Ann Pearson grew up in Suffolk, England, did an Honours degree in French at the University of London before moving to Vancouver where she completed a Ph. D in French literature. Subsequently, she taught French for a number of years before joining the Arts One programme at the University of British Columbia. When she is not at her desk, she is happiest in muddy jeans and wild hair tending her garden, or pursuing Stendhal and other characters down the byways of Europe in the company of her historian partner, Allan.<\/p>\n
She is currently working on a second Napoleonic era novel, set in Cornwall this time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
1811<\/strong>: the apex of Napoleon’s empire. Two French travellers meet en route to Italy; he playing truant from his official responsibilities, she bent on escaping her empty life. Initially hostile, they discover unexpected affinities when their paths cross again. She opens his mind to the possibility of a woman as equal and friend; he urges her to defy convention and pursue her heart’s desire.<\/p>\n The novel explores the impact of Italy’s landscapes and culture on two very different personalities; the one torn between ambition and freedom, the other seeking a new life but still enmeshed in the past. Their inner conflicts are echoed among the Italians they encounter, some supporting others resisting Napoleon’s attempt to modernize their backward land.<\/p>\n Based on episodes in the youth of the French writer Stendhal, the novel uses his Italian diary as the frame, interweaving it with fictional events and characters to create a nuanced portrayal of the Napoleonic era.<\/p>\n Paperback: <\/p>\n
\nEditions:<\/h4>\n
\nISBN: 9781989467022
\nPrice: $24.95 CDN \/ $22.95 USD.<\/p>\n
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