Tilar MazzeoBesprekingen

The book provides a history of the revolutions of France in the 19th century, the history of the beginnings and development of champagne, and to some extent, the history of the woman who played an important part in that development, the Veuve Clicquot. That woman is meant to be the center of the book, but for lack of any real information about her, most of what is written about her is prefaced with maybe, perhaps, possibly, and probably. There is also a tremendous amount of repetition throughout. Do publishers pay by the page?

Having said that, if you are interested in the history of how champagne came to be champagne and the wine that we all celebrate with, or you are interested in the history of important but relatively unknown women, this book will interest you, despite its faults.

An interesting look at Barb-Nicole Clicquot, the widow (veuve in French) behind the world-renowned Veuve Clicquot champagne. There is not much documentation about Madam Clicquot, so the author has to resort to some supposition, but she does it well and never in an exaggerated manner. There is more documentation about the times and the industry itself, which the author uses to fill in the story. A very compelling look at the life of a woman who lived outside the normal rules and expectations for women and turned her small business into an international success during the time of the French Revolution and other major wars. Really, the book was a perfect blend of the life of Madam Clicquot and the times she lived in, making for a rich portrayal of her story.

While reading the book, I purchased a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne and enjoyed it. It was fun to examine the label and understand the significance of aspects of it. And I certainly had a greater appreciation than ever before for how much work is required to generate those lovely and lively bubbles.

The history of Chanel No. 5 was much more intriguing than I thought it would be. This book gives a thorough account, as best as the author can since Chanel wouldn't let her confirm a lot of the rumors, of how No. 5 came to be and how it achieved its iconic status, and why it's still going strong almost a century later. There is a bit about Coco Chanel, her rough early life, and how she became a bitter, vindictive old woman in her 60's. I didn't sympathize with her at all at that point. She made her bed and then was appalled that she had to lie in it. She was a smart business woman that let her emotions get the better of her.

I'm not exactly certain what to make of this book, other than my strong feelings that it should not be classified as biography or history, despite containing elements of both. Throughout this book, the author discusses Eliza's feelings and writes some events as though she was describing a scene in a novel. This would be great - if this book was a novel. But it's not, and the author provides no sources for these portions of the book. While this book does more to cover the entire span of Eliza Hamilton's life than others I've encountered, I cannot help but say to approach it with extreme caution.

This informative and moving book has been difficult for me to plow through, even though it is well-written. What took place in Warsaw is almost unfathomable. Irena's work was brave and heroic, even if she herself did not think so. I keep thinking about those Polish people who in the pre-war years didn't like the idea of sharing their country with Jews. I wonder when the Germans' actions became too much for them. Was it when the Germans restricted Jewish businesses? Was it when Jews were forced to identify themselves with yellow stars on their clothing? Was it when the Germans forced the Jews to move to the Ghetto? Was it when they started shooting Jews for perceived offenses? When they rounded them up and put them on trains headed toward their deaths? When the children from the orphanage (with their caretaker who calmly refused to leave them) were put on those same trains? When they started shooting children in the streets? Only when the Gestapo tortured and killed sympathizers and people woring to save Jewish children? Or not even then? How does this story parallel with elements of our society in the US today? I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be moved by reading this book.

And incredible and, until recently, unknown true story of a brave group in wartime Poland who saved 2,500 Jewish children.

An excellent read concerning how to write a great memoir or biography.½

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A captivating biography of the founder of Veuve Clicquot.
The author manages to deliver an engaging biography of a woman who left almost no documentary basis for a biography. This means that there are many instances of hedging phrases - 'it's likely that . . .' or 'she must have .. .'
But there are a few key facts available, and combined with the background history of the times, a 'life' is compellingly described.
The subject was a risk-taking business owner, with a couple of the risks paying off hugely. She was also the creator of the sediment disgorging process that made large scale champagne production feasible.
Among other things, the reader learns that the Dom Perignon tale is a ludicrous fable; that 'champagne' was first produced in Britain; and that the type of champagne that made the Veuve Clicquot label famous in the early 1800s was extremely sweet and higher in alcohol - nothing like what we now consume.

Knowing only the barest outline of how World War II played out in Italy, I found this nonfiction book featuring Mussolini's daughter and a Germany spy to be fascinating. The author acknowledges the flawed nature of the highlighted women - Edda Mussolini Ciano and Hilde Beetz were supporters of fascism and the Nazi party before playing a role in getting secret papers to the Allied powers. Filled with spies and high stakes during the closing days of World War II, this book makes for a compelling narrative that reads more like a novel than nonfiction.

