the accidental empress by allison pataki

She is also the co-founder of the nonprofit organization, ReConnect Hungary. She graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a major in English and spent several years writing for TV and online news outlets.

In addition to writing historical fiction, Allison is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and, and is a member of The Historical Novel Society. Pataki, Allison's family roots run deep in Hungary and served as inspiration for her writing. As the daughter of former New York State Governor George E. The Accidental Empress is a captivating story set during a tumultuous period in the former Hapsburg Empire of Austria-Hungary. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Allison through our mutual love of historical fiction, and I'm pleased to share her story in our interview with you today. Her latest novel, The Accidental Empress: A Novel , is an 1850s era saga of Sisi, formally known as Empress Elisabeth of the Austro-Hungarian Empress, and the engaging wife of Emperor Franz Joseph. If you want to read more like it, try the magazine for a month here.History is rife with fascinating stories, and few writers tell historical novels better than New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki. This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. Greek mythology has never been so enjoyable. She's often remembered merely as a tangential character in Odysseus' legend, but in this brilliant fictional reimagining, Miller puts Circe squarely in the center of her own story. The writing is so poignant, I felt I could taste and smell the rich world the characters inhabit.Ĭirce was a fabled goddess who led a solitary life of island exile, tossed back and forth between the gods and the mortals as it served their whims. The result is a stunning saga that follows four generations of a Korean family living in Japan. It took Lee almost 30 years to write this book, and thank goodness she followed through.

If you've ever loved, lost, mourned, or simply lived as a human being, Didion's incisive words will hit their mark deep in your heart. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (2005).ĭidion's memoir helped me through some of the darkest days of my life, following my husband's stroke. It's no surprise that she is being hailed as a successor to Toni Morrison. Atakora's writing grips you from the first page of this soon-to-be-published novel. Secrets, heartache, and healing fill this story spanning two generations of women living in the South before and after the Civil War. Lizzy Bennet is beloved by readers everywhere because they relate to her independence, wit, and defiant authenticity. If I must chose only a single Austen novel to include in this celebration of strong female voices, it has to be this one.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813).

The accidental empress by allison pataki