9 Royal Reads for Your Post-“Romanoffs” Binge

The Romanov family has certainly proven themselves worthy of volumes of sensational material. Continue your obsession with THE ROMANOV SISTERS by Helen Rappaport, which looks past the girls’ royal clothing and paparazzi-depicted personas by way of previously unseen letters and diary entries. Rappaport’s successful attempt to humanize four young women with distinctive personalities, hopes, and expectations, while she examines the breadth of their experiences, will keep you rooted to the page—especially knowing their tragic end.

1853 is a dramatic year to bear witness to the affairs at the Habsburg court, home to one of Europe’s most powerful royal houses. Emperor Franz Joseph prepares to marry one girl, then falls for her younger sister instead. Suddenly Elisabeth, or “Sisi,” is an Austro-Hungarian empress, inserted into a life of wealth and influence and all the responsibilities that come along with it. Allison Pataki’s historical novel THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS captures Sisi’s charisma and complexities while giving us front-row seats to the trials and vibrancy of this little-known episode of European history.

Read the full review of THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS.

Imagine being the wife of a founding father, in on the ground floor where history is being made, with progress, innovation, policies, and declarations. ELIZA HAMILTON by Tilar Mazzeo gives us the inside look at Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the strong woman who sealed her own place in history beside Alexander Hamilton, with fascinating anecdotes about growing up in the prominent Schuyler family of New York.

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Philippa Gregory is a captivating romp in the Tudor court of Henry VIII through the lives of the influential Boleyn family. Family feuds, conflicting interests, the allure of a prince—this historical fiction imagines the detailed actions and consequences of pitting sister against sister, all in the name of an heir and a throne.

You know Daphne du Maurier as the author of REBECCA, MY COUSIN RACHEL, and THE BIRDS. In Jane Dunn’s biography DAPHNE DU MAURIER AND HER SISTERS, you can get to know the entire family, part of an artistic dynasty full of talent and personality and privilege. The three sisters, each talented in her own way, sought to find themselves and come to terms with their upbringing. Under Jane Dunn’s keen eye, we see the past bleed into the present—especially interesting when examining a writer like du Maurier.

CATHERINE THE GREAT brings us back to Russia with an intimate look at the life of a brilliant woman who knew how to socialize with intellectuals, exert influence, and act as a steady leader: Catherine II, empress of Russia. Deftly written and covering the full span of Catherine’s life, this biography captivates on both a personal and political level. Learning about her childhood helps us understand her adult decisions, and the book’s intricate details propel us further into the world of a woman who holds a significant place in Russian history.

What does royalty look like in 16th-century India during the Mughal empire? Mehrunnisa, one of India’s most controversial empresses, tells her story in THE TWENTIETH WIFE by Indu Sundaresan. As a young girl, Mehrunnisa watches Prince Salim marry, and wills herself to one day join him as his wife. With fascinating detail and compelling characters, this historical novel feels like an authentic look at Indian life and culture, especially the treatment of women, during the Mughal empire.

King Louis XI of France and the women in his life are the stars of THE SISTERS OF VERSAILLES by Sally Christie. Four out of five sisters become the king’s mistresses, making for a book with a royal court–size share of scandalous drama that also investigates the connection between siblings. Well researched, this historical novel is told from all five women’s points of view, making for a wild, insightful ride through a little-known segment of French history.

In THE LAST CASTLE, the spectacle isn’t centered on one individual or family, but rather on a home and all its secrets: the grand, Gilded Age estate of a Vanderbilt. The massive Biltmore mansion, built in North Carolina by George Vanderbilt, has outlasted many an era: wars, cultural movements, and the rise and fall of other wealthy families. Imagine the parties, the drama, and the history to which it must have borne witness!