As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is striving to save her family from the guillotine. When her sister marries Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph, Desiree and the future emperor enter their own passionate courtship. Even as Napoleon turns to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais, Desiree weds his star general, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree's life become political rivals and military foes, she must choose between the love of her new husband and France's new ruler.

"This impeccably researched, expertly rendered historical from Pataki gloriously re-creates the personal dramas surrounding Napoleon Bonaparte."—Publishers Weekly