Eva Stachniak

A scintillating, gorgeously written historical novel about a mother and a daughter in eighteenth-century France, beginning with decadence and palace intrigue at Versailles and ending in an explosive new era of revolution. During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King's favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors. There they meet a mysterious but splendidly dressed man who they're told is merely a Polish count, a cousin of the Queen. Living an indulgent life of silk gowns, delicious meals, and soft beds, the students at this "school of mirrors" rarely ask questions, and when Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries. Beautiful and canny Veronique arrives at the school of mirrors and quickly becomes a favorite of the King. But when she discovers her lover's true identity, she is whisked away, sent to give birth to a daughter in secret, and then to marry a wealthy Breton merchant. There is no return to the School of Mirrors. This is also the story of the King's daughter by Veronique--Marie-Louise. Well-provided for in a comfortable home, Marie-Louise has never known her mother, let alone her father. Capable and intelligent, she discovers a passion for healing and science, and becomes an accredited midwife, one of the few reputable careers for women like her. But eventually Veronique comes back into her daughter's life, bringing with her the secret of Marie-Louise's birth. But the new King--Louis XVI--is teetering on his throne and it's a volatile time in France...and those with royal relatives must mind their step very carefully.

The School of Mirrors

A reimagining of the early years of Catherine the Great traces the story of a naive German duchess as observed by young Barbara, a servant who watches her mistress's elevation and rises to one of Russia's most clever royal spies. By the author of Necessary Lies.

A Novel of Catherine the Great

The Winter Palace

A lush, engrossing tale of love, deception and scandal in the 18th century French court of King Louis XV. Against the tumult of 18th century France, King Louis XV has tired of courtly intrigues and becomes a connoisseur of innocence. On the grounds of the Palace of Versailles lies Deer Park, a hunting ground that also offers another pleasure: a mansion where his young mistresses are housed. But when these girls first arrive at Deer Park, it is under the guise of a different role. They are promised employment in the household of a count, and, eager to improve their stations, they leave their families to serve him. Veronique is one such girl. She is introduced to "the count," and young and naive as she is, she never doubts his identity. And as he begins to bestow affection on her, she quickly becomes consumed with love for him. It is too late when she realizes who he really is, the stakes of their affair and what she will have to give up to survive. In vivid detail and with a breathless pace, Eva Stachniak captures the story of a fast-changing France, where the once beloved Louis XV is losing ground, his grandson the Dauphin Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are sickening the country with their opulence and the French Revolution is stirring. It is in this France that Veronique's young daughter, Marie-Louise, will grow up searching for answers about her birth. With stirring insight and dazzling intrigue, this novel questions the true meaning of legacy.

The lush, sweeping story of a remarkable dancer who charts her own course through the tumultuous years of early twentieth-century Europe. Beautifully blending fiction with fact, The Chosen Maiden plunges readers into an artistic world upended by modernity, immersing them in the experiences of the era's giants, from Anna Pavlova and Serge Diaghilev to Coco Chanel and Pablo Picasso. From their earliest days, the Nijinsky siblings appear destined for the stage. Bronia is a gifted young ballerina, but she is quickly eclipsed by her brother Vaslav. Deemed a prodigy, Vaslav Nijinsky will grow into the greatest, and most provocative, dancer of his time. To prove herself her brother's equal in the rigid world of ballet, Bronia will need to be more than extraordinary, defying society's expectations of what a female dancer can and should be. The real-life muse behind one of the most spectacular roles in dance, The Rite of Spring's Chosen Maiden, Bronia rises to the heights of modern ballet through grit, resilience and fervor. But when the First World War erupts and rebellion sparks in Russia, Bronia—caught between old and new, traditional and ground-breaking, safe and passionate—must begin her own search for what it means to be modern.

