John Allen

The Islander John Allen

As revealed in her diary, Maximilienne Carpentier is one of the most elusive and enigmatic figures of recent European history. Who was this strange woman? Where is the island she speaks of? Can we believe that she did away with her enemies as she describes? Was her father really a convicted criminal, her aunt a murderess, and her cousin a suicide? Who is the mysterious Claude Besson, her apparent help in time of trouble? What of the Royal Title she alludes to, or her claim that Charles VII of France ratified this valuable document?Although some details linger obstinately in the caprice of nineteenth-century political turmoil, the Carpentier diary nevertheless remains a fascinating document.