The Little Balloonist
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
A soaring love story set in Napoleonic France
This irresistible literary debut novel was inspired by the life of Sophie Blanchard, one of the first women to fly.
In Paris, a young widow inherits her late husband’s considerable debts, as well as his celebrated hydrogen balloon. Drawn by the allure of flight despite its dangers, Sophie takes to the skies with a boldness that wins her fame throughout the country. Along with her new celebrity, Sophie wins the love of two very different men: one, her faithful childhood friend Andre Giroux, and the other a brash young Napoleon Bonaparte, soon to be emperor of France.
Beautifully written and enriched with seven historical etchings, The Little Balloonist distills themes of love, freedom, and loyalty into a powerful tale that brings to mind bestselling historical fiction like Silk by Allessandro Baricco and I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn. BACKCOVER: “Exquisite and beautiful . . . It will break your heart and take your breath away.”
—National Book Award–winning author Lily Tuck
“Delightful. . . . Glimpses of the history of primitive flight, tales of high romance and juicy anecdotes about Napoleon make this sweet novel soar. . . . Charming and smart—singularly high-spirited historical fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Whimsical . . . as pretty and slight as its heroine.”
—Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in Napoleonic France, Donn's whimsical first novel (after her nonfiction book Freud and Jung) charts the course of Sophie Armant Blanchard, one of the world's first female aeronauts. The author weaves fact with a fairy tale touch in this historical romance, which follows Napoleon's rise to power as it celebrates Sophie's stratospheric ascents. At 16, her marriage to Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a much older, wealthy balloonist, lifts her from poverty but rends her from her childhood sweetheart, Andr Giroux. Sophie convinces Jean-Pierre to let her fly with him as a publicity stunt and finds she revels in flight where her husband feels mostly fear. Her celebrity quickly eclipses his, and when the newspapers announce her first solo flight, she comes to Napoleon's attention for her courage and delicate beauty. Jean-Pierre dies of a stroke, and Sophie, who has clung to memories of Andr (now a noted faith healer) throughout her loveless 15-year marriage, waits for her beloved's return while she fends off Napoleon's amorous advances. Before her tragic end, Sophie enjoys a joyful reunion with Andr and an appointment as the empire's official balloonist. As pretty and slight as its heroine, Donn's novel breezes gently across her remarkable life.