Une enquête (très lisible) sur ce que fut la vie (et le courage) dans Varsovie occupée.½

Sisters in Resistance by Tilar J Mazzeo is that splendid mix of history and narrative that both entertains and informs.

As she states early in the book, this is not a story about heroes, these people largely had personal rather than humanistic or even redemptive motivation. That doesn't make the story any less compelling nor the value of their actions any lower.

Because the story involves people from several governments as well as acquaintances, there is a bit of information that has to be given in order to make this into a narrative rather than a brain dump. Part of that entails some repetition, since we may well need a piece of information we learned while immersed in the part of the story that involved many of the Italians but now we are immersed in a bunch of Americans and their objectives. So to make sure we have all the pieces of each puzzle (and this is not a story about one simple puzzle) we are reminded of things we learned in one context so we can apply it in this new context. Technically, yes, that is repetition, but the kind that is essential to any storytelling, fiction or nonfiction.

This is a propulsive read, in part due to relatively short chapters and each of them separated into sections, but also because there is so much intrigue. Even knowing how it will turn out (the case with nonfiction) we are anxious for these people when they are trying to make deals, or trick each other. Are there many truly likable people here? Not really. But we can, on some level, understand their motivations. Couple this personal level of narrative with the larger historical aspect of what was at stake and, as readers in the 21st century know, the value of the diaries.

I didn't have any real complaints about the book, it managed to keep quite a few people and a lot of information organized for the reader while also providing a compelling narrative. Does it read like a spy thriller? Well, duh, it is a spy thriller, a real life one. Maybe we want our true stories to be more boring and only movies and fiction book to be exciting and dramatic. No, we aren't that jaded yet, are we?

I would recommend this to history buffs who have an interest in World War II period intrigue as well as those who enjoy spy novels and want to read some true stories as well.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

The Widow Clicquot is a biography of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot. After the death of her husband she became driven to succeed as a champagne vintner and created the Veuve Clicquot brand. Veuve means widow in French. Nicole was called Veuve Clicquot by her contemporaries and that is how the brand got its name. I think it is the best champagne in the world.

The book begins in 1789 Reims with an eleven year old Nicole. When the French Revolution arrived in Reims, Nicole had to leave the royal school she attended and be disguised as a peasant in order to safely return to her home. Soon thereafter, her family was discussing possible matches for a marriage. Nicole was lucky to catch the dashing François Clicquot. François was from a wealthy textile family. He, however, preferred to dabble in the production of wine than working in the textile business. François died early in the marriage. A business competitor, Jean-Remy Moet, told everyone who would listen that François killed himself because his business was failing. However, Nicole vowed to make something from her husband's vines. Moet, though, continued to lie about Nicole to keep her business from growing. He wanted her out of business so that he could buy her land.

During this era sparkling wine was rare. It was not yet called champagne. It was vin mousseux. I was surprised to read that there were several successful women in the wine business during the 18th century. I always thought Nicole was a trailblazing anomaly but she wasn't. These other women were not from the bourgeois class and had more freedom to become entrepreneurs than Nicole had.

Most of the book discusses the problems Nicole had in building her company. She had to deal with the internal politics of France as well as Russian politics. Russia was where she could sell alot of wine, if she could get her bottles over there. Moet again was a trouble maker. He frequently thwarted her plans to have her bottles put on ships that were headed towards her market in St. Petersburg. It kind of makes me want to ban Moet champagne in my household so I can be in solidarity with Nicole. She is definitely seen as a heroine in the book, almost like a character would be in a fiction book.

The Widow Clicquot tells an inspirational story that anyone can prosper if they don't give up. It took Nicole a lifetime to reach her goal. I think today people would give up after a few years of poor sales but our heroine had a vision that she could not ignore.

4 out of 5 stars

While this book detailed the horrors of the war, it also showed the strength and resilience of those who refused to stand by and watch the horrors of World War II, Irena and those who helped her were inspiring from her fellow social workers. These stories are important to be told so that we don’t forget. I would recommend this book. – Reviewed by Carol½

I’m not a drinker, so I don’t have any connection to this champagne except the fact that a gifted-to-me mini bottle (whatever those are called) sat in my refrigerator for over three years once before I realized it was still back there and gave it away.

This is a fascinating and frustrating biography of a woman whose name is world-renowned, but there is nothing really known about her besides a few letters that survived her. The author straight up says that she didn’t have much to work with, but I liked the speculative backstory she created for Barbe-Nicole. She was a woman who took chances left and right, but for the time still had to rely on men (it’s amazing to me that apparently Russians in the 19th century would only drink her sparkling wine, yet she never left France in any of her 89 years). There was a lot of French history that I enjoyed as well since apparently my knowledge stops after Marie-Antoinette’s head came off and starts back up with the Impressionists.

