"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation"
(Reviewed by Carisa Richner FEB 17, 2005)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig is a perfect novel to tuck into your beach bag this summer. It’s an effective blend of chick lit (a term which I hate, but seems appropriate) and a traditional historical romance novel – sort of a Bridget Jones meets Elizabeth Bennet. The story is actually a book within a book, taking place both in current day London and in England and France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte in the late 1700’s.
The overarching story concerns Eloise Kelly, a self-deprecating and disorganized doctoral candidate at Harvard who is researching the identity of “The Pink Carnation,” an English spy who infiltrated Napoleon’s court but whose identity has never been revealed. After fruitless searches throughout London libraries and archives, she succeeds in finding a descendant of “The Purple Gentian,” another English spy who plagued France during the same period. Going on the theory that the Purple Gentian must have known who the Pink Carnation was, Eloise is anxious to examine any documents Mrs. Selwick-Alderly may have in her possession. Luckily, Mrs. Selwick-Alderly gives her free access to a treasure trove of documents. However, her nephew Colin Selwick seems hostile to Eloise’s attempts to uncover the identity of The Pink Carnation.
As Eloise reads the papers, we read along with her. Amy Balcourt is a plucky French exile living in England. Her brother, who remained in France and now owns the family estate, calls her back to France. Amy is frantic to go, not necessarily to join her brother, but to join forces with The Purple Gentian. Tales of his exploits have made the English papers, and Amy is determined to locate him and join him as his partner in order to exact revenge on the France for the deaths of her mother and father.
After begging leave from her aunt and uncle, Amy boards a ship bound for France with her cousin, Jane and their chaperone, Miss Gwen, who ends up scolding Napoleon for invading Italy later in the novel. On the ship they meet Lord Richard Selwick, who is, in fact, The Purple Gentian. Unable to reveal exactly why he is serving in Bonaparte’s court as an antiquities advisor, Richard suffers from Amy’s conclusion that he is a traitor to his country. In a twist on the typical historical romance tradition “I hate you but I must have you,” Amy tries to resist her attraction to Richard, while falling in love with the Purple Gentian, who she tries to “help” but which ultimately ruins his masquerade.
There are some refreshing characters and situations in this novel. For instance, Amy’s chaperone is hilarious, as is Richard’s interfering but imperious mother. However, the history lover in me wanted more Napoleon and more Eloise, less sexy banter and inappropriately modern dialogue. Both story lines are left wide open; we never see if Colin’s hostility turns to something else, or what The Pink Carnation did to warrant his/her fame. Titillating questions for another summer at the beach.
- Amazon readers rating:
from 2 reviews
Read a chapter excerpt from The Secret History of the Pink Carnation at MostlyFiction.com
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Bibliography: (with links to Amazon.com)
- The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (February 2005)
- The Masque of the Black Tulip (December 2005)
- The Deception of the Emerald Ring (November 20060
- The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (February 2008)
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Book Marks:
- Official website for Lauren Willig
- MyShelf review of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
- Dear Author review of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
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About the Author:
Lauren Willig is a graduate of Yale and is currently a law student and PhD candidate in Harvard's history department. Originally from New York City, she currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
