Sisi

Chapter 1

Gödöll Palace, Hungary

Summer 1868

Sisi could have offered any number of explanations as to why it was so different. Had someone asked her, it would have been simple enough for her to provide an answer. But what was the truth? she wondered. Why was it that twilight here in Gödöll , her country estate just outside of Budapest, felt so different from twilight in Vienna?

She might have said that it was the view: the unruly, wild, perfectly inviting view. Here, in the soft light of the coming evening, the grounds rolled open before her, unfurling in waves of gentle green before meeting thousands of acres of virgin woodlands. Clusters of wildflowers dotted the meadows, so different from Vienna s imperial grounds and gardens, where sensible, stately tulips intersected lawns so symmetrical and tight clipped that it looked as though mankind had heeled nature into complete submission. Which of course, in Vienna, it had.

Or was it the sound of Gödöll at dusk? Evenings out here echoed with the bark of her sheepdogs; the carefree laughter of the Hungarian stable boys as they scrubbed down her horses; the first stirrings of the crickets and frogs as they welcomed dusk from the overgrown fields, nature s unrivaled orchestra tuning up for its nightly symphony. It was a collection of sounds so entirely unlike those to be had in Vienna, where Sisi might hear the one-­two of polished boots as the imperial guards paraded across the courtyards; the clatter of coaches rolling past the Hofburg gates; the cries of the Viennese mob gathered outside the palace at all hours, begging for her to give them a florin coin or a glimpse of her celebrated silhouette, her legendary hairstyles.

Perhaps it was the aroma in the air. Here a medley of sweet scents traveled across the breeze: the faint trace of wild rose and acacia, the earthy musk of the stables, the heady perfume of overgrown grass and straw and mud. It was a lush bouquet of smells so natural and pleasing,

Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor s Wife and The Accidental Empress. The daughter of former New York State governor George E. Pataki, she was inspired to write about Sisi by her family s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. She graduated cum laude from Yale University with a major in English. Pataki is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization ReConnect Hungary, regularly contributes to The Huffington Post and FoxNews.com, and is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their daughter.

[Allison] Pataki successfully juggles numerous political and personal plot lines while maintaining her focus on a fascinating central character. Extensive notes reveal the author s attention to detail and explain where the novel diverges from the historical record. . . . Readers of Pataki s first book will want to know the rest of Sisi s story, but this novel stands on its own for historical fiction fans. Library Journal
 
Sisi is a deeply moving book about a complex character. BookPage
 
A satisfying saga of the late Habsburg period. Kirkus Reviews
 
Pataki s extensive historical research is evident as she deftly explores the complex life of a woman who was both loved and hated by those whom she ruled. . . . Pataki brings richness and relevance to the story of the woman who worked tirelessly to protect the face of an empire. Publishers Weekly

Allison Pataki simply stuns me with each new book. I savor each page. Sisi is her best yet! Kathie Lee Gifford
 
Readers will enjoy the glorious dilemma of whether to turn the pages swiftly, breathlessly following Empress Sisi from one astonishing, heartbreaking adventure to the next, or to linger and luxuriate in Allison Pataki s vivid, sumptuous descriptions of the Habsburg court. Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln s Dressmaker
 
This entire novel is irresistible completely impossible to put down! Pataki reimagines the reign of the nineteenth-century Princess Diana in this stunning book. Michelle Moran, internationally bestselling author of Rebel Queen
 
Emotional, exuberant, masterly, Sisi swept me into the glittering, treacherous world of the waning Habsburg empire. Allison Pataki s understanding of the Empress Elisabeth is nothing short of miraculous. A must-read. Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe

Sisi delivers on all fronts: