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What aroused my interest in Napoleon's final exile on the remote south Pacific island of St. Helena was the fact that my grandfather, Edwin Louis Knipe, was a Yamstock, as the islanders were called, and that he was full of anecdotes about the great captive which his grandfather, Henry Porteous Knipe had passed on to him. My grandfather's last words, whispered to my father were: "Never forget that your family has been touched by greatness."
It is well documented that Charlotte Knipe, Henry's sister, said to be the most beautiful girl on the island, caught Napoleon's eye and that she became part of his entourage. He called her Rosebud.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Napoleon's Rosebud is a work of fiction in the romance, adventure, and historical fiction sub genres, and was penned by author Humphry Knipe. It is presented in audiobook format by narrator Mary Jane Wells. The story takes place whilst the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte is in exile in Saint Helena. He meets a girl native to the island, whom he calls his Rosebud, and sends her to England on a clandestine mission. What follows is a story of freedom, passionate romance, and historical hijinks that will be sure to please fans across all these genres for its layered and immersive approach.
Humphry Knipe combines his own unique family history with the classic formation of a historical romance to develop something much more engaging and fascinating than your average story. I frequently found myself lost in the pomp and ceremony of the piece, and you could really feel the sting of Napoleon’s defeat, which made him a powerfully sympathetic character throughout the tale. Charlotte was also a tenderly developed young heroine in the piece, mixed up in the intrigue and romance of it all in a realistic and engaging way.
In terms of audiobook quality, narrator Mary Jane Wells does some superb work with her vocal presentation, offering all of the glorious formality of historical society, but also expressing a series of wonderful European accents and emotive, amusing asides. The editing is also crisp with excellent quality and pacing for readers to feel really immersed in the work. Overall, I would certainly recommend Napoleon's Rosebud to fans of historical fiction that delivers on both its commitment to detail and its atmospheric creation and action-packed drive. A highly accomplished read indeed.
