The Knight of Sainte-Hermine facts for kids
The Knight of Sainte-Hermine is an exciting historical novel by Alexandre Dumas. He is famous for books like The Three Musketeers. This book was thought to be lost for a long time. It was Dumas's last big story. A smart researcher named Claude Schopp found almost the whole book. It was printed in parts in an old newspaper, like a story printed a little bit at a time. This book is the biggest and most complete of Dumas's lost works found so far. It is about 900 pages long!
The novel is a swashbuckling adventure. It takes place during the time when Napoleon's Empire was growing in France. A very important part of the story is the Battle of Trafalgar. This is where the British admiral Horatio Nelson dies. The book was translated into English in 2007. It was called The Last Cavalier.
Finding a Lost Story
Imagine finding a lost treasure! That's what happened with The Knight of Sainte-Hermine. Claude Schopp, an expert on Dumas, found it. He said, "You can imagine my surprise when... I stumbled upon an almost complete serialised novel... signed by Alexandre Dumas."
This book is the last part of a series called the Sainte-Hermine trilogy. The story started in 1857 with The Companions of Jehu. It continued in 1867 with The Whites and the Blues. The Knight of Sainte-Hermine was first printed in a French newspaper. It appeared from January to November in 1869. Because it was rushed for the newspaper, it had some mistakes.
Almost the whole book was printed. But a small part at the end was missing. Dumas probably couldn't finish it because he became very ill. He passed away in December 1870.
The book was lost until 1990. That's when Claude Schopp found clues about it. He then found the newspaper story in the archives of the French National Library. Schopp's discoveries have helped people appreciate Dumas's work even more. In 2002, the French government honored Dumas. They moved his remains to a special monument in Paris called the Panthéon.
Schopp kept his amazing discovery a secret until 2005. He worked for 10 years to turn the newspaper parts into a full book. He fixed many errors, like mixed-up names and places. He also decided to write three new chapters. He used Dumas's own notes to finish the story. These new parts were printed in slanted letters so readers would know they were added later.
The book was released on June 3, 2005. It quickly became a bestseller in France. Over 60,000 copies were sold very fast! In 2007, an English version was published in New York. It was called The Last Cavalier.
Claude Schopp also wrote a follow-up book in 2008. It was called Le Salut de l'Empire. He used more of Dumas's notes in it.
Another lost work by Dumas was found in 2002. A Canadian scholar named Reginald Hamel found an unpublished play. It was called The Gold Thieves. It was also found in the French National Library.
What's the Story About?
Claude Schopp said the book is "vintage Dumas." He meant it's just like his other great adventure stories. It's similar to the hero who seeks revenge in The Count of Monte-Cristo.
This exciting historical novel takes place after the French Revolution. It also happens during the time when Napoleon's Empire was rising. The main character is a French nobleman. He feels stuck between the old ways and the new changes. He is also trying to get revenge. His two brothers were killed in the earlier books of the series.
Dumas imagined his main character doing something amazing. He pictured him killing the British admiral Horatio Nelson. This happens after Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. In real history, Nelson was killed by an unknown sniper. Another real person who appears in the story is Fra Diavolo.
