Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte

"In this expertly researched and carefully documented biography, Boyer Lewis tells the personal saga of a woman scorned, in the process revealing much about this country's debates over the creation of a national culture and the role of women within it. . . . Besides telling a good story, [Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte] enriches our understanding of the formative first decades of the 19th century. As Boyer Lewis shows, 'republican motherhood' was not the sole form of expression for politically active and engaged women of this period. This fascinating, highly readable book should interest scholars and general readers alike."—Library Journal

"This study of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte recovers the life of an impressive woman who successfully challenged the gender, political, and cultural conventions of the early American republic to reinvent herself as a European lady of taste and refinement. . . . Readers will be captivated by this well-crafted portrait of a woman who challenges us to rethink our presumptions about gender and the emergence of democratic sensibility in the early republic."—Journal of American History

"Although it might be tempting to dismiss Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte as a curiosity-a gorgeous woman in a tiara and a see-through Paris gown-Charlene Boyer Lewis persuasively argues for her significance in this thoughtful and engaging book."—Journal of the Early Republic

"Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's rebellious flouting of contemporary social and gender norms made her famous-and infamous-throughout the western world. Yet in the hands of Charlene Boyer Lewis, this is not just the story of a woman seeking fame. Rather, Boyer Lewis portrays Bonaparte as a significant figure whose unusual life offers the opportunity to explore a much larger set of ideas, trends, and patterns circulating between Europe and America in the early nineteenth century."—Rosemarie Zagarri, author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic

"Perhaps what makes this work stand out as a biography is the treatment and juxtaposition of American and European societies. Throughout the work, Lewis examines and details what these societies were like and how Elizabeth fit into them. Readers will come away with not only who Elizabeth was and her rationale for her choices but also a detailed exposition of the values and views of American and European culture. Whether readers hail from academic backgrounds or a general interest in history, there is much to take away from this work."—Nicholas Altunian, H-War