I was expecting this book to be tough to get through, seeing as I know little to nothing about French history. Luckily, Mazzeo is very good at clearly explaining the various revolutions in France over the 90 years of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin's life. I also learned quite a bit about the production of wine and the innovations that Barbe-Nicole discovered that made Veuve Clicquot the wine it is today. Mazzeo also deftly created a tangible version of Barbe-Nicole in the pages of the book, despite there being very little information available about her private life. Obviously, this book is best enjoyed with a glass of wine in hand.