Antoinette's Sister

In this novel, Maria Carolina Charlotte, the tenth daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, is forced to marry King Ferdinand IV of Naples in her sister's stead after her sister's death. Charlotte finds her life in Naples complicated, and her husband's regent, Tanucci, has pushed the country to the brink of ruin. She asks her brother Leopold, the Holy Roman Emperor, for help, and he sends John Acton to oversee the Navy. Charlotte must gather the strength to take control of a country and keep hold of everything she loves in a time of political uprisings and royal executions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 08 December 2022
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

As Marie Antoinette breathed her last breath as the Queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch, Antoinette's dearly beloved sister, Charlotte, was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister's execution would change the course of history and bring about the end of her own empire.

You are the queen. You are the queen that Antoinette wanted to be.

Austria, 1767: Maria Carolina Charlotte, the tenth daughter and one of sixteen children of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, knows her position as a Habsburg archduchess will inevitably force her to leave her home, her family, and her cherished sister, Antoinette, whose companionship she values over all else. But not yet. The Habsburg family is celebrating a great triumph: Charlotte's older sister, Josepha, has been promised to King Ferdinand IV of Naples and will soon take her place as queen. Before she can journey to her new home, however, tragedy strikes. After visiting the family crypt, Josepha contracts smallpox and dies. Shocked, Charlotte is forced to face an unthinkable new reality: she must now marry Ferdinand in her sister's stead.

Bereft and alone, Charlotte finds that her life in Naples is more complicated than she could ever have imagined. Ferdinand is weak and feckless, and a disastrous wedding night plunges her into despair. Her husband's regent, Tanucci, a controlling and power-hungry man, has pushed the country to the brink of ruin. Overwhelmed, she asks her brother Leopold, now the Holy Roman Emperor, to send help—which he does in the form of John Acton, a handsome military man twenty years Charlotte's senior who is tasked with overseeing the Navy. Now, Charlotte must gather the strength.

As Charlotte adjusts to her new life in Naples, she begins to see the cracks in the empire that her sister had so carefully built. She realizes that the people are suffering under the weight of taxation and that the country is in disarray. She also meets John Acton, who is not only a skilled military leader but also a kind and compassionate man. Despite their age difference, they develop a deep bond and begin to work together to improve the situation in Naples.

However, their efforts are met with resistance from Tanucci and other members of the regent's court, who see Charlotte and John as a threat to their power. They launch a campaign to discredit Charlotte and undermine her authority, spreading rumors and propaganda that paint her as a traitor to the empire. Charlotte is forced to fight back, using her intelligence and charm to defend her reputation and protect her allies.

As the revolution in Naples intensifies, Charlotte becomes increasingly aware of the danger that she and her family face. She knows that her husband's weakness and the regent's corruption have created a volatile situation that could explode at any moment. She also realizes that her sister's execution has left a void in the Habsburg family that can never be filled.

In the end, Charlotte must make a difficult decision. She knows that her marriage to Ferdinand is a mistake, but she also knows that leaving Naples would be a betrayal to the people who have trusted her with their future. She decides to stay and fight for what is right, using her influence and power to bring about change and improve the lives of the people of Naples.

Despite the challenges that she faces, Charlotte is determined to succeed. She works tirelessly to rebuild the empire that her sister had built, using her intelligence and her compassion to guide her. She also uses her position as queen to advocate for the rights of the people, fighting against corruption and injustice wherever she finds it.

Years pass, and Charlotte's efforts pay off. Naples becomes a thriving and prosperous country, thanks to her leadership and the hard work of the people. Charlotte is hailed as a hero, and her legacy lives on for generations to come.

In the end, Charlotte's story is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the ability to make a difference in the world. She may have been forced to marry a man she did not love, but she used her position as queen to create a better future for the people of Naples and to leave a lasting legacy that will inspire future generations.

As Marie Antoinette breathed her last breath as the Queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch, Antoinette's dearly beloved sister, Charlotte, was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister's execution would change the course of history and bring about the end of her own empire.

You are the queen. You are the queen that Antoinette wanted to be.

Austria, 1767: Maria Carolina Charlotte, the tenth daughter and one of sixteen children of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, knows her position as a Habsburg archduchess will inevitably force her to leave her home, her family, and her cherished sister, Antoinette, whose companionship she values over all else. But not yet. The Habsburg family is celebrating a great triumph: Charlotte's older sister, Josepha, has been promised to King Ferdinand IV of Naples and will soon take her place as queen. Before she can journey to her new home, however, tragedy strikes. After visiting the family crypt, Josepha contracts smallpox and dies. Shocked, Charlotte is forced to face an unthinkable new reality: she must now marry Ferdinand in her sister's stead.

Bereft and alone, Charlotte finds that her life in Naples is more complicated than she could ever have imagined. Ferdinand is weak and feckless, and a disastrous wedding night plunges her into despair. Her husband's regent, Tanucci, a controlling and power-hungry man, has pushed the country to the brink of ruin. Overwhelmed, she asks her brother Leopold, now the Holy Roman Emperor, to send help—which he does in the form of John Acton, a handsome military man twenty years Charlotte's senior who is tasked with overseeing the Navy. Now, Charlotte must gather the strength.

As Charlotte adjusts to her new life in Naples, she begins to see the cracks in the empire that her sister had so carefully built. She realizes that the people are suffering under the weight of taxation and that the country is in disarray. She also meets John Acton, who is not only a skilled military leader but also a kind and compassionate man. Despite their age difference, they develop a deep bond and begin to work together to improve the situation in Naples.

However, their efforts are met with resistance from Tanucci and other members of the regent's court, who see Charlotte and John as a threat to their power. They launch a campaign to discredit Charlotte and undermine her authority, spreading rumors and propaganda that paint her as a traitor to the empire. Charlotte is forced to fight back, using her intelligence and charm to defend her reputation and protect her allies.

As the revolution in Naples intensifies, Charlotte becomes increasingly aware of the danger that she and her family face. She knows that her husband's weakness and the regent's corruption have created a volatile situation that could explode at any moment. She also realizes that her sister's execution has left a void in the Habsburg family that can never be filled.

In the end, Charlotte must make a difficult decision. She knows that her marriage to Ferdinand is a mistake, but she also knows that leaving Naples would be a betrayal to the people who have trusted her with their future. She decides to stay and fight for what is right, using her influence and power to bring about change and improve the lives of the people of Naples.

Despite the challenges that she faces, Charlotte is determined to succeed. She works tirelessly to rebuild the empire that her sister had built, using her intelligence and her compassion to guide her. She also uses her position as queen to advocate for the rights of the people, fighting against corruption and injustice wherever she finds it.

Years pass, and Charlotte's efforts pay off. Naples becomes a thriving and prosperous country, thanks to her leadership and the hard work of the people. Charlotte is hailed as a hero, and her legacy lives on for generations to come.

In the end, Charlotte's story is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the ability to make a difference in the world. She may have been forced to marry a man she did not love, but she used her position as queen to create a better future for the people of Naples and to leave a lasting legacy that will inspire future generations.

Dimension: 203 x 133 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538720141