Review of Champagne Widows

[Maureen lau]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Champagne Widows" by Rebecca Rosenberg.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg is a delightful and highly entertaining historical fiction novel. Set in 18Th Century France, it narrates in first person the life of Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, better known as Veuve Clicquot - Ponsardin, as in the famous champagne that carries her name. The novel tells the story of our heroine, through her eyes and experiences, from her childhood to adulthood and is intertwined with historical facts and monologues from Napoleon Bonaparte himself.

The book tells the story of how Barbe Nicole, gifted with the "Nez" or "Nose"- a highly sensitive and acute sense of smell, passed on through her grandmother's wine maker side of the family, struggles to become a great champagne maker, facing many obstacles, including war, death, inheritance laws and her own stubbornness.

The book is a fresh and agile read, which will make you want to know more of what happens to our heroine, full of French colloquialisms as well as describing how wine and champagne is made which will surely amuse and teach most readers, wine enthusiasts or not. I especially enjoyed its outlook regarding women's equality and feminism, describing how laws in the 18Th century prevented women from owning land and more importantly, their destinies since they were subjugated to their husbands or fathers and how Barbe Nicole and other widows of the time were able to succeed.

I would like to have seen the author provide more history about Barbe Nicole's later years, the short epilogue left me wanting for more. The episodes which include the Red Man that accompanies Napoleon left me somewhat dumbfounded, was it actually the Devil or Evil our author meant? Or was he just a figment of Napoleon’s imagination? These episodes were not totally clear to me and the author leaves it to our imagination.

I rate it 4 out of 5 as it indeed did provide quick and fun entertainment and transported me to the heroine's time. I recommend it to all who want a light, entertaining novel who are also wine enthusiasts who I feel will be delighted with all the details regarding wine and champagne making!

I found the following errors: page 199, paragraph 4, “I’m glad I dressed for comfort because I’m about the burst” the should be corrected to to and another on page 265, paragraph 14, “Maman is obsessed with green.” I should have insisted she stop wearing it. How callus I’ve been.” callus should be corrected to callous.

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Champagne Widows
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