Marie Antoinette: The Journey

"It is in misfortune that you realize your true nature."

-Marie Antoinette

There is always another side to a story. With this in mind, Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette: The Journey takes a woman history has villainized and shows her naiveté and vulnerability. Born the fifteenth child of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette's childhood was sheltered while her education was often neglected.

Marie Antoinette married Louis-Auguste when she was 15 (he was just a over a year older) and the Palace of Versailles became her new home. Versailles is where life gets interesting for Marie Antoinette - an unhappy marriage, a gambling problem, and rumors galore. Since Austria was the traditional enemy of France, Marie Antoinette had an uphill battle from the beginning, although she was celebrated as the young bride and new queen.

Reading Antonia Fraser's book is a fascinating journey where rumors are more powerful than facts and where illusion replaces reality. While Marie Antoinette was not a perfect woman, she was not the vial caricature that so many people believe. She faced unbelievable pressure from a young age and was the scapegoat of a nation that was hurting and needed someone to blame.

I highly recommend this book if you wan to learn more about Marie Antoinette or French history. The book feels more like a novel than a stuffy history book and was, also, the inspiration for Sofia Coppola's pastry-filled film.