like grief or loss. This moment cements Alexandrine as a woman who is willing to challenge expectations to acknowledge her independence.
Alexandrine exhibits this independence when she decides to run her Pommery winery herself. While women usually are not permitted to run businesses, widows are and Alexandrine uses that loophole to take over the wine business. Many like her husband's former business partner, Reynard Wolf question her abilities and decisions. They represent the old guard, men who believe that women should be coddled and protected and are incapable of being hard-nosed entrepreneurs. Many of Alexandrine's decisions are argued against by people like Wolf because of their short sightedness of hearing suggestions come from a woman who is going against the way things are usually done.
Many of Alexandrine's ideas end up being beneficial for her company and makes Pommery stand out. One of them is to specialize in champagne which she prefers to wine and is often used for special events occasions so it attracts a higher clientele. Many of Alexandrine's ideas come about by her own ingenuity.
She finds a series of limestones and chalk pits called crayeres and uses them as cellars to store the bottles.
An accident of leaving grapes out too long creates brut champagne, champagne that is known for its dryness and sweetness. While Brut is questioned throughout the novel and rejected by many, it had a long lasting impact so that now it is one of the most popular types of champagne.
Alexandrine also displays an eye for art and beauty. She hired sculptors and artists to turn her champagne house into a work of art with sculptures depicting various figures, particularly from myth and legend. This is so visitors can not only see how the champagne is made but could be awed at the creative beauty displayed around them. They can make a day of it.
One of the drawbacks to Rosenberg's previous book was the unnecessary inclusion of a supernatural subplot in which a demonic figure called the Red Man possesses Napoleon. Thankfully, there are no supernatural elements in this book. Well not major ones. There is a possibly magic or mundane situation that is actually presented by none other than Barbe-Nicole herself! There is a sweet passing the torch moment between the two entrepreneurs early in Alexandrine's career where Barbe-Nicole encourages Alexandrine to take the business for herself.
Barbe-Nicole also gives a cat that appears to be a matagot (a spirit that takes the form of a cat) to Alexandrine's daughter, Louise. The matagot, called Felix, does not appear to do anything overly magical except disappear and reappear on occasion and live an unusually long time. However, he could be a sign of good luck and prosperity letting Alexandrine know that she is on the right path.
In Champagne Widows, many of Napoleon's violent and warlike tactics could be attributed to the influence of the Red Man. Madame Pommery does not need such a paranormal excuse for people to do awful things. The Franco-Prussian War occurs because of land disputes and avaricious leaders who want more and don't care about the soldiers and civilians who have to suffer and die for it.
Alexandrine is forced to house the Prussian soldiers. She retains politeness but steely reserve as she serves these men who have no reason to be in her country. She also defends her daughter and female servants and employees from the lecherous soldier's advances.
Alexandrine shows courage and quick thinking when men are conscripted to fight including her employees and her son. Since she still needs the grapes to be treated and champagne to be made, she recruits women from a nearby brothel for assistance. Remembering her philanthropy over the years, the women happily comply and prove to be just as valuable a workforce as the men.
Alexandrine was known to be a kind and charitable employer giving retirement funds and health benefits for her employees and that is on display throughout the book. She treats her employees with kindness and devotion regardless of gender, previous occupation, income, or religion. She is also very encouraging towards them in her personal life. Damas, a boy from the village who is rendered mute, proves to be an adept vintner and eventually becomes a close friend to Louise.
One of the strongest relationships that develops is between Alexandrine and Lucille, Louise's former nanny. After Louis is sent to war, Alexandrine is surprised to learn that Lucille and Louis were not only romantically involved but had secretly married and Lucille is carrying his child. Besides Lucille being a servant, their relationship flies into convention because Lucille is Jewish. Once Alexandrine learns this, she treats Lucille kindly and cares for her like a daughter.
Alexandrine's kindness towards Lucille not only improves their
bond but Alexandrine's bond with her children. Louis who was once critical of his mother now admires her strength and perseverance seeing how she also loved his wife and child. Louise also finds her bond with her mother improves when she finds herself in a similar situation after the war. These actions show that Alexandrine's family will thrive long after she's gone.
Madame Pommery is a better book than Champagne Widows. Rosenberg has clearly given us a great historical fiction about an amazing woman. It is a historical fiction that is sweeter than a glass of wine or a flute of brut champagne.
