This irresistible literary love story set in Napoleonic France was inspired by the life of Sophie Blanchard, one of the first women to fly.

Bringing to mind bestselling historical novels such as I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn, and Silk by Alessandro Baricco, The Little Balloonist tells the story of Sophie Blanchard's journey from the humble seaside village of La Saliere to the battlefields and court of Napoleon.

Frolicking on the beach and falling in love with her childhood friend Andre Giroux, Sophie felt she had all she would ever need. But her parents have other ideas, and they marry her off to a wealthy and much older man. Jean-Pierre Blanchard leaves much to be desired as a husband, but he teaches Sophie the workings of his giant hydrogen balloons. Soon she is flying alongside her husband, at home in the air in a way that she never was on land. After Jean-Pierre's death, Sophie gains fame throughout France for her daring feats and catches the eye of Napoleon himself, who is captivated by the petite young widow's courage. But even as Napoleon's interest becomes more intenseand therefore more dangerousAndre returns to rekindle their lost love. Capturing a fascinating era of history, The Little Ballonist brings to life one woman's struggle to forge her own destiny. It is beautifully illustrated with seven period etchings.

Praise for Linda Donn's The Roosevelt Cousins:

"[A] powerful testament to their family, its character and its conviction."

JONATHAN YARDLEY, THE WASHINGTON POST

"Elegant writing, psychological insight, and useful photographs make for absorbing reading. Highly recommended."

LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Set in Napoleonic France, Donn's whimsical first novel (after her nonfiction book Freud and Jung) charts the course of Sophie Armant Blanchard, one of the world's first female aeronauts. The author weaves fact with a fairy tale touch in this historical romance, which follows Napoleon's rise to power as it celebrates Sophie's stratospheric ascents. At 16, her marriage to Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a much older, wealthy balloonist, lifts her from poverty but rends her from her childhood sweetheart, Andr Giroux. Sophie convinces Jean-Pierre to let her fly with him as a publicity stunt and finds she revels in flight — where her husband feels mostly fear. Her celebrity quickly eclipses his, and when the newspapers announce her first solo flight, she comes to Napoleon's attention for her courage and delicate beauty. Jean-Pierre dies of a stroke, and Sophie, who has clung to memories of Andr (now a noted faith healer) throughout her loveless 15-year marriage, waits for her beloved's return while she fends off Napoleon's amorous advances. Before her tragic end, Sophie enjoys a joyful reunion with Andr and an appointment as the empire's official balloonist. As pretty and slight as its heroine, Donn's novel breezes gently across her remarkable life." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

This irresistible literary love story set in Napoleonic France was inspired by the life of Sophie Blanchard, the daring balloonist who was one of the first women to fly.

LINDA DONN is the author of two works of nonfiction, The Roosevelt Cousins and Freud and Jung.