New Book Alert: Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg; Sparkling Historical Fiction Novel About A Businesswoman's Rise to the Vintner World in Napoleonic France

 

New Book Alert: Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg; Sparkling Historical Fiction Novel About A Businesswoman's Rise to the Vintner World in Napoleonic France

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg lives up to its name. It is a book that bubbles and sparkles with memorable characterization and French History. 

In 1797, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin resisted all attempts to get married, especially to a much older man chosen by her parents. She is longing for Francois, her childhood sweetheart, now currently serving in Napoleon's army. When Francois returns, he is suffering from PTSD and the early symptoms of mental illness that is genetic within his family. Barbe-Nicole is worried about him and that concern transforms into love as she wishes to marry him despite her parent's wishes.

Besides marriage, Barbe-Nicole has other things on her mind. She inherited a strong sense of smell from her great-grandfather. The enhanced sense is referred to as La Nez, The Nose, and often results in severe migraines and suspicion from people around them. However, Barbe-Nicole is also able to use La Nez to her advantage when she can smell how good fermented grapes are in the winemaking process. Her strong sense of smell and developing business skills become instrumental in Barbe-Nichole's drive to become an established vintner and ascend into the wine making business world.

Oh and while all of this realism is going on with female entrepreneurs, a country still reeling from the aftermath of a violent revolution and subsequent Reign of Terror and empire,  and soldiers returning home from war, there are some supernatural elements. La Nez carries a curse with it, a curse that Barbe-Nichole fears almost as much as she welcomes the opportunities that such an innate gift brings. Also a strange Red Man follows Napoleon around and serves as his coach driver. No one knows who he is and he doesn't have a name but Barbe-Nichole is suspicious and terrified of him. It may be that smell of sulphur that surrounds him.

Champagne Widows is a brilliant book mostly. There are plots that fall flat like a bottle of champagne that has been opened too long. The supernatural subplots are a distraction and are almost unnecessary in a plot that could do just as well without them. The "curse" in Barbe-Nicole's family seems to be the result of heightened senses and the sometimes negative side effects that are often associated with them. Of course someone with a strong sense of smell would be susceptible to migraines if they smelled heavy perfume, sweat, grapes, and less pleasant smells all day.

 Many of Francois' troubles come from his time in war and his neurological problems. Yes there were some people who might have attributed such things to paranormal means, but this is also set during the Enlightenment when people investigated science and medical means to determine such causes. The curse is unnecessary in this setting and plot.

The Red Man's influence over Napoleon promises to be an interesting plot point for another book. It would make a better focal point in a dark supernatural horror book devoted to the Emperor and his sinister spiritual advisor. In this book however, it is a mere subplot and distraction. There are some pretty creepy moments when Barbe-Nicole senses the Red Man's presence and the ending is juicy with irony and historical foreshadowing. But these are better served in a novella or longer work that is actually about them rather than jammed into a realistic novel that didn't need them.

What shines the most in this book is the story of Barbe-Nicole and her fight to be recognized as an independent businesswoman and her struggles within her family that has been left traumatized by war, mental illness, and death. 

Francois' inner struggles deal a lot with his experiences in war and within his family. We are shown a few chapters of battles but mostly they deal with Napoleon and The Red Man's fights. Instead of any romantic view of Napoleon, we see an unbalanced conceited man child who is more concerned with making his name heard and doesn't care how many people have to die for it. Francois is able to see this realistic view and that increases his cynicism.

Francois is often written like someone whose thoughts are elsewhere and it makes sense. Even when he is physically with Barbe-Nicole, his mind is still on the battlefield because he never left it. Words like liberty, equality, and fraternity are as foreign as words in other languages to him. He had seen people on all sides acting contrary to those values and wondered if they ever existed at all.

The mental illness is another hurdle in Francois's life and is a stronger detriment to his post-war life. He sees his mother regress further and further into a dependent and childlike state and fears his own future. Every nightmare, every dark mood, and every anxiety attack could be an early sign of the disorder that is destroying her life. Even his moments of happiness, like rekindling his romance with Barbe-Nicole are tempered with fear such as if they wed and have a child, that child will also inherit his family's illness.

With Francois struggling with his own mental state, Barbe-Nicole has to show resourcefulness and self-reliance and she does. Those personality traits are shown early on when she is being courted by potential suitors. She thinks of some pretty ingenious ways to get rid of them like convincing one that La Nez is contagious.

Barbe-Nicole also shows sharp business skills. When she, instead of her uninterested wayward brother, views her family's finances, she sees that her father is in debt.

 She is clear minded enough to put herself to work. She is also someone who wants to learn everything about the wine making process and isn't afraid to go out into the field to pick grapes and get her hands dirty. 

Barbe-Nicole runs into a lot of animosity and derision as a female entrepreneur, but her femininity also proves to be a strong asset. She makes public appearances in the presence of Napoleon and his wife, Josephine. They are charmed by her personality, appearance, and skills. Josephine even confides about the problems in her marriage. While Barbe-Nicole runs the business in France, Francois takes business trips as far as Russia to sell and promote their wine. When an employee is revealed to be a thief, she isn't afraid to get tough with him.

 She diversifies her brand by adding champagne to their products. Barbe-Nicole ascends her business because of these connections and her ability to change her product to fit her customers. This makes her an adept businesswoman who survives and thrives during the tumultuous time of war and despotism.

Champagne Widows is flawed but for the most part it is a brilliant book that captures how women can live and become successful in the man's world of business. This book should give Rosenberg the sweet smell of success.