The Fatal Friendship

The two best biographies on Marie Antoinette are 'Queen of France' by Caselot and 'Fatal Friendship' by Loomis. Fatal Friendship focuses mostly on the friendship between the Queen and Count Axel Fersen, the breathtaking escape attempt and their deaths. Loomis leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not the two were actual physical lovers, but with the evidence presented, not only do I believe they were, but that Louis XVI knew, and didn't care.The highlight of the book is the escape attempt though. As you read on and on at a harrowing pace, you almost believe they'll make it. But the stupid mistakes, lack of judgement, and time wasted sealed the fate of the royal family. As we all know Marie Antoinette died on the guillotine, but do you know the violent death that Axel Fersen faced? Or the legend of the ring that was given to him by Marie? An excellent, well written, and easy to follow book that made me fall in love with the Queen and see her not as a monster, but as a woman and a mother who despite trying her best, just couldn't make anything work out.