On Inspiration: Napoleon’s Shadow Wife by James Conroyd Martin

My guest today is James Conroyd Martin who returns to speak to me about his new book, Napoleon’s Shadow Wife. A Chicago native, James  balanced his longtime teaching career with that of a novelist. He has retired from teaching to focus solely on writing. The diary of a friend’s ancestor, a Polish countess who lived in the late 1700s, inspired his first novel, Push Not the River. That led to a trilogy, as well as The Boy Who Wanted Wings, highlighting the saving of Vienna from the Ottomans at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Following that came Fortune’s Child, the first of a duology based on sixth-century Empress Theodora, a woman the BBC rated as the 35th most important woman in World History. He also wrote a ghost story, Hologram: A Haunting, based on a house in Hammond, Indiana. Martin currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

You can connect with James via his website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You might be interested to read my interview with him about the inspiration for Fortune’s Child.

You can purchase Napoleon’s Shadow Wife here.

I asked James to tell us about the remarkable Marie Walewska, the faithful Polish mistress of Napoleon, and his inspiration for the novel.

A love born of politics, consumed by passion, and haunted by betrayal.

Marie Walewska (nee Maria Łączyńska) was an incredible woman. At eight years old, she lost her father battling against Russia for Poland’s independence. The loss sowed the seeds of patriotism within her. Shortly after her schooling, in order to save the family estate, she was pressured into a marriage with a much older wealthy count, with whom she gave birth to a son. Marie herself arranged to meet Napoleon in a most unusual way—but not out of any romantic notion. Let’s leave that quest right there.

I had heard people talk of Countess Marie Walewska, and I had seen the 1937 film Conquest with Greta Garbo as Marie and Charles Boyer as Napoleon. In researching the second book of my Poland trilogy, Against a Crimson Sky, which covered the Napoleonic years, I could not help but learn a great deal about her. It came as no surprise that Hollywood had invented a good deal of their screenplay.

But it was only in focusing on the woman as the main player in my novel that I came to feel I understood her. In fact, even after I had written the first draft, I was still unsure about having captured her essence. But as I went over the research again and followed through on one rewrite and then another, did I feel as if I came to really know her.

A story of patriotism

Marie’s story is one of great patriotism. And it is one of an unconditional love that nearly defies understanding. She never intended to attract Napoleon, and yet she did. She had no wish to accept him as her lover, and yet she did. I think she surprised herself when—despite myriad complications—she fell hopelessly in love.

At the start of their affair, Napoleon was still married to Josephine, but he was disappointed that she had not given him a child. He had other affairs, too, but he repeated told Marie that her sincerity and unconditional love were what endeared her to him. That neither Josephine, nor any other woman, had given him the child he so desired, made the emperor think that the fault was his. It took Marie to ease his mind, presenting him with a baby boy.

After a divorce from Josephine, Napoleon married again—but not to Marie. His obsession with creating a royal legacy led to a marriage with Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria.

And yet, the connection between Marie and Napoleon continued. It would outlast even the second marriage.

Decide for yourself

Did Napoleon love Marie? Many of his actions seem to supply an abundance of evidence that he did not. However, I think that he did, but not in a conventional way—and certainly not in the unconditional way in which she loved him. As the author, I did not try to lead the reader; I placed the evidence on the page, and I suspect readers will judge for themselves.

How could an emperor like Napoleon Bonaparte be so captivated by the twenty-year-old Polish Countess Marie Walewska—admittedly a rare beauty but of minor nobility—that their affair would last through both his marriages? And if it wasn’t romance that first drew Marie to Napoleon, what was it?

Expect to be immersed in Marie’s world, where love and loyalty collide amidst a galaxy of powerful aristocrats, politicians, and military leaders. You’ll journey from Marie’s manor house on the plains of Poland to cosmopolitan Warsaw, through grand palaces in Austria, France, and Italy—before sailing to the Island of Elba, where destiny awaits.

Thanks James! I have heard about Josephine and Desiree but this was the first I’d learned of Marie. What an amazing young woman she must have been. Good luck with the book! And congratulations on your placing in the Goethe Award.

You can purchase Napoleon’s Shadow Wife here.

Haven’t subscribed yet to enter into giveaways from my guests? You’re not too late for the chance to win this month’s book if you subscribe to my Monthly Inspiration newsletter for giveaways and insights into history – both trivia and the serious stuff! In appreciation for subscribing, I’m offering an 80 page free short story Dying for Rome -Lucretia’s Tale.