The Winter Palace cover

The Winter Palace

by Eva Stachniak

"The Winter Palace tells the epic story of Catherine the Great{u2019}s improbable rise to power{u2014}as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne. Her name is Barbara{u2014}in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she{u2019}s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world{u2019}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{u2014}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{u2019}s destiny at court is to marry the Empress{u2019}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{u2019}s confidante{u2014}and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power."--Publisher description.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?