the Italian Catherine book La passione di Catherine Catherine, il suffit d'un amour 2, to know more about this edition read Frédérique and my  third meeting with Juliette!

What can I say about my all-time favourite books "Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour? Is there something I have not mentioned yet? For many years I am a passionate admire of those books! I never had the possiblities early on to talk about the story, to share with someone my opinion. No INTERNET as I have said before;  not knowing that there existed readers like me, who were likewise enchanted by the violet-eyed Catherine and her great love Arnaud de Montsalvy.
Certainly I had read also hundreds of other books beside my "Catherine"! But never had a heroine touched me so much. My "impossible dream" to meet one day the author of those books, the one and only Juliette Benzoni! I did not even know that there excisted a movie in 1968 called "Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour. THE movie, which by the way, made Juliette Benzoni cry over two hours, like a fountain, because they had "destroyed" her story!!
Nowadays my immense joy to write, to create, to correspond with everyone who is in someway connected with "Catherine" Lately I have been asked, where do you get your ideas Mistral? I can assure all my faithful visitors, surely most of them also fans of Catherine like me - I shall never weary of her! The ideas come naturally, there is nothing forced with it. It is more than a hobby now, something my âme-soeur from Charleville understands like no one else!
When in the beginning this website was created, to remember "Catherine de Montsalvy" - it is now my dedication to JULIETTE BENZONI, to Marion Sarraut and all the wonderful performers of "Catherine de Montsalvy". Their generosity towards my site fills my cup of happiness. I can never thank them all enough, to participate in all kinds of way's with the website. A fact which touches Juliette Benzoni more than they can imagine!

Before my website was created, it would have been pretty easy for me to write a summary of "Le Gerfaut"! I would say, "Mistral's favourite page" is my most personal so far! I give a lot away of my little secrets, my likes or dislikes! Why do I say all this? In the meantime I have many new friends, who are all Le Gerfaut fans! There is my meeting with Laurent le Doyen ;-) and they shall read my summary very careful :-)
Where to start for not repeating myself? Or not making anybody angry? What I remember always about "le Gerfaut" is that it was my very first hardcover copy of Juliette Benzoni's books! The first book I read in German (see JouJou's interview why I chose to read Juliette Benzoni's books in English) It fascinated me enormously, how Juliette had reverted her style and chosen a male hero instead of a female! His great love "Judith de Saint-Melaine reminded me a lot of "Arnaud de Montsalvy" ;-)
 Did I love the story? Of course I did, what a hero Gilles de Tournemine was! I had always enjoyed reading about Versailles, Queen Marie-Antoinette, intrigues, and characters like the unforgettable Pongo.
Alas it took years until I was able to get to know the end of the story. Due to the fact of the translating issue! But what do I complain about? The English readers, just like with  "La Dame de Montsalvy", never learned the end of the story of Le Gerfaut!

With great delight I had found in my favourite bookstore, many years ago the first book of "Fiora Beltrami". Like Juliette Benzoni, I love the stories of the Italian Renaissance. I adore also everything around Caterina Sforza, the beautiful virago of Forli and Imola. Not to forget Florence, with all it's illustrious contemporary. I have myself been a couple of times to Florence or beautiful "Fiesole". I studied the period of Italian history of that time until 1512! Before I have met the author, I had always wondered, why she could have known so many details! The secret? Juliette Benzoni informed us, that what she loves above else, is to do researches before she starts to write! It takes approximately two years to reconnoitre and then start the book! She used to visit the places all over the world herself, or her son Jean-François But I am convinced, with the remarkable history knowledge Juliette has, she does not need to go anymore to foreign places , she has it all in her outstanding and exceptional memory!
To my great disappointment, only two of the Fiora books were translated into German. For me unbelievable, the whole fantastic series - not into English or Italian, where the story takes place most of the time !!

On my list to read soon !

On my list to read soon !
And the first of the series "La Chambre de la Reine" was offered to me by my very dear friend Magali, who dedicated this book to me with a very private and beautiful dedication. My thank you goes also to ma très chère Juliette for the missing books. I cannot wait to read her opinion about the Masked Prince. And if she says so, I am sure it is the truth, who else knows so much about history !

Excellent written little stories by Juliette Benzoni. We learn about the fate of unhappy Queens, of Chevaliers of the "Night", like Casanova, Cartouche or Cagliostro. About intriques at court, or sanguinary struggles to power. Juliette Benzoni surprises her faithful readers with her superior and first-rate skill in telling history!
I had found these delightful stories only some time ago and I enjoy them greatly. Like the Catherine books, they cannot be found in bookstores nowadays in some countries. But then... we know where we can find some rare and special treasures, do we not?