Listening to the audiobook makes me want to find a physical copy to see if there’s any type of bibliography, but I liked the narrator and am also now interested in learning French again because apparently the city of Reims is pronounced “rahss” (with some phlegm in there for good measure).

I'm not sure how to start this review. On one hand, I enjoyed the story. On the other, I didn't. I don't like books that claim to be biographies to give voice to the subjects' feelings. Example: "Eliza blushed. It was a beautiful letter." How do you know she blushed? Were you there? These are questions I want to ask the author. I also object to there being no bibliography. There is a notes section, but this only pertains to letters or direct sources where things were quoted. I feel like this is more historical fiction than biography.

However, I did enjoy reading a story that I had previously been unaware of. In all honesty, before reading this book the only things I knew about Alexander Hamilton were that he was killed in a duel and his likeness appears on the $10 bill. This book brought the characters of Eliza and Alexander to life.

A good read, but I would caution those seeking a straight "biography". The author herself states "this book is not a scholarly dissertation". Maybe if it had been, it would've been better.½

This young reader’s edition chronicles the true story of Irena Sendler, who, as the sole social worker given permission to enter the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942, smuggled Jewish children out to safety, often hiding them in coffins. She kept copious records of those she smuggled out in the hopes that they would be reunited with their families after the war.

I didn't at first notice that I had picked up the children's version from the thrift store. It's one I'll keep, but I'm not sure I'd want to read the full version.
The descriptions were sad enough, but the pictures. They are worth a thousand words.
Can I be that brave if it comes down to it?

Irena's story is amazing and worth reading. I was amazed to learn about: the many acts of resistance during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw and the many brave Christians and Jews involved; the continued persecution of resisters during the subsequent Soviet occupation that prevented Irena's story from being shared sooner; the response of Jews when they learned their children had been "saved" by baptism.

I stumbled over the many Polish names that I didn't know how to pronounce and felt at times like I was reading one of Irena's lists. I'm sure there were many stories begging to be told and culling them must have been difficult, but more cutting would have improved the readability.

This story of Irene Sendler depicts the courage she had as she saves over 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the walled Jewish ghetto. She also convinced her friends and the underground network to his these kids for her in hopes of a better future for the children.

This was an interesting book that I found pretty much by serendipity. I learned one or two things along the way not only about Chanel (the lady and the perfume) but also about the perfume industry itself. This book does two things. One, it provides a biography of Coco Chanel, the fashion designer of humble beginnings who went on to launch a fashion brand and created a perfume (with some help from some friends) that is now known the world over. Two, it is a history of Chanel No. 5, a perfume that is as iconic now as Coca-Cola. When you ask women to identify what they think is the world's most seductive perfume, the answer will be Chanel No 5. The perfume pretty much went on to have a life of its own and away from its creator. However, Coco Chanel spent a lot of her life struggling with her relationship with the perfume, a scent that was based off specific memories of her and a philosophy or belief of what made a seductive woman.

The book takes us from the beginning of the century through the First World War to the Roaring 20s and the Depression and on to the start of the 21st century. So not only do you get a picture of the perfume, the brand, and the industry, but you also get a pretty good overview of the history and events of the time. These events-- wars, the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, various new regulations over time over certain substances used in perfumes-- all played or continue to play a hand in shaping the perfume we know today. Sure, Chanel No. 5 has changed (pretty slightly) over the years from the first bottles. The achievement is in the fact that it is pretty close to that scent that came out at the beginning of the century. We learn how the perfume was not advertised initially; it was a word of mouth phenomenon.It picked up steam to the point that during World War II, soldiers in France, first the Germans, then the liberating Allies, all lined up at Rue Cambon to buy a bottle for the women in their lives.

Coco Chanel does not always come out as a nice lady. She did make what many would see as some poor decisions, especially during World War II in relation to her business partners (who were Jewish). She did also make some fairly savvy decisions as well. After all, she did create Chanel No. 5, and she made a fortune on it.

Readers who enjoy the book genre of microhistories will probably enjoy this book. The pacing is pretty good. At times it reads like a novel, and the technical parts where the process describing perfume making in the book are pretty accessible. I found myself learning a thing or two that I did not know before, and for me, that is always a good thing to say about a book.

