Stachniak, Eva "The Winter Palace"

Stachniak, Eva "The Winter Palace. A Novel of Catherine the Great" - 2011

I love learning about history while reading about ordinary people living through different times. In this case, the story of Varvara also tells the story of Empress Catherine the Great, how she entered the Russian court, how she became empress, how all the intrigues and betrayals helped her to get to the throne. This is not just a story about the empress but also about mid-eighteenth-century Russia. A very intimate behind the scenes story with a lot of information about life at the time. Something I always enjoy.

I really liked the protagonist, Varvara. Coming with her poor parents to St. Petersburg from Poland, her father makes sure she is taken in by the Empress Elizabeth if anything should happen to him. We see the palace, the court, and the arrival of German princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg who is to become Catherine the Great through her eyes. Very interesting.

I hope Eva Stachniak will write more historical novels like this.

From the back cover:

"When Varvara, a young Polish orphan, arrives at the glittering, dangerous court of the 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 princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for the Empress' heir. Set to spy on her, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit liaisons 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?"