The Shadows of Elisa Lynch
How a Nineteenth-century Irish Courtesan Became the Most Powerful Woman in Paraguay
Published on 17. January 2003
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-0-7553-1114-9 (ISBN)
Description
In 1854, an ambitious Irish courtesan met a South American General in Paris and returned with him to Paraguay. When he became President, she became his de facto first lady and together they changed the course of the country's history. Consumed by desire for Napoleonic glory, General President Lopez took Paraguay into a disastrous war against her neighbours. Elisa Lynch went with him on campaign, turning conditions of war to her advantage where she could. He was killed in the northern hills but she survived, only to be expelled from Paraguay and die an obscure death in Paris. Reviled and respected, loved and distrusted, Elisa Lynch has been described as both a heroic companion to Lopez and a malign enchantress. In "The Shadows of Elisa Lynch", Sian Rees tells her fascinating story of recovered history.
Reviews / Votes
In 1853, a beautiful Irishwoman left her soldier husband in Algeria to seek adventure in the boulevards of Paris. There she became a courtesan and met Francisco Solano Lopez, the son of a Paraguayan dictator. He had Napoleonic ambitions; she had dreams of being his Josephine, the Empress of South America. They left her Parisian boudoir for poor, landlocked, war-wrecked Paraguay. Although initially shunned by society, Elisa Lynch rose resolutely to become the richest and most notorious woman in Spanish America. She aided her lover in the war which destroyed the country, looted what she could from the wreckage and fled, eventually dying alone and impoverished in a Parisian brothel. Sian Rees has undeniable skill in converting her colourful historical panoply into a very beguiling narrative.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Illustrations
8pp colour
Dimensions
Height: 38 mm
Width: 142 mm
Thickness: 224 mm
Weight
545 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7553-1114-9 (9780755311149)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Sian Rees has a degree in history from Oxford University. The bestselling work of narrative non-fiction THE FLOATING BROTHEL was her first book.