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The Winter Palace

a Novel of Catherine the Great
Jun 09, 2015Wong_Anne rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
To make an historical figure seem real through words and actions must be a challenge. The ending has already been written and the author needs to fashion a believable story, based on letters, accounts, and historical documents that achieves the same conclusion. This story is told through Barbara's (Varvara's) eyes, a young Polish woman whose father was a bookbinder to the Empress of Russia. When she is orphaned, she is taken on to serve in a lowly position as a seamstress, for which she is ill equipped. Through perseverance she becomes noticed by the Chancellor and the Empress for her useful talents; eventually becoming a "tongue"; reporting gossip, stories, actions, etc. When a young, inexperienced, and poor Catherine (Sophia); the future Empress arrives in town - a friendship develops between the two women. And indeed, Varvara also spies for Catherine. But it seems that everyone has spies, multiple ones, and who is spying on whom? Whenever I read a story based on rulers of centuries past, I often wonder how anyone survives. The time period is vividly portrayed - war, allegiances, infidelity, punishment, fashion, Lisbon earthquake, winter, etc. It is the shifting of allegiances that creates the most intrigue. I enjoyed the story. I feel that Catherine's development, from her arrival to ascension, was well described and her transformation was presented in a believable manner. The pace was good and the storylines, were well developed.