About
Deborah grew up in a multilingual environment, English often spoken with quaint, amusing accents. After studying Italian and German, she switched to law and qualified as a barrister. For both work and pleasure, she has travelled extensively across Europe.
While taking a Masters in French and Italian translation, she discovered the city of Parma, and adopted home of Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise (1791-1847), mother of his only legitimate child. So much is she loved that many people have her portrait hanging in their homes. Previously unaware of Marie-Louise’s existence, Deborah decided to find out more. Her research persuaded her that existing accounts of her life, often written by admirers of Napoleon, were so riddled with prejudice that it was time to set the record straight.
“Historical biographies, typically by men, rarely give due weight to the fact that a woman had no control over her destiny. Time and again, men underestimate the courage, determination and emotional resilience a woman had to demonstrate to weather political storms. A man’s heroism is typically measured by his conquests. A woman’s heroism must be measured having regard to the constraints of her situation,” Deborah says.
Applying her forensic skills, Deborah scoured archives on her travels and read as much as she could about Marie-Louise's life and times. Following the birth of her daughter, she worked as a reader for the William Heinemann imprint of Random House, taught A level history and took a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
A series of fortunate coincidences brought Deborah into contact with the well-known Italian journalist, Gaia Servadio, whose introductions led her to institutions in Parma which opened their doors to her. Much material had been destroyed by the Allies during the Second World War, but while Deborah was researching, several large volumes of Marie-Louise’s letters, previously unpublished, were transcribed from their disintegrating thin paper and made available to her. She was also privileged to meet Dr. Otto von Habsburg, son of Charles, the last Habsburg Emperor and Marie-Louise’s living descendants.
Following the warm reception of her debut historical biography, Deborah is now focussing on telling the tale of another figure from the same historical period who has similarly sunk undeservedly into obscurity. Giovanni Battista Lusieri, regarded as the finest Italian watercolourist of his day, was recruited to draw and paint for Lord Elgin, while ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
Deborah has many passions besides history: among them are most things Italian – Max Mara, Alessi, iconic Fiats, Fellini films, Neapolitan songs, dancing, swimming, the classical guitar and spending time with her family.
“I think Napoleon should have been shot for many reasons, but not least for having said that women ought never to want to eat – so I take every opportunity to defy him…”