
The Winter Palace
A Novel of Catherine the Great
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Narrated by:
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Beata Pozniak
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By:
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Eva Stachniak
About this listen
Named one of the best books of the year by the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
From award-winning author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that illuminates, as only fiction can, the early life of one of history’s boldest women.
The Winter Palace tells the epic story 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. Her name is Barbara - in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen - and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.
What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante - and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.
With dazzling details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend - through an enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup to assume the throne of all of Russia.
Impeccably researched and magnificently written, The Winter Palace is an irresistible peek through the keyhole of one of history’s grandest tales.
Praise for The Winter Palace:
“A majestic and splendidly written tale of pride, passion, intrigue, and deceit that is brought alive from the first page to the last.” (Rosalind Laker)
“At the same time baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar, The Winter Palace offers a flickering glimpse of history through the gauze of deft entertainment.” (The Washington Post)
“A thrilling point of view.... Readers are treated to a firsthand account of the young princess’s slow ascent to the throne, a path deliciously strewn with discarded lovers and sanguine court intrigues.” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
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Story
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, is one of the most recognizable and mysterious figures in the Harry Potter series. As an unscrupulous beetle-like journalist once said, he's "a biographer's dream." Is he omniscient or limited? Is he benevolent or malevolent? What really drove him in the last years of an extraordinary life? Dumbledore dives between the lines of the Harry Potter books to create a portrait of the controversial Headmaster. We find Dumbledore's hand in every seeming coincidence and consider the impossible decisions he had to make.
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Interesting and informative, but...
- By James Fields on 08-31-23
By: Irvin Khaytman
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The Forgotten Garden
- By: Kate Morton
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 21 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A lost child: On the eve of the first world war, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her – but the Authoress has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her 21st birthday, Nell O'Connor learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.
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Gorgeous literary work!!!
- By MP on 05-17-24
By: Kate Morton
I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely well written history.... the reader did a fantastic job.could not stop listening.....
excellent reading of a fascinating story
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Story wise, if you’ve read anything at all about Catherine the Great there’s nothing new here.
Ruined by reader
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Hoping for a little bit better...
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Not a bodice ripper!
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Very Enjoyable - a nice surprise
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Pronounciation and diction
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Great Storytelling!
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I wanted to like it
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, great book and great performance by the readerAny additional comments?
Eva Stachniak’s The Winter Palace movingly tells the story of how a shy German princess named Sophie becomes the powerful Catherine the Great. The story is intriguingly told from the point of view of Barbara, also known as Varvara, a Polish servant who becomes a spy, or “tongue,” in the court rife with secrets. This unique narrator provides a fascinating perspective on the historical events going on around her. Beata Pozniak’s authentic Polish accent gives real immediacy to Varvara’s words, so you almost come to believe the young spy is whispering her secrets directly to you. Stachniak’s prose is passionate and evocative, lovingly detailed, and Beata Pozniak’s voice is the perfect complement. Her expressive delivery heightens the drama and emotion in this exciting tale and greatly enriches the richly atmospheric milieu, until you’ll almost find yourself surprised not to be in imperial Russia when it comes time to change volumes. Can’t wait for the next book.You'll feel like you're there
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Is there anything you would change about this book?
The story slowed in the middle. I had to talk myself into finishing it when I had 6 hours left.Has The Winter Palace turned you off from other books in this genre?
No.Which character – as performed by Beata Pozniak – was your favorite?
Definitely Barbara.Could you see The Winter Palace being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
Maybe a TV series.Any additional comments?
I liked the story, but thought it might be better to write as a series, with 3 parts rather than 1 long book.OK
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