To be honest, i received a complimentary copy of this book. I will attempt to be complimentary.
When one thinks of bubbles, one has an instant image in their mind. For me its a distinctive gold/orange label. Yes, Verve Clicquot.
Unfortunately, Rebecca Rosenberg failed to impress me with her impression of Barbe-Nicole’s tumultuous life, with Champagne Widows, The story of Veuve Clicquot, the first woman of Champagne. (more)
Perhaps I had been spoiled by Tilar Mazzeo’s book The Widow Clicquot, The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. (more) I found Mazzeo’s book to be an in-depth well written historical account.
Rosenberg delivers the beach version of the story – that’s not to say its a bad book – just a bit more storyline driven than historical account.
I agree with other Goodread’s reader reviews that at times the story seem forced and that some of the transitions are hard to follow. This is more a work of historical fiction than it is a biography of the Widow Clicquot’s life.
Again, as in my previous review, I would encourage Rosenberg to include some sort of reference or bibliography of sources to support the writing. I fear that those with no notion of the history of champagne will take some of fiction as truth. If that was Rosenberg’s intention, then it was well met.
However, if she aims to outline the lives of the champagne widows on more than a superficial level, then the research should be shared.
Final Thoughts
If you want an easy read by the pool with a bottle of something bubbly then this novel is for you. I essentially spent an afternoon reading it, despite its flaws. I didn’t want to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. However, if I was asked for a book on the Widow Clicquot – this would not be my first choice for a serious reader.
Dear Elizabeth, I am so disappointed you did not enjoy CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS! I worked closely with the Veuve Clicquot historian for several years to uncover many more facts about Barbe-Nicole’s personality, her goals, her obstacles, her background, and worked to create a portrait of her as a living breathing young woman who looked beyond her privileged circumstances and the Napoleon wars and the laws that prevented a woman from owning a business, and reached for her dream of making champagne. I was completely taken by her heart, her tenacity, her drive to make excellent champagne, all due to her extraordinary gift of Le Nez, the Nose, that allowed her to blend delicious champagnes.
Champagne Widows is a historical novel, not a biography or a non-fiction book about champagne. It is meant to tell a story about an amazing woman who defied all obstacles to to create her champagne.
Amazon: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 798 ratings
4.3 on Goodreads 2,152 ratings
Part of: Champagne Widows Novels (2 books)
Best Champagne Book of All Times. ~Book Authority
Editor’s Choice Historical Novel Society
Rebecca,
I do enjoy your books – but as someone with an analytical/librarian background – I do find fiction often is enhanced with a bit of information on where thing have been sourced.
Elizabeth, Point well taken. Maybe it’s a good idea to add an addendum of my research sources, but it probably won’t answer everyone’s questions about what is strictly fact and fiction. For example, it is true that many women died of Arsenic poisoning from the dyes that were used. But it is not known how Barbe-Nicole’s mother died. Often they wouldn’t know back then. There are so many of those kinds of things that occur in fiction. Facts of the day that definitely affected the characters…but how?