Finding Napoleon

After the defeated Emperor Napoleon goes into exile on tiny St. Helena Island in the remote South Atlantic, he and his lover, Countess Albine, plot to escape and rescue his young son. Banding together African slaves, British sympathizers, a Jewish merchant, a Corsican rogue, and French followers (including Albine’s husband), they confront British opposition―amid treachery within their own ranks. To succeed, Napoleon must learn whom to trust. To survive, Albine must decide whom to betray.

Meanwhile, Napoleon finishes writing the secret manuscript he began when he was twenty-six. Now it’s not simply a soldier’s love story. It’s Napoleon’s mythic origin story and a message for the son he’ll never see again.

Through two love stories, this elegant, richly researched novel reveals the man history conceals. One story is crafted on a romantic story young Napoleon actually wrote; the second, the aging ex-emperor’s final love affair. Without battles or geopolitics, this Napoleon captivates book clubs and fiction enthusiasts.

This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with Authorbuzz.

Book club questions for Finding Napoleon by Margaret Rodenberg

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Were you surprised to learn that Napoleon had really tried to write an idealistic romantic novel? What did you think of the way its hero Clisson developed as a character and how he reacted to betrayal? Why did the aging Napoleon change the ending of the Clisson manuscript?

Did your concept of Napoleon change by the end of the book? How would you describe him as a person now? How did he change from the idealistic Clisson into the cynical older leader who expected betrayal from everyone around him? Think of ways you have become more or less idealistic over the decades of your life. Is that good, bad, or inevitable?

In Finding Napoleon, the chapters are broken into sections with different points of view—Napoleon’s, his lover Albine’s, and the hero of Napoleon’s novel Clisson. How did that help or hinder you in understanding the characters and the story? Which “voice” or sections did you like best and why?

How did you feel about Napoleon’s lover Albine de Montholon? Did her difficult early life excuse her dishonesty, her fears, or her ambition? Did she love Napoleon, her husband Charles, or Basil Jackson? What did she learn over time? How do her feelings about life compare to yours?

What new historical facts did you learn from the story? Were you aware that Napoleon had divorced Josephine and married Marie Louise of Austria? Or that he was exiled twice: once to Elba from which he escaped and returned to power in France for 100 days; the second after his defeat at Waterloo when he was exiled to St. Helena? Why do you think Josephine and Elba loom large in American knowledge while other important events in Napoleon’s life are forgotten?

What did you think of the solution to St. Helena’s slavery that the island’s British governor implemented? Can you think of current or other past issues of injustice where half-measures or compromise seem the best way to solve a problem?

In exile on St. Helena, Napoleon expressed remorse for the French disaster in Haiti in 1802-1804. Before he had come to power, the French Revolutionary government had legally freed all the enslaved people in its colonies. When Napoleon tried to officially reinstate slavery in Haiti, after unbelievable carnage, the Haitians defeated his troops and declared its independence. Is there any excuse for reinstating slavery? Does it surprise you that struggle took place so close to U.S. southern shores almost sixty years before the U.S. emancipation of the enslaved? How does that fit with our concept of the United States as leader in world freedom?

As a result of the French defeat in Haiti, Napoleon sold the Louisiana Purchase to the United States. Can you imagine how different the United States would be, if France still owned the center of the country? If you’re an American, have you ever considered the debt owed to the Haitian struggle? Can you think of ways the location where you live would be different today? Did you know that’s the source of the French culture in New Orleans?

Using the character list in the Book Club kit, chose three characters from the novel. What were their motivations for helping and/or betrayal Napoleon? Did they achieve their goals? What kinds of love, loyalty and betrayal does each portray? If you were exiled to St. Helena Island, which of the characters would you pick for a companion? Why?

Do you wish you could travel to some remote place to fulfill an ambition/passion as the author Margaret Rodenberg did when she went to St. Helena? Where would you go? Do you want to hear more about Margaret’s journey and her thoughts on Finding Napoleon, contact her at mrodenberg.com and ask her to join your book club discussion!

Finding Napoleon Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Finding Napoleon discussion questions

“Awash in intrigue and poignant with loss . . . by Rodenberg, who deserves kudos as a rigorous researcher and gifted writer . . . this intricate tapestry . . . brings to life the twilight years of a captivating historical figure.” — Kirkus Reviews

“No one is more qualified to tell this sweeping tale than Margaret Rodenberg — her research is in a league of its own, and her writing is beautiful and poignant.”— Allison Pataki, NY Times Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction

“Vive l’Empereur! In Finding Napoleon, the Bonaparte endgame becomes a new beginning—and a rousing, delightfully peopled adventure. Margaret Rodenberg’s superior scholarship, exquisite scene-setting and crackling storytelling mark her as a historical novelist to watch.”

—Louis Bayard, New York Times Notable Author of Best-selling Historical Fiction, including Courting Mr. Lincoln

“Told creatively and with excellent research!” —Stephanie Dray, Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction

“From the first words, Finding Napoleon by Margaret Rodenberg enchanted me. Exceptionally well researched, the writing is vibrant, the details evocative. The story of Napoleon's final years is conveyed with moving compassion, humor, and wit. Highly recommended!”— Sandra Gulland, Author of The Josephine B. Trilogy