The history of Chanel No. 5 was much more intriguing than I thought it would be. This book gives a thorough account, as best as the author can since Chanel wouldn't let her confirm a lot of the rumors, of how No. 5 came to be and how it achieved its iconic status, and why it's still going strong almost a century later. There is a bit about Coco Chanel, her rough early life, and how she became a bitter, vindictive old woman in her 60's. I didn't sympathize with her at all at that point. She made her bed and then was appalled that she had to lie in it. She was a smart business woman that let her emotions get the better of her.

This is not a biography. I don't know what it is, because there isn't enough of a "plot" for it to be a historical fiction novel either. I've put it on my biographies shelf simply because that's what I thought I was getting when I checked it out from the library.

There were way too many unsubstantiated assertions about how Eliza felt, who she missed, and what she loved to do for this to be a straight biography. That's because there is simply no way of knowing any of this unless Eliza kept a diary, but the notes never mentioned one. It would be one thing if the book had said something along the lines of "Eliza probably felt like..." or "she must have blushed when she read the love letter" but it didn't, and I found this very frustrating. I don't mind some speculation in a biography, but it needs to be clear what is speculative and what is not.

And this quote near the end was infuriating:

"This book is not a scholarly dissertation. The life of Eliza Hamilton is too lively and exciting for that, and, apart from the author's note here and my extensive citations at the end of the book, I proceed to tell her story without equivocation or hedging." (Page 299). All right, but in that case, the book shouldn't include how she felt unless it's possible to actually cite to either a diary or a letter that she wrote.

In addition, there were some extremely long sentences scattered throughout the book. I found it rather difficult to follow sentences such as this one:

"After just four months of living with the notoriously unfaithful Aaron Burr and suspecting he was squandering her hard-earned fortune on trysts in New Jersey, where, according to one newspaper report, "many a night he wandered around the hillside, breathing in [his young mistress's] ear love and devotion," his stout fifty-eight-year-old bride followed him on one nocturnal adventure and caught him red-faced and red-handed." (Page 272).

Not one but two editors are listed in the acknowledgements, and I'm surprised neither of them spoke up about sentences like that one. Heck, when I was in grade school and showed my mother some stories I had written for fun, she told me when my sentences were too long and needed to be revised. If my mother could tell me when my sentences were becoming Germanic, then surely at least one editor could have told the author the same thing.

Overall, I was very disappointed. If this had been tweaked and sold as historical fiction, I would have been much less disappointed.

This is not a biography. I don't know what it is, because there isn't enough of a "plot" for it to be a historical fiction novel either. I've put it on my biographies shelf simply because that's what I thought I was getting when I checked it out from the library.

There were way too many unsubstantiated assertions about how Eliza felt, who she missed, and what she loved to do for this to be a straight biography. That's because there is simply no way of knowing any of this unless Eliza kept a diary, but the notes never mentioned one. It would be one thing if the book had said something along the lines of "Eliza probably felt like..." or "she must have blushed when she read the love letter" but it didn't, and I found this very frustrating. I don't mind some speculation in a biography, but it needs to be clear what is speculative and what is not.

And this quote near the end was infuriating:

"This book is not a scholarly dissertation. The life of Eliza Hamilton is too lively and exciting for that, and, apart from the author's note here and my extensive citations at the end of the book, I proceed to tell her story without equivocation or hedging." (Page 299). All right, but in that case, the book shouldn't include how she felt unless it's possible to actually cite to either a diary or a letter that she wrote.

In addition, there were some extremely long sentences scattered throughout the book. I found it rather difficult to follow sentences such as this one:

"After just four months of living with the notoriously unfaithful Aaron Burr and suspecting he was squandering her hard-earned fortune on trysts in New Jersey, where, according to one newspaper report, "many a night he wandered around the hillside, breathing in [his young mistress's] ear love and devotion," his stout fifty-eight-year-old bride followed him on one nocturnal adventure and caught him red-faced and red-handed." (Page 272).

Not one but two editors are listed in the acknowledgements, and I'm surprised neither of them spoke up about sentences like that one. Heck, when I was in grade school and showed my mother some stories I had written for fun, she told me when my sentences were too long and needed to be revised. If my mother could tell me when my sentences were becoming Germanic, then surely at least one editor could have told the author the same thing.

Overall, I was very disappointed. If this had been tweaked and sold as historical fiction, I would have been much less disappointed.

This book opened a portal to the past, allowing me to view a woman's life that had faded from male-dominated history. As a wine lover, I reveled in the details of how Widow Clicquot took the champagne industry to a new level. I also enjoyed learning aspects of a woman who "lived with audacity and intelligence."

Tilar Masseo's phrasing is superb, and her research is unrivaled.

I intend to recommend this writing to those who are champions of women's power to succeed and make the world a better place and my enology buffs.