By Carole Reedy—
Everyone loves a story, and a novel set in a historical period can be a compelling way to learn about an era. While some nonfiction history books can seem dry and tedious, a well-researched and well-written novel can satisfy our desire for historical facts and figures.
This month I’ve chosen both fiction and nonfiction books that tell stories about the time when the European monarchs Maximilian and Carlota ruled Mexico. It is my hope that these books will deepen your understanding of their short reign (1864-1867).
North of the Mexican border, the American Civil War was raging while Mexican conservative exiles and clergy convinced Napoleon III (Louis Napoleon), after considerable political infighting, to place Maximilian of Austria on the throne of Mexico. Along with his wife, Carlota of Belgium, he would become emperor of a politically unstable nation already struggling with internal conflict. It was not the career path either Maximilian or Carlota anticipated.
While much of their story seems improbable, it truly makes for a tantalizing tale.
Looking back, it is easy to think, “How naïve.” Yet history reminds us that political power plays often lead to poor decisions. This is a story of ambition, political intrigue, and, ultimately, tragedy.
How did all this come about? Simply put: “The intervention was triggered by President Benito Juárez’s suspension of foreign debt payments, leading to a tripartite agreement between France, Spain, and Britain in 1861, though France ultimately pursued the deeper, imperialistic intervention.”
The Mexican Empire, as well as the reign of Maximilian and Carlota, came to an end with the execution of Maximilian by firing squad in 1867. He was only 35. Carlota had been suffering from depression to the point of “going mad,” but she lived to the ripe old age of 86, dying of pneumonia caused by a bout of influenza.
Maximilian’s last words are said to be, “I forgive everyone and ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Viva Mexico! Viva la Independencia!”
The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire by C.M. Mayo
Author C. M. Mayo is an important voice in contemporary historical fiction. She has translated some of the finest Spanish-speaking writers of our time. In addition to Last Prince, she has written From Mexico to Miramar or Across the Lake of Oblivion: A Nonfiction Novela about a Fairytale: A Visit to the Emperor of Mexico’s Italian Castle. The intriguing title is enough to justify a reading.
Avid readers as well as visitors to this magic land will surely enjoy Mayo’s Mexico: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, which highlights the best of Mexico’s creative contributors who write about various aspects of Mexican life.
In addition to being a novelist, editor, and translator, Mayo is a poet, educated at the University of Chicago. Library Journal named Last Prince of the Mexican Empire one of the best books of 2009, just one of the many accolades the novel received.
The language of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is lyrical, highlighted by the shifting points of view of the cast of characters from an overworked kitchen maid to the Austrian archduke.
Blending the cultural and political aspects of the Empire combine here to make a compelling story. The added element of a young boy who childless Maximilian and Carlota want to adopt adds a human element. You’ll be introduced to many historical figures woven into this compelling narrative.
Maximilian in Mexico: A Woman’s Reminiscences of the French Intervention 1862-1867 by Sarah Yorke Stevenson
Sarah Yorke Stevenson (1847-1921) was an archeologist, Egyptologist, and suffragette who helped found the Penn Museum. In this meticulously researched book, she gives us one of the few published first-hand accounts of the time.
In her own words she says of her book, “By offering these pages to the public, my aim is not to write a historical sketch of the reign of Maximilian of Austria, nor is it to give a description of the political crisis that Mexico went through during that period. My only desire is to provide the reader with a point of view whose value lies in the fact that it is that of an eyewitness who was more than an ordinary spectator of a series of events that became one of the most dramatic episodes of modern times.”
What a find! I came across this while researching. Appears to be a gem that may give us a different interpretation of the era, motives, and personalities of the players.
With Maximilian in Mexico. From the Note-book of a Mexican Officer by Maximilian baron von Alvensleben
This reprint of an 1867 account offers a rare perspective from the viewpoint of a Mexican soldier who witnessed the collapse of the empire. Though less known than other works, it provides an intriguing firsthand glimpse into the turbulent final days of Maximilian’s rule.
This is available for just 150 pesos on Kindle, considerably more in hard cover or paperback editions.
The Crown of Mexico: Maximilian and his Empress Carlota by Joan Haslip
This highly acclaimed novel is rich in detail about the politics of both Europe and Mexico in the 1800s. It also takes us back to Maximilian’s upbringing and is sympathetic in tone to Carlota.
Each novel or history we read provides us with new facts and insightful perspectives into the personalities of Maximilian and Carlota. This is what many of us love about novels. They take us closer to the motives of the people involved. There are psychological and sociological factors that straight history often doesn’t—or can’t–reveal.
Maximilian was naïve and easily spurred on by his ambitious wife. He stayed on to the detriment of them both.
Phantom Crown by Bertita Harding
Yet another highly regarded novel that was written in 1934 and subtitled The Story of Maximilian and Carlota of Mexico. It is exactly that, a tragic and pathetic tale of this historic epoch. Carlota and Maximilian are surrounded by a populace that detested them at worst and pitied them at best. The country is torn apart, with liberal leader Benito Juárez in the north. (Benito Juárez was the constitutional president of Mexico. After the suspension of payments on the foreign debt in 1861 and subsequent French invasion, his government became a “roaming republic,” resisting from the north of the country). Napoleon’s ambition is unbridled. There was not much going in their favor.
One reader summed up succinctly all that we look for in a novel. “Wonderful history lesson, very informative, paints a wonderful picture of the times. It is a great read.”
So many issues, so many countries, personalities, conflicts, and ambitions. ‘Tis the way of the world. Next month we will highlight notable novels published this year. You will most likely find your favorite authors among them.