Behind every great ruler lies a betrayal. Eva Stachniak's novel sweeps readers into the passionate, intimate, and treacherous world of Catherine the Great, revealing Russia's greatest matriarch from her earliest days in court, where the most valuable currency was the secrets of nobility and the most dangerous weapon to wield was ambition.
Looking for your next book club pick? Get everyone in your club talking with these carefully selected books that include our helpful reading group guides.
Paperback
- The Tiger's Wife
Téa Obreht - Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
Karen Armstrong - The Paper Garden
Molly Peacock - The Beauty of Humanity Movement
Camilla Gibb - A Red Herring Without Mustard
Alan Bradley - A Visit from the Goon Squad
Jennifer Egan - The Midwife of Venice
Roberta Rich - The Second Life of Samuel Tyne
Esi Edugyan
Hardcover
- The Virgin Cure
Ami McKay - The Winter Palace
Caroline Moorehead - The Sense of an Ending
Julian Barnes - 1Q84
Haruki Murakami - The Stranger's Child
Alan Hollinghurst - I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
Alan Bradley - Tell It to the Trees
Anita Rau Badami - Last Man in Tower
Aravind Adiga
If you like historical novels of the highest degree (Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory) you'll love The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak, a novel about Catherine the Great. The book has gained strong buzz among early readers who say this is first-rate.
If you like stories about re-inventing yourself (like Under the Tuscan Sun) and stories about animals (books by Jane Goodall), you'll love We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee. The title speaks for itself, but the book really delivers: funny, moving and nail-biting. And you can watch the film too (starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson).
P.D. James author of Death Comes to Pemberley
Death Comes to Pemberley is a marvellous, thrilling re-creation of the world of Pride and Prejudice. P.D. James fuses her lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen with her own great talent for writing crime fiction.
Death Comes to Pemberley is a marvellous, thrilling re-creation of the world of Pride and Prejudice. P.D. James fuses her lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen with her own great talent for writing crime fiction.
Eva Stachniak on The Winter Palace
Two young women, caught in the landscape of shifting allegiances, navigate the treacherous waters of palace intrigue. Barbara is a servant who will become one of Russia's most cunning royal spies. Sophia is a pretty, naive German duchess who will become Catherine the Great. For readers of superb historical fiction, Eva Stachniak captures in glorious detail the opulence of royalty and the perilous loyalties of the Russian court.
Two young women, caught in the landscape of shifting allegiances, navigate the treacherous waters of palace intrigue. Barbara is a servant who will become one of Russia's most cunning royal spies. Sophia is a pretty, naive German duchess who will become Catherine the Great. For readers of superb historical fiction, Eva Stachniak captures in glorious detail the opulence of royalty and the perilous loyalties of the Russian court.