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The Winter Palace
- A Novel of Catherine the Great
- Narrated by: Beata Pozniak
- Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's summary
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)
Critic reviews
“Stachniak’s brilliant, bold historical novel of eighteenth-century Russia is a masterful account of one woman’s progress toward absolute monarchical rule.... This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don’t have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph.” (Booklist)
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- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
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Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
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Mademoiselle Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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When her father is assigned the task of spying on the French Court, the charming and sweetly innocent Anne Boleyn is delighted by the thought of a new adventure. And she is not to be disappointed, for her beautiful sister, Mary, has been handed a mission: to let herself be seduced by the King of France in order to uncover his secrets. Mesmerized by the thrilling passion, intrigue, and betrayal that unfolds, Anne discovers the power of being a woman who catches the eye of a powerful king.
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Intriguing
- By Anonymous User on 11-10-18
By: Robin Maxwell
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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Abundance
- A Novel of Marie Antoinette
- By: Sena Jeter Naslund
- Narrated by: Susanna Burney
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Marie Antoinette was a child of 14 when she was made to leave her family and country to become the wife of another child, France's 15-year-old King Louis the XVI. Far from home and suddenly thrust not only into the role of a woman and wife, but of a queen, Marie Antoinette lived an astonishing, though short, existence.
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Not for history fans
- By Cx30 on 12-09-06
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Last Queen
- A Novel of Juana La Loca
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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One of history's most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and the uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent, beautiful, and proud of her heritage, Juana rebels when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir.
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A NEUROTIC BIT OF PULP FICTION
- By The Louligan on 11-19-09
By: C. W. Gortner
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The Speckled Monster
- A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox
- By: Jennifer Lee Carrell
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The Speckled Monster is both a hair-raising tale of courage in the face of the deadliest disease that has ever struck mankind, and a gripping account of the birth of modern immunology. Jennifer Lee Carrell's dramatic story follows two parents who, after barely surviving the agony of smallpox themselves, flouted 18th century European medical tradition by borrowing folk knowledge from African slaves and Eastern women in frantic bids to protect their children. Their heroic struggles gave rise to immunology.
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Wish it was another 19 hours long!
- By Book reader on 06-10-14
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The Moon in the Palace
- The Empress of Bright Moon, Book 1
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power. A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the emperor a gift he can never forget.
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One of the most annoying narrations
- By Foodiewife on 01-28-17
By: Weina Dai Randel
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While Beauty Slept
- By: Elizabeth Blackwell
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told.And so begins Elise Dalriss's story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel's tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered-and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale...
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EVIL THOUGHTS TAKE STRENGTH IN THE DARK,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-08-15
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In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
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One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
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Midnight Angel
- Stokehursts, Book 1
- By: Lisa Kleypas
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows. And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.
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Can't finish. Made me cringe.
- By Lillian on 02-23-22
By: Lisa Kleypas
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The Passion of Artemisia
- By: Susan Vreeland
- Narrated by: Gigi Bermingham
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Set against the glorious backdrops of Rome, Florence, and Genoa, and Naples, peopled with historical characters and filled with the details of the life of a 17th-century painter, The Passion of Artemisia is the story of Gentileschi's struggle to find love, forgiveness, and wholeness through her art.
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Disappointing
- By Kay on 05-21-03
By: Susan Vreeland
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Green Darkness
- By: Anya Seton
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 23 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The marriage of the Englishman Richard Marsdon and his young American wife, Celia, slowly turns tragic as Richard withdraws into himself and Celia suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown. A wise mystic realizes that Celia can escape her past only by reliving it. She journeys back four hundred years to her former life as the servant girl Celia de Bohun during the reign of Edward VI - and to her doomed love affair with the chaplain Stephen Marsdon.
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A different narrator would have made all the difference.
- By J on 06-04-15
By: Anya Seton
What listeners say about The Winter Palace
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Animel
- 03-23-16
excellent reading of a fascinating story
I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely well written history.... the reader did a fantastic job.could not stop listening.....
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- Dee Rye
- 07-24-22
Ruined by reader
This reader is so bad. It’s as if she doesn’t understand the words she’s reading. I had to listen at 1.3 speed to tolerate it.
Story wise, if you’ve read anything at all about Catherine the Great there’s nothing new here.
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- Jen
- 11-14-19
Hoping for a little bit better...
I have read so many historical books, my favorites being from Phillipa Gregory! I had not known too much about Catherine The Great. I did like that it told about the early life of her, and I had no problem with it being from the mouth of one of the Servants. The story itself was good. I think the narration could of been better...at times her tone and voice drove me alittle crazy.
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- Cookie
- 01-13-12
Not a bodice ripper!
Just a good story. This really is a great historical novel, very well written and researched. I feel like I have spent a few days in St. Petersburg, in the cold even in August. The intrigues at court will make you squirm, but there is no content that can not be listened to in mixed company. I wish the book had a little more detail about how the coup was actually carried out (maybe the editors took too much out)I would have like more, but all in all a satisfying listen. Beata Pozniak took me by surprise, and it took me a few minutes to get it. But her narration was so perfect that I believed every minute she was the main character. She brought life to the wonderful prose and will make you feel like you were there. Russian and Polish in slightly broken English, her voice is haunting and unforgettable. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Dielle
- 02-26-12
Very Enjoyable - a nice surprise
A Polish narrator telling the story of a Polish character, what could be more appropriate? I enjoyed the story; lots of atmosphere, sympathetic character, intriguing situation. It wasn't just a listing of events but instead of personal retelling that made me feel like I was sitting listening to the woman telling her own story along with the small details (smells, textures, sounds). As far as the narrator, I thought she was perfect. Yes hearing a polish narrator try to imitate an English accent was interesting, but I found it perfect because that's how the real woman would likely have done it. The occasional odd pronunciations were in character. Overall I was pleasantly surprised. I will listen to this one again and recommend it to others.
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- Maria F.
- 06-06-18
Pronounciation and diction
There were many times where I had to rewind to determine what was being said because the word was either mispronounced or the diction was off.
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- Jennifer
- 03-17-12
OK
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.
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- J
- 01-17-12
Great Storytelling!
Have read a few of the great Russian novels, like Dostoyevsky, and really enjoyed them, so I thought this sounded like a good story. For me the voices and the sound of the language transport me right there. Through the narrator I feel that I am really hearing the many different voices of this story, the Polish voice of Barbara, describing the naivete of Catherine when she first arrives, or the weakened voice of her mother as she nears death, or the imperial Russian voice of the czar, or a German-accented professor. What an amazing skill to deliver all these voices / personalities in such a credible way, and to render them through Barbara. To me that is really great storytelling. If you like stories of intrigue, romance, politics, insecurity, and deception among the aristocrats at court (think Dangerous Liaisons, but in Russia instead of France), mixed as a historical fiction, you'd probably enjoy this.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Christalyne
- 06-18-20
I wanted to like it
Honestly, I would have returned this had I not sat on it for too long. Eva Stachniak writes beautifully, but this drug on and on and was boring to get through. I’m disappointed
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- M&M
- 03-01-14
You'll feel like you're there
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, great book and great performance by the reader
Any 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.
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