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The Imperial Wife
The Imperial Wife: A Novel | Irina Reyn
9 posts | 5 read | 20 to read
"The Imperial Wife is a smart, engaging novel that parallels two fascinating worlds and two singular women. Irina Reyn writes beautifully of immigrants, art and the vagaries of love". --Jess Walter, National Book Award finalist and author of the New York Times bestseller, Beautiful Ruins Two women's lives collide when a priceless Russian artifact comes to light. Tanya Kagan, a rising specialist in Russian art at a top New York auction house, is trying to entice Russia's wealthy oligarchs to bid on the biggest sale of her career, The Order of Saint Catherine, while making sense of the sudden and unexplained departure of her husband. As questions arise over the provenance of the Order and auction fever kicks in, Reyn takes us into the world of Catherine the Great, the infamous 18th-century empress who may have owned the priceless artifact, and who it turns out faced many of the same issues Tanya wrestles with in her own life. Suspenseful and beautifully written, The Imperial Wife asks whether we view female ambition any differently today than we did in the past. Can a contemporary marriage withstand an Imperial Wife?
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BookishTrish
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Here's my oops @CouronneDhiver Any favs to push to the top of my super teetery TBR?

kamoorephoto Universal Harvester! I want to read that!! 6y
CouronneDhiver I don‘t recognize any of these titles! 🙉 lol 6y
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kamoorephoto Also that series with The Red Queen... 6y
BookishTrish @kamoorephoto Series?!?? It's a series? 6y
BookishTrish @kamoorephoto Aaaaaaaaaaah! I bought book two of a series. Any guesses as to what I want to do now?!?! 6y
kamoorephoto They are about different characters, I think you‘re okay? There‘s also Alice, and Lost Boy (about Captain Hook)... 6y
kamoorephoto BUT I think Alice is the first one... 6y
BookishTrish @kamoorephoto Alice IS the first one! 😳 6y
kamoorephoto You might have to run out and get it 🙀 6y
BookishTrish @kamoorephoto I just spent the last gift cards I have #bookbuyingban 😭 6y
kamoorephoto Maybe you can look on Thriftbooks? I‘ll keep an eye out... 6y
53 likes13 comments
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oddandbookish
Pickpick

I liked this but I wasn‘t in love with it. I really liked the historical aspects of it. It was fun learning more about Catherine the Great since I knew very little about her. The present day story, on the other hand, was good but it wasn‘t satisfactory. It was missing that spark to make it truly remarkable. One thing I did like about the present day story was how it touched upon the immigrant experience. Overall, I thought this was a solid book.

8 likes1 comment
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oddandbookish
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My currently reading

11 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post! Tanya Kagan is a Russian art specialist at a top auction house. Her husband disappears during the biggest sale of her career, the near-priceless "Order of St. Catherine". Meanwhile, Reyn takes us to the 18th Century & Catherine as empress. Turns out, both women face similar situations despite different times & positions. Is female ambition ambition viewed different today than back then? #blameLitsy #blameMrBook ?

LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 7y
75 likes10 stack adds1 comment
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Gramworth
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I got this book as a Christmas gift from a friend. The story drew me in immediately. This is definitely a good pick for historical fiction lovers!

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Jessicav
Mehso-so

I liked the dual storyline aspect of this book, but fell in and out of love with it as I was reading. Easy to put down and move away from, but interesting and well-written when I was in it. The chapters on Catherine the Great we're mostly refresher history for me, which I think made it less enjoyable. For someone new to the story, I think it would be better.

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Jessicav

Got a galley of this and was immediately drawn into the two stories. I'm right in the middle and it's slowing down a bit, but still pretty good.

tpixie Just listened to the author talk about this book on NPR. Sounds intriguing. 8y
Jessicav @tpixie it's definitely that. I think for me the ending will make or break this one. 8y
tpixie Yes sometimes books don't add up to the wonderful premise 8y
9 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Maria4477
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Won this one thru Goodreads!

annahenke This sounds great! Looking forward to your review. 8y
Megabooks Congratulations! 🎉📖 8y
MrBook Congrats! ??? @BookBabe, another "wife" read! 8y
BookBabe ☺️👍🏻 8y
tpixie Just listened to author talk about this in NPR. Sounds intriguing. 8y
13 likes3 stack adds5 comments