Yet, she doesn't let that stop her from finding happiness in her outdoors activities and in the country that she adopts as her own. Yes, there was heartache in the absence of her children and in the continuing strictures of court life if she wanted any part of her family’s life. I was so happy when she decided not to let her life be ruled by the vicious tyranny of her mother-in-law and struck out to make something of a life for herself. The later 50% of the book, I adored Sisi. Explanations are given and understanding reached on the part of this reader, at least. I think a lot of it can be accounted for, though, with the information the author provides in the interview questions at the end of the book. Before that, I do have to say she’s pretty much a doormat. Sisi grew on me as I passed the 50% mark of the novel. She comes out the other side a stronger woman and Empress. I kept reading chapter after chapter, just to find out how this young woman dealt with such overbearing circumstances and personalities. It was fascinating to see the old and the new vie for supremacy, both of which are embodied by Empress Sophia and Duchess Elisabeth. The rumbling of change and revolution was a magnetic background for the author’s story. It gives the story a real sense of reality that I enjoyed to a degree.
I definitely have to give the author credit for the sheer amount of work she paid in doing her research and getting her facts right. The imperial Hapsburg court with its rigid protocols, the bucolic wonder of rural Bavaria, and the wonders of 19th century Hungary all come to wonderful life. The author has a real knack for putting her reader’s right into the time period and making them breathe the environment, not just read about it. But once I hit my stride, I fairly flew through this novel. For the longest time, I was stuck below 13% done.
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