The Chosen Maiden

Il Palazzo d'inverno

Geheime Gänge, verdeckte Türen, dunkle Nischen: Als die Waise Varvara als Dienstmädchen in den Winterpalast kommt, lernt sie schnell, sich ihre Verschwiegenheit und ihren aufmerksamen Blick zunutze zu machen. Keine Intrige, die ihr entginge, kein Getuschel, das ihren Ohren verborgen bliebe. Schnell wird sie zu einer der wichtigsten »Spioninnen« im Palast. Als die junge Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst – die spätere Katharina die Große – an den Hof kommt und auf dem Weg zur Macht eine Verbündete braucht, wird Varvara ihre engste Vertraute. Schließlich erklimmt Katharina den Zarenthron – aus der unerfahrenen Fremden wird eine der mächtigsten Frauen ihrer Zeit. Eva Stachniaks opulenter Roman über die ungewöhnliche Freundschaft zweier Frauen führt den Leser in eine Welt, in der Leidenschaft und Vertraulichkeit auf Heimtücke und Verrat treffen – in die abgründig-geheimnisvolle Welt des russischen Zarenhofs, gehüllt in schweren Brokat und knisternde Seide.

Der Winterpalast

A implacável ascensão de Catarina, a Grande, vista através dos olhos da jovem espia da imperatriz na Rússia do século XVIII.Quando Vavara, uma jovem órfã polaca, chega à ofuscante e perigosa corte da imperatriz Isabel em Sampetersburgo, é iniciada em tarefas que vão desde o espreitar pela fechadura até à arte de seduzir, aprendendo, acima de tudo, a ser silenciosa – e a escutar.Chega, então, da Prússia Sofia, uma frágil princesa herdeira, a potencial noiva do herdeiro da imperatriz. Incumbida de a vigiar, Vavara em breve se torna sua amiga e confidente e ajuda-a a mover-se por entre as ligações ilícitas e as volúveis e traiçoeiras alianças que dominam a corte.Mas o destino de Sofia é tornar-se a ilustre Catarina, a Grande. Serão as suas ambições mais elevadas e de longo alcance? Será que nada a deterá para conquistar o poder absoluto?Eva Stachniak nasceu em Wroclaw, na Polónia, e vive atualmente no Canadá, onde trabalhou na rádio e foi assistente universitária de Inglês e Humanidades. O seu primeiro romance, Necessary Lies, ganhou o Prémio de Primeiro Romance da Amazon.com no Canadá, e o seu segundo romance, Dancing with Kings, foi traduzido para sete línguas.

O Palácio de Inverno

um romance sobre Catarina, a grande

A Imperatriz da Rússia

The follow-up to the #1 bestseller The Winter Palace--perfect for the readers of Hilary Mantel and Alison Weir. Catherine the Great, the Romanov monarch reflects on her astonishing ascension to the throne, her leadership over the world's greatest power, and the lives sacrificed to make her the most feared woman in the world--lives including her own... Catherine the Great muses on her life, her relentless battle between love and power, the country she brought into the glorious new century, and the bodies left in her wake. By the end of her life, she had accomplished more than virtually any other woman in history. She built and grew the Romanov empire, amassed a vast fortune of art and land, and controlled an unruly and conniving court. Now, in a voice both indelible and intimate, she reflects on the decisions that gained her the world and brought her enemies to their knees. And before her last breath, shadowed by the bloody French Revolution, she sets up the end game for her last political maneuver, ensuring her successor and the greater glory of Russia.

Empress of the Night

Winter Palace, the

NATIONAL BESTSELLER From #1 internationally bestselling author Eva Stachniak comes this rich, engrossing tale of love, deception and scandal in eighteenth-century France. During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King's favourite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors. There they meet a mysterious but splendidly dressed man who they're told is merely a Polish count, a cousin of the Queen. Living an indulgent life of silk gowns, delicious meals and soft beds, the students at this "school of mirrors" rarely ask questions, and when Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries. Beautiful and impressionable Véronique arrives and quickly becomes a favourite of the King. But when she discovers her lover's true identity, she is whisked away, sent to give birth to a daughter in secret, and then to marry a wealthy Breton merchant. This is also the story of the King's daughter by Véronique—Marie-Louise. Well provided for in a comfortable home, Marie-Louise has never known her mother, let alone her father. Capable and intelligent, she discovers a passion for healing and science, and becomes an accredited midwife, one of the few reputable careers for women like her. Eventually Véronique comes back into her daughter’s life, bringing with her the secret of Marie-Louise's birth. But it's a volatile time in France . . . and those with royal relatives must mind their step very carefully. Gorgeously written and with a breathless pace, this is the story of a mother and a daughter—at the centre of cataclysmic personal and public turmoil.

La scuola degli specchi

The story of Catherine the Great's ruthless rise to power, seen through the eyes of a young girl groomed as the Empress's spy in eighteenth-century Russia.

When Vavara, a young orphaned Polish girl, is brought to serve at the glittering, dangerous court of Empress Elizabeth in St Petersburg, she is schooled in skills ranging from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent — and listen.

Then Sophie, a vulnerable young Prussian princess, arrives as a prospective bride for the Empress's heir. Set to spy on her, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit liasons and the treacherous shifting allegiances of the court. But Sophie's destiny is to become the notorious Catherine the Great. Are her ambitions more lofty and far-reaching than anyone suspected, and will she stop at nothing to achieve absolute power?

Winter Palace

Ewa Stachniak

A fictional account of Catherine the Great's improbable rise to power--as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne.

gra o władzę

Katarzyna Wielka

Warwara ist ein Spitzel am Hofe des Zaren Peter III. Als die junge Prinzessin Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst nach Russland kommt, gewinnt Warwara ihre Freundschaft und versucht, sie in ihren Plänen zu unterstützen. - Roman um Katharina die Grosse.

Roman

Set in the late eighteenth century, this novel is based on the life of the famous and much-painted courtesan, La Belle Phanariote. Young, beautiful, fallen, Sophie Glavani has brought shame on her family. She realises that she must now learn the art of seduction in order to survive in turbulent times.

Dancing with Kings

Garden of Venus

When Anna is offered the opportunity to move to Montreal, she jumps at the chance to leave her life in Poland behind. But when tragedy strikes 10 years later, Anna decides to return to a dramatically changed Europe. Probing the depths of betrayal and forgiveness, she confronts her own past and the motives that drove her away from Poland.

Necessary Lies

Roman historique acclamé par la critique et propulsé en tête des ventes dans plusieurs pays, Le palais d’Hiver représentait avec brio l’ascension de Catherine la Grande à travers le regard vigilant de son ingénieuse servante Varvara. Dans ce nouveau roman palpitant d’Eva Stachniak, Catherine occupe désormais le devant de la scène alors qu’elle revit sa fascinante accession au trône, son règne sur l’Empire et les sacrifces qui ont fait d’elle la femme la plus redoutable et le plus redoutée de son temps.Le livre s’ouvre sur les dernières heures de la tsarine au charisme exceptionnel. Des profondeurs enfévrées de son esprit, Catherine fait ressurgir le parcours fatidique de sa tumultueuse existence: son apprentissage grevé d’incertitude en tant que grande-duchesse de Russie, les usurpateurs qui aspiraient à la déposséder de sa couronne, les amis qui quémandaient plus qu’elle ne souhaitait donner ou encore sa bataille pour savoir à qui se fer et qui fouer afn d’assurer sa survie.«C’est le pouvoir et non l’amour qui cause nos disputes», écrivait Catherine à l’homme de sa vie, Grigori Potemkine. Pourtant ses jours se jouaient sur le fl du rasoir, entre le cœur et la raison. Le pouvoir, apprend-elle, est affaire de fermeté, de stratégie et de direction; l’amour doit parfois s’éclipser tandis qu’elle rassemble toutes ses forces pour conduire son peuple instable à l’orée du nouveau siècle et au-delà – pour faire grandir l’empire des Romanov, amasser une vaste fortune et dominer une cour avide d’intrigues en vue de devenir l’une des plus formidables souveraines de l’histoire.D’une écriture superbe, d’une prose lyrique et truffée de détails, L’impératrice de la nuit est le récit éminemment intime d’une femme qui prend en main son destin et trouve sa voie à travers les chagrins, les triomphes et les espoirs de son âme comme de sa nation.

Eva Stachniak

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