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Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel

Unabridged Audio Book

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Elizabeth Knowelden

17 Hours 22 Minutes

Random House (Audio)

March 2016

Audio Book Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sweeping historical novel that tells the dramatic story of Sisi, the empress of Austria-Hungary who fought for her family, her people, and her empire in a changing world

“Irresistible—completely impossible to put down . . . Allison Pataki reimagines the reign of the nineteenth-century Princess Diana in this stunning book.”—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen

Married to Emperor Franz Joseph, Elisabeth—fondly known as Sisi—captures the hearts of her people as their “fairy queen,” but beneath that dazzling persona lives a far more complex figure. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, the halls of the Hofburg Palace buzz not only with imperial waltzes and champagne but with temptations, rivals, and cutthroat intrigue. Feeling stifled by strict protocols and a turbulent marriage, Sisi finds solace at her estate outside Budapest, where she rides her beloved horses and enjoys visits from a man with whom she’s unwittingly become enamored. But tragic news brings the empressout of her fragile seclusion, forcing her to return to her capital and a world of gossip, envy, and sorrow where a dangerous fate lurks in the shadows.
 
Through love affairs and loss, dedication and defiance, Sisi struggles against conflicting desires: to keep her family together, or to flee amid the collapse of her suffocating marriage and the gathering tumult of the First World War. In an age of crumbling monarchies, the empress fights to assert her right to the throne beside her husband, to win the love of her people and the world, and to save an empire. But in the end, can she save herself?

Featuring larger-than-life historic figures such as Bavaria’s “Mad King Ludwig” and the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf, and set against many of Europe’s grandest sites—from Germany’s storied Neuschwanstein Castle to England’s lush shires—Sisi brings to life an extraordinary woman and the romantic, volatile era over which she presided.

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Reviews

  • Donna O\'Neil

    Really enjoyed this book. It motivated me to find out more about Elisabeth, Empress of Austria-Hungary. I had recently read a historical fiction novel from the viewpoint of the Captain's fiance, Charlotte. It was certainly a lot more racy and was centred on a torid affair between Bay and Sisi during her first hunting trip to England. However both portrayals remain true to Sisi's biography and what must surely have been her personality. She is a tragic heroine, in history, in biography, and fiction (although the referred to novel, portrayed her more as a vain "Mrs. Robinson"). Again, history shows us that behind every great man, there is a strong woman. It's eerie how the same scenario played itself out, with different characters and events, 3 generations later, with Diana Spencer. The book is long and sometimes does not hold attention. I listened to it over a time period longer than I should have, so lost some of the continuity.

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