Napoleon's Last Island

In 1815, Napoleon arrives on the remote island of St. Helena to begin his exile under British control. He moves in temporarily to an empty house on the grounds of another residence occupied by a British family, the Balcombes. Their strong-willed, independent-minded teenage daughter Betsy tells the tale of their relationship to the former emperor. Almost immediately, Betsy and her family come under the spell of this charismatic and sympathetic character, cast as a villain by the British establishment and most of Europe but charming, deferential, and witty in the flesh. Later, Napoleon is relocated to another residence on St. Helena, and a new, more severe British commander assumes control of the island. Betsy and her family's friendship and helpfulness toward the exile come to be viewed as treasonous by the new authorities.