The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Intrigued by Sisi’s guileless charm and energetic spirit, not to mention her unrivaled beauty, Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.
Plucked from obscurity and thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi has no idea what struggles and dangers—and temptations—await her. Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.
With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, compelling characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into the bedrooms and staterooms of one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Habsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”
My Thoughts
From the outside most aristocratic lives seem like fairy tales. Large beautiful homes. Stunning clothing and jewelry. Lavish social engagements. Servants to meet your every need. What could possibly be the downside to any of that?
In The Accidental Empress Allison Pataki introduces us to fifteen-year-old Elisabeth as she sets out on a journey that takes her from being the down-to-earth duchess of Bavaria to the very sought after Empress of the Austrian empire. On the surface it seems as if Elisabeth or rather 'Sisi' is the perfect match for Emperor Franz Joseph. From the beginning Franz is smitten with Sisi and against all advice chooses her over her older sister Helene. The two marry in a spectacular ceremony and then they are supposed to spend the rest of their lives living happily ever after like all good fairy tales are written.
Unfortunately this is real life and not the stuff of fantasy. Before long Sisi realizes that the life she thought she would lead is a far cry from what actually transpires. The funny thing is that when you strip away all the glitter her life isn't much different from those of a lower class. She has a meddling mother-in-law. Her husband has a wandering eye. And she is held up to such scrutiny to meet standards and traditions that are next to impossible to achieve.
I enjoyed this fascinating supposition of this very powerful woman. I cheered for her as she finally hit her stride and realized her power and learned to use it to benefit herself and many others. While I couldn't agree with some of her moral choices I did admire how she rallied under difficult circumstances. In the end it was ironic that it wasn't Sisi who I felt sorry for but rather Franz and his mother. They had within their grasp the ability to lead a very happy and successful life that would benefit others. Instead they made choices that wound up alienating them from the very people they were supposed to care for.
Allison Pataki has once again done a fabulous job of bringing the story of an obscure historical figure to life. I enjoyed her debut novel The Traitor's Wife but I think that this book is even better. Her skill as a storyteller is compelling. She has a special way of making the reader feel as if they have stepped into the tale and are watching the events unfold. I tend to want to skim over drawn out sections of tedious details about style of dress or scenery and settings. But with this story I just seemed to eat it up. I look forward to reading many more books penned by this author.
A riveting historical novel about Peggy Shippen Arnold, the cunning wife of Benedict Arnold and mastermind behind America’s most infamous act of treason . . .
Everyone knows Benedict Arnold—the Revolutionary War general who betrayed America and fled to the British—as history’s most notorious turncoat. Many know Arnold’s co-conspirator, Major John André, who was apprehended with Arnold’s documents in his boots and hanged at the orders of General George Washington. But few know of the integral third character in the plot: a charming young woman who not only contributed to the betrayal but orchestrated it.
Socialite Peggy Shippen is half Benedict Arnold’s age when she seduces the war hero during his stint as military commander of Philadelphia. Blinded by his young bride’s beauty and wit, Arnold does not realize that she harbors a secret: loyalty to the British. Nor does he know that she hides a past romance with the handsome British spy John André. Peggy watches as her husband, crippled from battle wounds and in debt from years of service to the colonies, grows ever more disillusioned with his hero, Washington, and the American cause. Together with her former love and her disaffected husband, Peggy hatches the plot to deliver West Point to the British and, in exchange, win fame and fortune for herself and Arnold.
Told from the perspective of Peggy’s maid, whose faith in the new nation inspires her to intervene in her mistress’s affairs even when it could cost her everything, The Traitor’s Wife brings these infamous figures to life, illuminating the sordid details and the love triangle that nearly destroyed the American fight for freedom.
My thoughts:
I am completely amazed that this is a first novel for Allison Pataki. She has taken a well known story and fleshed it out into an even more intriguing tale than we have all read about in our history textbooks.
When I think of Benedict Arnold it is often hard to fathom how he could be such a decorated war hero but in the end wind up being such a traitor to the country he fought so hard to defend. In The Traitor's Wife some of that mystery is revealed. Through the eyes of Clara, the trusted maid to Mrs. Peggy Arnold, we see just how much power a beloved wife can have over her husband.
Peggy is a very complex woman. On the outside she is very beautiful and alluring and knows exactly how to turn a head. On the inside she is scheming and deceitful and always plotting how to come out on top. The name Benedict Arnold may be synonymous with traitor, but the name of Peggy Arnold should hold equal weight.
For all lovers of historical fiction, this book is going to be a great delight. It is my hope that Ms. Pataki will continue to use her incredible talent to bring to light many more of our history's infamous characters and those that worked right along side them.
