IN THE SHADOW OF THE EMPRESS The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters

This lengthy audiobook about Maria Theresa, the eighteenth-century empress of the Austrian empire, and her progeny is both soundly researched and widely speculative. It is performed by Emma Newman, whose bright, animated voice directs listeners across the map of Europe, humanizing history and presenting a panoramic view of powerful queens confronting the military and political crises of the era. The author quotes from diaries, memoirs, and contemporary historical papers, but she also interjects her own suppositions on topics such as the paternity of the dauphin and the autism of Louis XVI. Listeners will enjoy hearing the regal, sometimes exhausted, sometimes annoyed voice of Maria Theresa, matriarch of an amazing family. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]