Although the characters and events of Feta Attraction are fictional, there’s some real history underlying this story.
When Napoleon Bonaparte was at the height of his power, he crowned his brother Joseph King of Naples and Spain. Joseph was deposed after a short time, and he escaped to America, where he purchased a large tract of land in New Jersey. He built a lavish estate, almost certainly financed via the coffers and jewels of the Spanish government that he raided before he left. He lived extravagantly in the United States for seventeen years.
Joseph Bonaparte also purchased thousands of acres of wilderness in Northern New York, near the Canadian border on the western edge of the Adirondacks. He built some large homes in that area, including a hunting lodge on the shores of the lake he called Diana, but which is now known as Lake Bonaparte. He visited a few times, and installed his mistress, Annette Savage, and their daughter, Caroline, in the North Country, far away from his New Jersey estate, once the relationship broke down. Caroline married a local man who squandered the money Joseph settled on his daughter. Their relationship was long, and very unhappy (and I fully intend to write that story someday).
During the years of Napoleon’s defeat and exile to Elba and St. Helena, a number of French expatriates settled along the St. Lawrence River in New York State. According to local legend, a plot was hatched to free Napoleon and hide him out until political events in Europe made his return to power possible. An octagonal stone house was built (known locally as the Cup and Saucer House due to its unusual construction) in Cape Vincent, New York. The house was apparently fitted up nicely for a deposed emperor. It featured movable walls on the upper floor, and was said to contain numerous highly valuable objects, including artwork and a Stradivarius violin. It’s unclear where these items ended up. Napoleon died in exile and never made it to New York State, and the house was destroyed by fire decades later.
Evidence is sparse that Joseph Bonaparte was involved with the plot to bring his brother to America, but it seems inconceivable he would not have known about it. For purposes of this story, he did. If you’d like more information about the Bonapartes in America, as well as recipes and other fun stuff, please visit my website at susannahhardy.com.